Parking A student’s guide to parking correctly and avoiding fines STORY & DESIGN Samantha Rios
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Everyday a little red truck with Hutchinson Community College Security written on the side makes its way down the parking lots aisles of HCC’s campus. The driver of the red truck is Steve Dunmire, lead security officer. His duties include various things around campus, but on a daily basis he can be found making sure students are obeying the parking rules. Students parking on campus are required to have a parking permit. In preparation for each semester, students must have their up-to-date permit placed on their vehicle which can be picked up at the Parker Student Union information counter. The good thing about these parking permits at HutchCC is that they are free to students. Other colleges across the state charge a fee for parking permits. At Kansas State University, a parking
permit will cost an off-campus student $180. If students don’t have their permit on their vehicle, they will receive a warning ticket and then after that they will get a regular ticket. When parking on campus, certain rules need to be followed. The parking permit must go on the students back windshield. “The only exception would be if they drive a convertible or a jeep,” Dunmire said. When parking, drivers need to make sure they are within the lines and students are not allowed to pull through stalls because the parking permit needs to easily be visible when driving by. Dorm students are not allowed to park anywhere other than dorm parking until after five o’clock. If they are a male dorm student, they are supposed to park in the Office Technologies parking lot south of the
Steve Dunmire, lead security officer, writes up a parking fine. Hutchinson Community College banned students from parking in the Kansas Cosmosphere parking lot. Photo by Samantha Rios
Ade Wifco Building. Getting a parking permit is free, parking correctly and abiding by the rules won’t cost a student anything extra. If ticketed, students are responsible for paying the $10 fine. Parking in places like handicap stalls will cost more. If receiving multiple tickets, the $10 fee can add up quickly. In the past, Dunmire has dealt with a student who refused to pay and kept receiving tickets because they wouldn’t get a parking permit. Their student bill for parking tickets ended up being over $200. When parking tickets aren’t paid, students won’t be able to receive their transcript and could be sent to collections. There are many areas around campus for students to park. When following the rules, tickets can be avoided.
Dragon’s Tale • Fall 2017
Parking tickets in the fall 2017 semester
93.7% 15.6% 500+
of students registered their vehicles before the first day of school
students have received a parking ticket this semester
warning tickets were given out in the first two weeks of school
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