Parking restrictions???

[xdnxp]

I need advice. I work at a community college and our parking is split between "Staff" and "Student". The only exception is motorcycle parking which is shared. Every employee gets to park in staff or student parking but students can only park in the designated student parking.

I have always parked in a regular car space because I pay for the staff permit. Today I got a note from the chief of police saying that I can no longer park in the regular car spaces. Is there any way I can fight this legally? Is there any law that says motorcycles can't park in car spaces? I was so mad because it's like motorcyclists don't have the same rights as the cager staff members. If I drove my car I could have parked there but since I want to save on gas I can't?

[nickjpass]

Sounds like a load of crap. I'm pretty sure a bicyclist could legally park there.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by xdnxp

.........Today I got a note from the chief of police saying that I can no longer park in the regular car spaces........

I believe that a conversation, as friendly as possible, with this chief is in order.

From that point, if no good results, you could keep going up the chain of command.

Persons with some invested authority and inflated egos/short vision in these places tend to make and enforce their own arbitrary rules.

[Brother Michigan]

If you don't have separate motorcycle and car permits, I don't see how there could be a defensible complaint from the police/parking enforcement.

[Alex]

If it's private property, they can make whatever asinine rules they want. You can fight it, but there is no guarantee that they will behave rationally. If it's public property, being enforced by the town police, running up the chain of command carefully while trying to figure out what ordinance you're in violation of would be my next step. Sorry you have to deal with fools like this, but you're not alone.

[xdnxp]

Thanks for the support guys. It's just so irritating that I can park there for close to 2 years (all of which the same chief of police has been there) and just because some person points it out it all of the sudden matters. If anything since motorcycle parking is shared by students and staff I'm saving space for students by parking in staff only parking. I hate that I feel I'm arguing about something a petty as this. It's just low.

[Ytse Frobozz]

Paint a line down the middle of one of the car spaces to turn it into two motorcycle spaces.

[Ralgha]

My girlfriend and I went to a mall once and parked our motorcycles by the bicycle rack, tucked into a V in the building, completely out of the way of anything (including the bike rack) and not encroaching any walkway. The mall cop gave us a warning for parking there and said we have to use the parking lot (they don't have any designated motorcycle parking).

That's fine, their property, their rules, but from now on whenever we go there we'll be parking one bike per (car) parking spot, in adjacent spots preferably. We could probably jam 5-6 bikes in one spot, but we won't, we'll just use 5-6 spots.

[NAFREEK]

At the universities I have been to the parking policies are very laid out to what is allowed. Yeah its stupid but I would guess it is in the agreement you are agreeing to when using the permit on school property.

[choneofakind]

arguing with authority about petty rules at college. huh. sounds familiar! I'm a senior this year, I feel your pain. When I was still in high school, we always parked in standard car spots, but we did it with 2-3 bikes in a spot because we all new and rode with each other. The guys in charge of handing out tickets never seemed to care. Maybe this guy is just silly.


As for parking, before talking with the chief, I'd talk with your HR or security office, or whomever is in charge of the parking violations and rules. Get the official list of rules for your campus, then talk with the Chief of Police and set him straight, according to whatever official rules you're given. Every campus should be able to furnish the rule book for you.

Otherwise, start getting creative with the parking. Park on the sidewalk, on a bike rack, in the unused part of your building's stairwell, etc etc. A few of my profs ride scooters or motorcycles, and they're always parked in a new spot based on the weather. We've even put one of them in the basement via the elevator and a 'borrowed' key we found on his desk.

[xdnxp]

I have read the rules now. I guess motorcycles can only park in designated motorcycle parking but... Only a valid "staff" permit can park in the spaces marked "staff," which I have, On my bike. I will look into this contradiction but for the mean time I plan to enter the employee parking lottery. This is a thing they do and the chosen person gets a reserved spot of their choice for a month. If I were to win I wonder what they would do since I can't reserve the motorcycle parking area but I'm not allowed to park a motorcycle in a car space. I would almost think it would be worth scoping out where the chief parks and even if it's across campus, take that spot.

[Brother Michigan]

That's not actually a contradiction. Having a staff parking pass is necessary but not sufficient to park in those spots by the rules you stated.