4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
WEDNESDAY,AUGUST 28,2002
FACE-OFI
Parking dept: friend or foe?
Face-Off is a weekly project of the Kansan editorial board. Each Wednesday two editorial board members will argue opposing sides of a hot-button issue that affects students at the University of Kansas. This section should help students to understand both sides and make better decisions about their own beliefs.
If you have a suggestion for a topic that could be used in Face-Off, or if you would like to join the editorial board, please call Maggie Koerth or Amy Potter at 864-4924, or email opinion@kansan.com.
Department will let students appeal tickets
The KU parking department is one of the most talked about and hated facilities on this campus. Last year alone they issued 43,978 tickets, which did not make them many friends.
However, I have a different kind of story to tell about the parking department, one that is not often heard in conversation. My story is one of justice.
Last spring I had a meeting in the evening at Strong Hall, so I drove my car and parked underneath the covered parking lot in back. The sign in front of my car read, 'Restricted 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.' It was after six, so I pulled my car into the spot.
After my meeting was over, I walked back to my car only to find that ever-so lovely bright pink envelope underneath one of my windshield wipers. I was livid.
The ticket inside the envelope said my spot was a 24-hour restricted zone, yet I had not seen any such information on the sign in front of my car.
The question I now faced was — do I pay a $20 ticket or do I appeal it? I had heard from other students how impossible it was to appeal a ticket, but I decided this time the only thing I had to lose was $20.
The appeal process was simple. I simply went to the parking department website and filled out my complaint, I received an e-mail that same day saying they had received my appeal and the verdict would take approximately six weeks.
Summer eventually rolled around and I had almost forgotten about the ticket. Then one day I received a letter in the mail that said my fine had been taken away. The judges saw the problem in the ambiguity of the sign and were working to correct the problem.
Of course I was thrilled, but it also taught me a valuable lesson.
If you truly feel that you were unfairly ticketed, take the time and appeal it. Your appeal might bring attention to an unclear sign or even another problem that has gone unnoticed.
If you have an issue with the parking department go to their website and tell them. They have a special page designed for anyone to give feedback about the department as a whole, parking lots employees and policies.
Do not waste the parking department's time with ridiculous appeals that are only meant to delay the process. Rita Jordan, administrative officer for the parking department, said unrealistic excuses were the primary reason that only 231 appeals were granted out of 951 last year.
If you park illegally and you receive a ticket, face the consequences. To all the new students at the university: figure out now the places where you can and cannot park. It will save you much grief and money later in the year.
Amy Potter dissenting
Students have reason to grumble
No school can give you a better first impression than by giving you a parking ticket in visitor parking on the first day of orientation.
You would think the first time you spend a day at a future college visit everything would be presented in an immaculate fashion — the bent top of the circular Chi Omega fountain, the beautiful concrete monstrosity on Wescoe or the notable five-star standards of McCollum where the smell of narcotics, builders say, comes as natural as the copper water pipes.
But after such wonderful sight-seeing extravaganza, my contentment was suddenly put in check by a pink parking ticket envelope.
I was quite perplexed by the irony of the situation.
One can only imagine the parking department being solely based on moral standards and good business; having only the best intentions to regulate against rebellious hoodlums.
Although many say the parking department is wonderful, the disconcerting truth is that more than twice as many parking passes are issued than there are places available. That unfortunate other half must dodge and stealth about all day, playing a dyslexic version of Marco-Polo with the parking department.
Holding the parking department with even greater prestige in my book of crooks is the arbitrariness of tickets.
If a parked car crowds your space, causing the right side of your tires to touch, not extend into, a handicapped parking lot, is a $100 fine considered just?
If Vicente Fox crowded an illegal immigrant causing him to touch the borderline, would the IRA start shooting? Maybe some would and some wouldn't. Maybe some would need to meet a ticket quota.
tem.
Many argue that the parking department is put in check by the appellant sys-
Unfortunately, it seems like it takes forever to get a set date — that is, if you even get that far by not having an employee clean out the incoming email folder, which inadvertently seems to happen. But if chance is on your shoulder and you do receive a trial date, you must then juggle the inevitable delays until it's enrollment time and you have a parking ticket hold.
And once again, you find yourself perplexed, standing at the crossroads between the path of unjustified justice or a future career at a T-shirt shop because you can't afford the tickets and late enrollment fees.
So be aware that the parking department is out there, and its employees are ticketing.
Josh Day for the editorial board
PERSPECTIVES
Readers' Rep. wants to be more than glorified Free For All
So I'm sure that by now someone's looked at that box labeled 'Talk to Us' and said, "Readers' Representative, who's that and why does she get her name by the editors?"
And if you're just noticing that this little box exists, then quite possibly that's what you're asking right now. Let me explain.
I've heard this position referred to as the student's voice, the liaison between the The University Daily Kansan and the student body, an opportunity for the individual to question the actions of the newspaper as well as ask for what he or she wants to see. To me, this sounds like a glorified Free for All.
I don't intend to stop with that simple of a description.
COMMENTARY
Here's how it really works. I am obligated to attend two group/club/organizational meetings each week. I take the information, the concerns and questions of the members of these organizations and I bring them to the Kansan on top of writing a column every Wednesday. That's the extent of what I do. The rest is where you come in.
I'm aware that you've all read this plea too often. How many times can you hear "The student newspaper is your newspaper. We need your contributions to make it great. Write us, e-mail us, call us, fax us, attack us in the streets with absolutely anything that we can use?" Eventually it all starts to sound like desperation on our part.
So I'm going to try to sound as least
Laurel Burchfield
readersrep@hansan.com
esperate as I possibly can, while still getting the point across to those of you who choose to ignore these requests.
You're a student at KU for a reason. Every day you are involved in classes, in presentations and in activities that impact some other human being. But with as large of a campus as we have,
how far does that impact reach? Despite all of our efforts, that impact is diminished too quickly after it's begun. This is where I step in.
Through the Reader's Representative, you all now have the option of taking your efforts to the top. Everyone sees the newspaper, some even read it. So instead of just founding a club or acting as president of your organization, invite me to your meetings and expose your purpose to the entire campus.
Yet, it's a two-fold position. On top of being your voice, I also get to be voice of the Kansan.
editor, but still your concerns haven't quite seemed to penetrate the skin of the staff. You want to know why that certain article was printed, you want someone to listen to your complaints and actually do something about it. Again, it's as simple as sending me an e-mail.
Let's say that you're an avid reader of the newspaper. You've called the Free For All, you've written your letters to the
Basically it sums up to this: the column is here to meet your needs. So, tell me what those needs are, whether through your organization or through your concern with the paper.
I'll be seeing you around..
n burcentile is a Basehor sophomore in journalism, education and english. She is Kansan Readers' Representative.
TALKTOUS
Jay Krail
editor
864-4854 A
jkral@ kansan.com*
Brooke Hesler and
Kyle Ramsey
managing editors
864-4854 or
bhesler@kanans.com
and
kramsey@kansan.com
Laurel Burchfield
readers'
representative
864-4810 or
www.laurelburchfield.com
Maggie Koerth and Amy Potter opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com
Amber Agee business manager 804-4358 or advertising@kansan.com
Eric Kelting
retail sales manager
864-4358 or
advertising@kansan.com
Free for All
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and
news adviser
864-7867 or
mgilson@kansan.com
Matt Fieher sales and marketing adviser 864-7665 or mtfieber.kanan.com
Call 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
Yeah, I think someone needs to tell the Naismith residents that their feces does stink, too.
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Yeah, uh, what does "if there's grass on the field, play ball" mean? I'm a freshman and just wanted to know.
My favorite muscle on a man, it's the pelvedominal.
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Um, yeah, the people who park on the east side of Mississippi Street behind the Union need to learn how to frickin' park!
Oh, my gosh! Why isn't add/drop online?
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Man, I've been reading the Free for All lately,
and it sucks. What happened to all the witty
comments about Gene Hackman, man?
Freshmen don't know anything. Dooh, KU Info
is going out of business, weaah.
When I was little, I used to watch Herman's Head lot, and I wanted to be inside Herman's head. So my brother made me eat all this paper, but all I saw was a bunch of elephants. Man, acid sucks.
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Hey, how about they stop posting the answers to the crossword right under the crossword and try what they did last year and post them the day after. That'd really be cool.
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Forget money, I got my mind on the tummy and my tummy on my mind. When I walked up to campus today, I saw all the pro-choice statements written on the ground, and I thought, "well, that cool." You know, just because I don't necessarily believe in it doesn't mean people shouldn't have the choice. But then I saw things that said "my box, my choice," and that just seemed a little vulgar and inappropriate to me.
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Hey, this is Stu from Oliver, and whoever did the peanut butter jelly time thing is still really lame.
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I got one of them devil toasters, it's possessed.
If you put this in, there an upward chance that you will get some tonight.
This morning a masturbator called me on the phone. I did not appreciate it. I just wanted to say 'masturbator. I am not your sweetie.'
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Mayonnaise is like sandwich glue, so you have to put it between every slice.
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Yeah, this is to the guy who wrote about stealing a bike yesterday, and asked God for forgiveness. Uh, that was my bike, and I just talked to God, and he said give it back. Thanks.
I just wanted to congratulate my exercise science teacher for setting the record for the number of times swearing in one class period. Way to go, teach, way to go!
Hey, I just wanna say that I love KU info. And also, they forwarr for separating the sports Free for All comments from the regular ones, so I don't have to read the boring things.
I got mail, yay! I got mail, yay! I got mail, I got mail, I got mail, I got mail, I got mail, I got mail, yay!
Pretend this is the future. Here I am, calling the Free for All because I'm sad, boring, and depressed because I can't call KU info.
I just read on the front page of the Kansan that possessing a fake ID was a crime, which isn't true. Uh, possessing a fake ID is perfectly legal, as long as you don't use it.