Lipscomb parking tickets– we’ve all had them. But did you know that Campus Safety will take other measures if you are parked in a non-designated parking spot? Students have been called out of class to move illegally parked cars, and some students received phone calls from their parents saying campus safety and security contacted them.
“Last week I had four missed calls from campus safety telling me they would tow my car if I did not move it,” said Brynn Petrey, a junior Nursing major from Memphis. “I was in class all day, and think my studies are more important than moving my car that wasn’t obstructing traffic.”
Several spots are reserved for the President's office next to the Crisman administrative building.
Patrick Cameron, assistant director of campus security and safety, listed some things you should know before you park illegally at Lipscomb.
“It is a very rare occurrence that we will pull people out of class or call them,” Cameron said. “Generally that happens when one of two things happen: someone has parked illegally in a space that has been reserved for a specific named guest, or someone has parked in one of the senior administrator spaces over by Crisman.”
The Lipscomb traffic and parking regulations state the instances in which Campus Safety is permitted to tow you–and they will. Never park in a fire lane, by fire hydrants, or where you’re blocking dumpsters or traffic. This could result in your vehicle being towed at your own expense. Campus Safety can also tow your car “where deemed necessary.”
A parking ticket sits on the windshield of a car parked illegally.
Other than these instances, officers will usually write a ticket and move on. But beware, parking tickets can add up fast. The penalty amount usually doubles with every violation.
There is a way to appeal your parking tickets, however, if you do not think you deserve them. An appeals form may be filled out within five school days of the date of the violation, but every excuse doesn’t work.
“Being late for class is not an example of a good appeal,” Cameron said.
If your fine balance reaches $250, your parents may be notified, and if it reaches $1000, your car will immediately be towed if it is found to be parked illegally.
Many students point out that there are not enough parking spots on campus. This may be true, but the regulation handbook clearly states that “the lack of a convenient parking space is not considered a valid excuse for violation of any parking regulation.”
What does this mean for you? You must park at the high school football field or Stokes school across Belmont Blvd. to avoid being ticketed if there is no parking.
Visit campus safety’s website for a copy of the University Parking and Traffic Regulations handbook. To appeal a citation, go to my.lipscomb.edu and click the “My Account” tab, then Banner Self-Service andVehicle Registration, Citations, and Appeal.