It is a white slip of paper with a red banneracross the top tucked inside a yellow envelope. What is it? It is a parking ticket.
“Enter to learn and depart to serve,” one student says sarcastically. We want to learn, but we have a hard time entering to get a parking space.
According to WSSU’s “Regulations GoverningMotor Vehicle Parking” pamphlet, the school has 27 parking lots. Thirteen of those 27 lots are for students, both commuters and residents.
If there are so many parking lots, what is the real problem?
“The problem comes from the people that don’t purchase decals and park in areas that require decals,” said Sgt. Norris Gullick, who has been with the Winston-Salem State University police force since 1997. “If students park in faculty parking lots whichare designated by signs and the red markings at the end of the parking spaces, the student will get ticketed,” Gullick explains while jumpstarting a student’s car. When faculty park in student areas, he said,
“Faculty also get tickets for parking unlawfully.” Resident student parking spaces are color coordinated with purple, brown,and yellow. Student commuter spaces are green,and visitor’s, blue.
While the plans for parking expansion are being discussed there is an overflow lot available for permit holders by Bowman Gray Stadium. Students who decide to use this parking area can take advantage of a shuttle service. Because the shuttle stops running at 6 p.m., the school has taken precautions and hired safety patrol to give escorts to students who have late classes and need to get to the overflow lot and retrieve their vehicle.
According to the WSSU Website, there are 5,567 students enrolled, and according to Gullick there are 1,229 parking spaces and 37 handicap spaces.
All drivers should avoid parking in front of fire hydrants and orange cones since the majority of traffic fines have doubled toshow the seriousness of the rule.