Hey, this guy just wants to park his car, that's all

I parked illegally.

I ' v e parked illegally many times. I ' v e JOE HOLDENParked on the lawn, alongside the roads, in Iadarola's spot, in the emergency lanes; you get the point. However, the time that I parked illegally because I was late for my rnid-tenn, I returned to a public safety officer writing me a big fat ticket to be prominently displayed on my windshield. Please be mindful that the day before this one, public safety personally directed me to park on the lawn, which is illegal.

I weaved in and out of every row in both the Dixon Center and Widener Center parking lots looking for a place to give my automobile a rest. Every so often I came across an opening in a spot, but my joy was only to be snuffed by a smaller car's occupancy. My class was scheduled to begin at 9:35 a.m. It was only 9:41 a.m., and after having driven around for quite some time, I decided that it would be best to locate the safest, illegal spot for my car.

I found a nice spot. It was shaded by a few trees, and was alongside the road at the rear of the Widener Center lot. The edge of the spot had just enough mud for my car to create sinkholes. Getting out of the car was a mess, but the ·'no parking" sign came in handy as a means of steadying myself in the mud. I got my books and was off to class. After class, I made a pit stop and rushed back to my car. As I was putting my schoolbag in the trunk, a public safety officer pulled alongside my car. I quickly jumped into my vehicle, revved the engine, threw it in drive, and peeled out of my spot nearly tipping my car-no, just kidding. The public safety officer stepped out of the vehicle after quieting the booming rap corning from his radio. He began to write me a ticket for parking in an illegal space. I asked him if he was aware that there were no spots in any of the lots when I arrived. He bluntly replied, 11Are you aware that there are spots in the Dixon Center?" I told him that when I arrived on campus at 9:25 a.m. there were no spots to be found. He continued to write the ticket. I continued to see why public safety is so disrespected. I told him that I was finished arguing with him, and to give me the damn ticket. He handed me the ticket amidst cigarette smoke blowing in my face-his cigarette smoke. I told him what I thought of his poor personal hygiene, and I asked for his badge number. I scrambled through my schoolbag for paper and a pen thinking that his number was going to be huge. "My badge number is eight," the officer replied. "Eight," I said. '·Is that all?" He looked blankly at me, and I looked furiously at him. I told him that I was going to contest his ticket, and that was it. I was so mad, but at this point, I thought it would be best to control my anger and save my effort for a later battle.

I made some phone calls to find out how a private business, such as Cabrini, can issue tickets. I found myself dialing the Radnor Township Police Department. I was told that under the Pennsylvania vehicle code, Cabrini's public safety department is allowed to enforce the laws of the state that are written in the vehicle code. Along with this, they are also allowed to take the proper measures to ensure the safety of all using the campus roads-drivers, pedestrians, squirrels, etc. The vehicle code also states that the property must be in accordance with the law. This is where I win.

I know I parked illegally, and I am guilty as charged, but is Cabrini in accordance with the law? I was charged $35 for a spot, and sometimes there are no spots. I know that everyone is tired of hearing about the parking dilemma, but nothing is being done to correct it. How can Cabrini be able to dispense parking tickets while its facilities are not up-to-code? Legally, Cabrini cannot issue tickets because the facilities are not in accordance with the law. Can a movie theater continue to sell tickets after all of the seats are sold out? No, it's against the fire code. The theater corridors cannot be obstructed by crowds. Imagine the Dixon Center ablaze. With all of the cars parked along the roadways, could you see anything less than a monster truck fire engine trampling its way over cars to get to the scene? Not only is the parking problem annoying, but it could also pose many threats to a college not ready for major calamities. The college has issued nearly 900 parking permits; there were 655 student spaces until the Woodcrest, Xavier and House One lots were closed. Now there are only 583 spaces currently available. It would not be likely that all of the students would be on campus at the same time, but if you have seen the lots at certain times, you would be inclined to think they were.

I paid $35 for a spot. My parking permit (permit-taken from the American Heritage Collegiate Dictionary, third edition, means "to allow the doing of something; consent to. To authorize; a license or warrant.") entitles me the right to park my vehicle on this campus, that I acquired through a monetary fee imposed upon me. If all of the spots are taken, the right still remains.

Joe Holden is a sophomore majoring in English and communications. He not only parks illegally, he runs down old ladies too.