Marc Choquette
Perspectives Editor
The cliché thing to say about any sort of cost increase at Pepperdine is to be outraged for awhile, realize that its not going to change, then live with it. It is a simple three-step process.
Tuition increases substantially and everyone says, “this is bogus,” then sees their tuition bill and realize they weren’t kidding around.
Book prices literally burn holes in your wallet at the bookstore checkout. Then you see the statement and reality kicks in.
This time the supposed villain is the Department of Public Safety presenting to the Student Government Association a plan to double fines for parking violations from $20 to $40.
But the Public Safety desperados weren’t finished. Those of you faking a leg injury to nail that convenient handicapped spot don’t stand a chance. A solid $350 fine should heal that leg pretty fast.
The knockout punch comes with the progressive penalties coming this month. It works like progressive taxing, which says that the more you make, the more you taxes you owe. In this case the taxman is Public Safety, collecting double the fine on a second violation, triple for a third, and revoking of parking privileges on campus for a fourth.
SGA approved the proposal, along with another mentioned later in the Jan. 25th Graphic article regarding a Super Bowl party fundraiser.
Nobody wants to pay extra for violations, but as the three steps explain, anger that SGA could pass such a measure will pass if it hasn’t already.
But, as the formula goes, the “outrage” fades and reality sets in when walking to class and seeing tickets for cars parked in made-up spaces and boots on excessively fined cars. The realization comes that maybe it’s not a great idea to stick your ride in the fire lane.
We’ve all been around the Colony, or some other shopping area, to catch someone snag that handicapped space when the lot is packed. You see the culprit get out of the car trying to be stealth, then an actual handicapped person comes along and, well, the rest isn’t pretty. It’s a situation nobody wants to witness.
Of course the argument can be made that $40 for a violation is steep. We already pay a pretty steep tuition. But this happens to be the first increase in 20 years.
Another talking point regards Assistant Director of Public Safety Dawn Emrich being quoted in the same article as saying, “The changes are for educational purposes only… It is not a punishment but only to inform the students.”
The numerous people receiving tickets in the law school parking last week because parking was scarce probably disagree.
Maybe these ‘educational purposes’ refer to the lesson on how to double the revenues from violations. It’s certainly inconvenient for late students, but the more probable reason is that if someone decides they’re too special to park where most others have to, they get to pay an “educational” tax of $40, so that maybe next time they will feel compelled to join the rest of us. The system is designed to curb repeat offenders.
As prime of real estate those red sidewalks and white wheelchair stencils are, another less costly idea is to park near the entrance to Alumni Park and hop the shuttle to your far up destination; likewise for Rho parking lot.
When it comes down to it, it’s a lot easier to not get a ticket than to spend time fighting it or getting peeved about the increase. Paying $40 to be on time to class is the justification we use, which seems even more outrageous than any fee increase.
Director of Public Safety, Earl Carpenter, said, “We are trying to make Pepperdine a safer and more accessible campus.”
“It’s not about us. It’s all about you,” he says in the Jan. 25th article.
As trendy as it is to rag on Public Safety for enforcing seemingly petty rules, they have a point. The rules are there to be enforced, and as far as rules go, parking enforcement isn’t up for much dispute. The stakes are too high when fire is near and the hydrant happens to be blocked.
It is not like we are talking about controversial rules like the sex policy or the curfew. We’re talking about parking tickets.
So next time that “Courier Only” spot in front in between the TAC and Payson Library looks enticing, remember the $40 fine and, well, the courier.
02-01-2007