Let the WoP continue

It's no secret that I have a smidgen of disdain for the parking office at work. They have, routinely, proven to me that the simplest of tasks are quite cumbersome to accomplish and to add insult to injury, their rudeness and lack of professionalism just shows where they place priority in their 'customer service', if you can call it that...

The latest run in with them resulted in a parking ticket being issued to me on yet another Friday. I had one back in May, my first in over 2 years might I add when, like this recent one, I forgot to put my pass in my window. Why did I forget? Well, I put up my pass when I'm in the left turning lane on Bronson every am and then take it down as I pull out of my spot. While it is a driving hazard, I also know that I can be a bit of an aggressive driver at times so I fully admit, bashfully, that I don't necessarily want my employer associated with my driving. It's a PR thing - saving them from a bad rap. Silly but I do it nonetheless.

So, when I got the turning light on that Friday and didn't need to stop, I forgot to put it up. My habit was broken. Now, if, in theory, the parking barriers were down and I was forced to swipe my pass to gain access to my lot, I would most definitely have remembered to put it up. But, as they always are these days, the barriers were not down and so I could just drive right in and park. I came out to a ticket on Friday afternoon, after a rather stressful day so it was my cherry on my sundae, and promptly had an email reminder from the parking office on the Saturday am in my inbox. Love the efficiency.

When I got my ticket back in May, I was a little upset. I did, at the time, in my appeal inquire as to the reason that the barriers were not in use - ugh, haaaalllooooo! They're there for a REASON! What I got back for response to that appeal was an overturn in the fee and a 'it's your responsibility chastisement'. No acknowledgement as to my issue with the barriers. So, when this ticket occurred, they got me fired up on the wrong day.

To start off, I went to put in an appeal using the link that was supplied in the Saturday morning email. The link was broken. (Insert fuel on fire.) Oh, you did NOT just send me, Communications Officer, a broken link to the payment and appeal website in an automated email! So when I did go to the parking site and find it, I inputted my appeal. I admitted to knowing better but gave my rationale.

But that wasn't enough. I was mad. So I sent an email to their inquiry box. It read:

Hello,

I recently received a parking violation for Lot 5 as I did not have my permit displayed.

While I fully admit to simply having forgotten to take it out of my cup holder and put it on display that day, I do not leave my permit on my dash nor hanging from my rear view mirror at all times as it is a visual obstruction and driving hazard. Therefore, I have to remember to put it up daily as I enter the parking lot. While I do my best to remember to put it up, and have only received 2 violations in as many years for forgetting to do so, this leads me to inquire as to another issue with the lots that I have provided feedback on before but have seen no resolution.

As a user of lot 5, I would also like to inquire as to why the barriers to enter this lot are not in use. When they are, I am forced to use my pass to enter the lot and it is an automatic reminder to display my pass which in turn results in a decreased chance that I will incur an infraction. Notably, the two infractions I have received in the past two years were this summer at times when the barriers have not be in use to enforce permit-holder-only access to the lot.

If users of the lot are required to use a pass to enter the lot, I believe we could save parking officers a great deal of time in checking cars for permits should access to the lots be limited, as it appears was originally intended when the barriers were put in place. Considering that parking is an ancillary service to the university, this would in turn be a cost saving and in fact, increased revenue generating action.

Finally, it should be noted that the email reminder I promptly received regarding my infraction contained an out of date URL by which I could appeal/pay my fine.

Best regards,

L

$5 if you can guess what I got.

Nothing.

For a full week and a day, I had no response. Nada. Nothing. Niet.

Then Tuesday, I come out to my car and low and behold, there's a security officer milling about near it. It was after 6 and the lot was fairly cleaned out. Sure enough, he was waiting for me. But not because I had violated parking regulations, but because there was a mystery duffle bag under my car. He was waiting for backup before removing it. This was only made better because I was walking out with M who, a few months back, was subjected to my 'you don't know what's in that bag - we're across from the US embassy - it could be a bomb' rant while in the Earl of Sussex one evening when she wanted to move to a table where someone had forgotten their backpack. Anyways, he wasn't there re. my parking ticket but it was just funny.

Fast forward to yesterday, I got this in my inbox:

Dear L,

Your violation (ticket# 30700306) has been: REDUCED Original value: $35.00 Current value: $15.00
Administrator Comments:
Miss Alberta It is your responsibility to visibly display your parking permit while in your assigned location on campus. This is indicated on the back of your parking permit. The violation has been reduced to $15.00. S/Cst K. Gallinger Shift Manager University Safety

Hmm, and my issue with the barriers? What about that? So, not only is the 'E'mployer wasting payroll on their salaries, apparently now I'm going to have to waste capital I 'I'ncome on this ticket.

Truth be told, I didn't expect even a reduction after the email I sent - really, would you do something nice for someone who slams you like that? I wouldn't. But that wasn't why I did it. I did it because I'm sick of nothing being done and my concern not being directly addressed.