The University’s parking and transportation office is beginning to enforce their booting policy even if you are parked at the stadium which is known for its free parking.

At the beginning of the spring semester about two weeks in, many GS students noticed, when parking at the football stadium, that there were several vehicles with boots on them.

Why Students are Receiving the Boot

During an interview via email with director of Parking and Transportation, Kristi Bryant, I found that students with three or more outstanding citations that have not been paid can be booted no matter where they are parked on campus and regardless of the time. That means even if you are parked in 30 minute parking after 4 p.m., if you have three or more unpaid tickets you will be booted.

Contrary to popular belief, to have a boot taken off your car you have to pay off your ticket balance plus a $50 service fee to have the boot removed. A student admitted paying almost $300 after having the boot removed this price included their balance of unpaid tickets.

Payment Plans

The big question remains. What should students do if they cannot afford to dish out $300 in one day? According to Bryant, if a student contacts Parking and Transportation in a timely manner after receiving the ticket or citation then the parking office will set up a payment arrangement.

Student Thoughts

“I feel like if it’s supposed to be free parking, you shouldn’t get a boot for it. If you have more than one ticket, that means that there’s obviously a financial issue there that you can’t pay it, so they should maybe come up with a new system that implements helping students be able to pay the tickets instead of making the ticket get more expensive and then turn into a $300 boot. They have a good thing going with the tickets, but instead of giving you multiple tickets, they should come up with something like suspend your student ID, so then you’ll be like, ‘oh maybe I do need to go take care of this because I need to do this for school’,” Kristina Dixon, junior fashion merchandising major, said.

“I think it is a contradiction because if it’s going to be free at one time, it should be free at every point in time, not just when they feel like changing it up without letting people know after students don’t [pay] their parking tickets for the reason of saving money and because they know they have this space they can always go to, I think it’s unfair. It’s a definitely a money scheme to take our money. They’re finding ways and loop holes that they can take more money from us. A Lot of students are financially independent so they cant just go to their parents like I need $300 to get a boot of my car. So I defiantly think that it a payment arrangement should be an option, it’s an option with your tuition. We’re college students most of us aren’t working because we don’t have time to work. With a payment arrangement parking and transportation would more successful with getting all their money,”  Denita Husband, junior marketing and logistics major, said.