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I refused to buy a college parking sticker. I pay tuition to go to the school, why do I have to pay to park there? Luckily, I was a night student, so I would

I refused to buy a college parking sticker. I pay tuition to go to the school, why do I have to pay to park there? Luckily, I was a night student, so I would park in the visitors parking and set up my classes so I would get out at about the same time the night crew got off (something like 9pm). I even spent a couple semesters waiting in the parking lot an hour after class. I would read a book, program, or study for that hour. Once I was late, and visitors was full, so I parked in the regular parking, which promptly got me a ticket. I didn't pay, and they eventually sent the ticket to my address. I called the school and told them I wasn't responsible as I had sold the car to another student, and it was their ticket, not mine. They bought the story and removed the ticket.

dragonwriter 11y ago
> I pay tuition to go to the school, why do I have to pay to park there? Because "parking a car on campus" and "receiving an education" are different and only tangentially related things; maintaining parking spaces for people who want to do the former is an expense that is not born in accommodating the people who do the latter without the former, so those who wish to do both should pay more than those who wish to only do the latter.
- abustamam 11y ago
  I disagree. My school had a gym that was "free." It was "free" because it was included in our school fees. "Going to the gym" and "receiving an education" are different and only tangentially related things; maintaining gym facilities are probably much more costly than maintaining a parking system, even if you include "meter maids." If the school is able to maintain an entire gym, ripe with an indoor track, basketball court, swimming pool, not to mention the (non-free) classes that go along with it, without charging those who take advantage of such facilities (or, put another way, subsidized BY those who do not take advantage of such facilities), I think the school could do without charging students for parking. Visitors, sure; but students? And there are plenty, plenty of services that schools offer for "free" because they are included in the tuition, that many students don't "take advantage" of (read: don't need/want). For me, I'd like to be able to curate the benefits I get from the school. No, I do not want to get free condoms from the health center, but I would like free parking. I do not smoke so I do not need free nicotine patches, but I would like to go to the gym. Of course this is a life long in my past, but it still irks me how many students are forced to learn how to game the system like this because they have to pay for parking. Perhaps not forced, but sometimes it's just not financially feasible for a zero-income college student to pay $9 a day to park on campus.
Retric 11y ago
Why should students without cars subsidize those with cars? Also, some schools try to discourage car ownership due to the number of student deaths associated with drunk driving to and from parties.
- legohead 11y ago
  Think you got that backwards, considering those with cars are the ones paying extra fees (+tickets), thus subsidizing the rest of the students for whatever the college spends the funds on. Second statement needs a source, and regardless it isn't a valid reason. Colleges don't decide how adults live their lives.
  - Retric 11y ago
    Parking spaces are not free. In city's they generally cost 3+ $ a day in upkeep and opportunity costs. Also, collages accept students younger than 18 which are not adults and legally can't be treated as adults.
    - legohead 11y ago
      I'm very interested in the upkeep cost - do you have a source for that?
      - Retric 11y ago
        "A 1996 survey found that commercial parking operating expenses average about $500" per year. Construction costs Dallas $13,281 to New York $20,326 av $15,552. http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf However, opportunity costs bump that as for example it lowers the density of the area.

dragonwriter 11y ago

> I pay tuition to go to the school, why do I have to pay to park there? Because "parking a car on campus" and "receiving an education" are different and only tangentially related things; maintaining parking spaces for people who want to do the former is an expense that is not born in accommodating the people who do the latter without the former, so those who wish to do both should pay more than those who wish to only do the latter.

abustamam 11y ago
I disagree. My school had a gym that was "free." It was "free" because it was included in our school fees. "Going to the gym" and "receiving an education" are different and only tangentially related things; maintaining gym facilities are probably much more costly than maintaining a parking system, even if you include "meter maids." If the school is able to maintain an entire gym, ripe with an indoor track, basketball court, swimming pool, not to mention the (non-free) classes that go along with it, without charging those who take advantage of such facilities (or, put another way, subsidized BY those who do not take advantage of such facilities), I think the school could do without charging students for parking. Visitors, sure; but students? And there are plenty, plenty of services that schools offer for "free" because they are included in the tuition, that many students don't "take advantage" of (read: don't need/want). For me, I'd like to be able to curate the benefits I get from the school. No, I do not want to get free condoms from the health center, but I would like free parking. I do not smoke so I do not need free nicotine patches, but I would like to go to the gym. Of course this is a life long in my past, but it still irks me how many students are forced to learn how to game the system like this because they have to pay for parking. Perhaps not forced, but sometimes it's just not financially feasible for a zero-income college student to pay $9 a day to park on campus.

Retric 11y ago

Why should students without cars subsidize those with cars? Also, some schools try to discourage car ownership due to the number of student deaths associated with drunk driving to and from parties.

legohead 11y ago
Think you got that backwards, considering those with cars are the ones paying extra fees (+tickets), thus subsidizing the rest of the students for whatever the college spends the funds on. Second statement needs a source, and regardless it isn't a valid reason. Colleges don't decide how adults live their lives.
- Retric 11y ago
  Parking spaces are not free. In city's they generally cost 3+ $ a day in upkeep and opportunity costs. Also, collages accept students younger than 18 which are not adults and legally can't be treated as adults.
  - legohead 11y ago
    I'm very interested in the upkeep cost - do you have a source for that?
    - Retric 11y ago
      "A 1996 survey found that commercial parking operating expenses average about $500" per year. Construction costs Dallas $13,281 to New York $20,326 av $15,552. http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf However, opportunity costs bump that as for example it lowers the density of the area.