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| Lots of balloons. No parking. |
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| Rebel Girl |
"As it is, the state's 112 community colleges will offer 5% fewer classes this fall, Chancellor Jack Scott said. Based on projected annual demand, an estimated 670,000 students who otherwise would enroll in at least one class will not be served, he added."
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| Unfair advantage |
These same students also want parking spots. Their presence has been especially noticeable in the morning hours where cars circle and cruise looking for a spot, any spot. Yes, parking during the first week of classes has always been challenging but one could usually find a spot. Not so this week for many.
This week also marks a change in policy for parking enforcement. No longer is there a grace period. Signs were posted everywhere announcing the change in police as were uniforms enforcing it through vigorous writing of tickets.
Case in point.
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| Artist's reconstruction |
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| "That's mine!" |
So she parked, wishing she had her usual donation bag for Goodwill, ran across campus, taught one class, then another—ran back, worried about a ticket—found none, moved the car to a now open staff spot (the big shiny pick-up was still occupying two spots and had not received a ticket either) and ran back to teach another class.
Day Two. The same scenario. Arrive early, circle, circle, circle — to no avail. Drive by the shiny pick-up, still taking up two spaces, give up, park next to the Goodwill truck. Run across campus, teach two back-back classes, one in a non-air–conditioned classroom (Note that in the first class students joke about parking in the strip mall and the not-so-nearby church lot "They won't tow—they're Christians!"), finally return to lot to find—ouch. A $38.00 parking ticket.
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| From several years ago |
Drive home. Strategize about the next couple days. Should she follow the suggestions and arrive two or three hours earlier? But that would mean arrive at 8 a.m. on Thursday and teaching through until 10 at night. Should she park at the church? Bring a bag of donations and park by the Goodwill truck and place the receipt in the window? Buy a big shiny pick-up and become one of the guys? Park her tiny hybrid in back of the big shiny pick-up and see who gets ticketed first? —RG
• Removed coach Patton insists he did nothing wrong (OCVarsity.com)
40 comments:
You don't mention whether the instructor had a staff permit or not - I suggest she didn't. The police would have understood the desperation of a staff peson needing to get to their job on time - especially a teacher.
The parking has been horrendous early in the day. The absence of the usual grace period makes us seem hostile and unfriendly.
The guy with the truck has a special dispensation.
The new change in the grace period is unfortunate. That, combined with the sudden rise in morning students, has made it pretty bad. I am surprised that there has not been more communication on this issue. They should have anticipated this after Monday morning. Instead it seems as if they are using poor parking planning on the college's part as a way of making money off of students. Not a good idea. The attitude of the police has also been unfortunate and unforgiving.
8:18, you're surprised by poor communication at IVC? Really?
Instructor in question has a current parking pass. She apparently also has an expectation that parking will be available when she shows up for work. Pity the part-time freeway fliers for whom it must be a nightmare. You'd think someone would try and mediate this situation. I agree with the earlier poster - it's like they see this debacle as an opportunity to make money.
As a part-time instructor I have finally reconciled myself to a system that requires me to pay for parking so I can work for an insufficent wage. But I have not reconciled msyelf to an institution who doesn't make this system work and who then charges me (and my students!) parking tickets that cost twice as much as my pass (which I have already paid for) during the first week of classes when we're busting our butts just trying to do our part.
Just follow the rules and you'll keep out of trouble.
BSTIC has resulted in many more faculty offices. Administration, how about more staff spaces to accommodate the new need? I paid extra for my staff parking permit and I can’t even find a staff space! What gives? This is total BS!
Everybody knows about the guy with the truck.
Satff spots on par with the creation/redistribution of new positions have not been added. Nobody has a formula for this - they just close their eyes and hope it works out - which it mostly does excepts for a few weeks of the year. But this combined with the influx of desperate students, the abolition of the grace period AND vigorous enforcement (though clearly it's selective)has made the first two days a perfect storm in the mornings.
You'd think someone would notice.
It does look like we're trying to make money off the poor students -a dn the poor staff.
Imagine having to choose - being late for the first day of class - or parking next to the Goodwill in a dirt lot with a parking pass you paid for that you thought bought you a parking spot.
When the police stand together and laugh after they give tickets right there at the front, it gives the wrong idea.
Most of the time I park in student parking because there isn't any staff parking available. This week ahs been much worse. I think administration forgets that we have staff coming and going throughout the day. I looked for an officer to ask questions of but could not find one - so I parked in the dirt lot too. No ticket for me. They should have someone stationed on that side of campus to explain things and direct people.
Clearly the instructor made a poor choice. She should have just gone home.
I bet the guy with the shiny truck gets a ticket every day.
At another college where I taught, they had a grace period and during the first two weeks simply deployed cops near the staff lots to ensure that staff could park - and student parkers were deterred. It was low key and worked just fine. Of course that policy didn't make any money.
Take a ticket off an another car and put it on yours. Just kidding! The instructor should suck it up and come in at 8 for the first 2 weeks. And stop wining.
8:31,
Some employees have family obligations early in the day (morning child care) which is why they request teaching times later. Other teach at other institutions.
But I do think some WINE would help! (But not so early in the morning - and not while driving.)
I've complained about the guy with the truck but apparently there are different rules for him.
The school doesn't make money from parking tickets--which makes the lack of a grace period and stepped-up enforcement even harder to understand.
Agreed - parking and parking tickets and wait lists and hot classrooms - quite awful. But the music and the free ice cream was nice.
The newly instituted Happy Hour in the Cafg with dollar fish tacos and maragaritas was pretty nice too.
That's Cafe, of course. (hiccup)
8:46, you're wrong. IVC makes like around $150K per year from issuing tickets.
Quiet out there today - but someone MUST report on the shiny truck! Do tell. If that is the only thing to come out of this, great.
How do we find out what kind of money (if any) the college makes from issuing tickets? Can we find out the number of tickets issued during the first two days? Can we ascertain how many parking spots exist on campus and compare that number to staff and students? Is some of this public record?
10:14, I would call the President's office and briefly explain your concerns. The less blather, the better. Something like: "it doesn't seem fair that people are getting tickets for parking in the only spaces left to them. Surely a grace period is in order. Why aren't you creating new lots?" --The end.
Is there some cone of silence protecting the a*hole with the truck? People like him represent a certain type of narcissistic, self-privileged and oh so special person who needs to be publicly humiliated.
The truck needs two spaces cuz it's too long for one space.
Oh you guys - it's always about size, isn't it? Other trucks of a simialr size find a way to fit. Maybe their behinds stick out a bit but somehow it works.
It's typical of those who feel the need to drive a big old gas sucking vehicle. Major superiority and entitlement issues, probably related to inadequate genitalia.
Insufficient parking today led to students and staff having to park in the lot next to the Goodwill truck once again- and another blizzard of tickets. Despite our cutbacks we ARE serving more students since last year (right guys?) but admin doesn't know how to manage this influx. So they don't.
Should policies HELP us do our jobs not hinder? If we pay for the privilege of parking in order to do our job shouldn't admin see to it that we can park????
Meanwhile the guy in the big truck continues to take up two spots and while his second spot wouldn't solve everything - it IS the principle of the things that galls. Roland has a big truck and so does Lewis but you don't see them acting like this fellow -and I doubt they'd get away with it either.
Why does truck jerk continue to be anonymous? Let's put a name to the vehicle.
Arrived on campus at 10:15 for an 11:00 class - no parking anywhere. At 10:35, noticed a man in the dirt lot next to the Goodwill, waving drivers into it. cars began pouring in, including mine. I can't imagine it held everyone who needed a spot but it helped. The Goodwill truck has an equal space but no one was allowed to park in, I guess, even though they don't really get lots of traffic. Clearly the crunch time is the morning and it was nice to have someone there today but why they didn't earlier in the week, who knows. They should anticipate these issues. They should issue amesty for the parking tickets this week.
(By the way, no big shiny truck taking up two spaces today!)
The big truck is here only M-W.
I'm told it belongs to a certain computer tech.
Are you SURE IVC makes $150K/year from parking tickets? I'm told that 100 miles down the road from you, we don't. Just like cities don't collect much, if anything, when their cops write tickets.
Sombody's not telling the truth, and curious minds want to know.
I noted that the shiny blue truck is oversized. Probably won't fit in a regular parking spot.
Any update on dickwad the truck driver?
He's back!
Can we get a new picture of his illegal parking? And add a name?
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