Oversold lots = tickets, tow

There are 3,500 parking spaces available at Winston-Salem State -- 3,000 on campus and 500 in the shuttle parking lot.

According to Interim Supervisor for Traffic Division Norman E. Johnson, at least 4,122 decals were sold this semester.

This 622-space deficit may be one of the causes of towing on campus, but according to the University's Parking FAQ, overselling lots is minimized.

Darul Allen, senior mass communications major from Raleigh said, "I have received four parking tickets this year."

Allen said he received a ticket for not having a decal, and after he purchased a decal he received a ticket for parking on the curb in his Parking Lot DD.

He said he parked on the curb because his assigned parking lot was full.

"I don't understand why they would oversell the parking lot and then give me a ticket for parking on the curb in my lot," Allen said.

If a parking lot is full, drivers are supposed to park their vehicles in the shuttle lot.

After 5 p.m. the campus becomes open, and people are permitted to park almost anywhere on campus if they have a decal.

They can park in a gated or non-gated lot after 5 p.m. until 7 a.m.

The exceptions are residential parking areas and reserved spaces, said Ginger D. Grannaman, a WSSU program specialist.

Parking Lot DD and Parking Lot P, the main parking lots for WSSU residents are the only shared lots.

This means both residential students and commuter students can park in these lots. Residents and commuters

pay $140 for parking decals.

The employee gated lots cost

$280, and the employee nongated

lots cost $240.

"The gated lots become

open at 5 p.m., and that's what

everyone has paid for, business

hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,"

Johnson said.

Towing charges vary also.

"We [WSSU] have one person

on contract at this time,

McCauley's [McCauley's

Recovery and Towing],"

Johnson said.

The towing charge during

business hours for faculty,

staff, and students is $90 and

$110 after hours.

It [towing] costs $125 during

business hours and $145 after

business hours for people not

affiliated with WSSU.

"McCauley's have set their

price and the University has

agreed upon that price,"

Johnson said.

People who do not pay the

tickets may get a boot put on

their car. A car with a decal

gets booted if the owner has

three unpaid citations, Johnson

said.

"To get the boot removed,

you have to pay $50 and [pay

for] at least two of the unpaid citations," he said.