Ferris State University’s Department of Public Safety recently sent out an email to students informing them of a parking policy change.
The new policy stated that starting Monday, Oct. 29, vehicles with six or more unpaid tickets found on campus would be towed at the owner’s expense. Previously, the Department of Public Safety would immobilize vehicles located on campus that had accumulated six or more unpaid tickets.
“If someone left their car in an illegal spot for longer than a few days, then I would get towing the car,” Ferris criminal justice freshman Emma Bossenbroek said. “But for the six tickets, just give them an immobilizer or a bigger fine.”
The email sent to students stated that before the towing company releases a vehicle that has been impounded, students will have to pay off all their tickets. Since the majority of parking tickets at Ferris are $20, an accumulation of six or more tickets could hurt students financially.
“It might be a little bit much.” Ferris digital animation and game design freshman Lilly Franklin said. “Six tickets is definitely unreasonable, but I don’t like the thought of towing cars.”
Students were reminded in the email that unpaid tickets would not be taken care of on their student accounts. Instead, students must pay off their tickets in person at DPS or online through their website.
“On one hand, I do understand it because they need those tickets paid off, but it’s a little over the top in my eyes,” Ferris pre-veterinary freshman Nicole King said. “But I don’t know if impounding them is the right choice. I think that they should go back to the locks and then take your lock off when you pay the tickets.”
King said that students might struggle with the policy since some students let tickets go merely because they don’t have the money.
“If someone’s not paying off their tickets, it might just be because they don’t have the money,” King said. “Then once their car is impounded, it’s $120 right away. That might be hard for a person to just pay off.”