Below are some commonly listed reasons given for violating parking regulations. While these reasons may seem valid to the violator, they do not address the laws of the State and the College.

These reasons are generally NOT acceptable and violations will NOT be dismissed, nor will the violator be successful in requesting a hearing.

1. Short Errands: No errand, no matter how short or how important to the driver short of a bona fide medical emergency, is an acceptable excuse for illegal parking. A short errand is a very common excuse. It is not a valid reason for illegal parking.

2. Late For Business Or Personal Appointment: Being late does not permit the driver the privilege of parking illegally.

3. No Place Else To Park - The Lot Was Full: Other than being an invalid excuse, this, in fact, confirms the driver's liability. It is every driver's responsibility to locate legal parking.

4. I Didn't See The Sign - I Didn't Understand The Sign: Drivers are required to look for signs when parking. This may mean checking an entire lot from corner to corner. Drivers are also required to abide by the directions on the sign. A person indicating that they did not see a sign preventing parking is not an acceptable excuse.

5. Only Part Of My Car Was Illegally Parked: A violation is not based on a certain percentage of the vehicle being illegally parked. If part of the vehicle extends into a restricted area, the violation is the same as if the entire vehicle encroached.

6. I Left Someone In The Car; I Left My Parking Lights On Or Blinking; I Left A Note In The Car As To My Whereabouts With The Motor Running: Many drivers seem to think that evidence of a short stay mitigates the offense. It does not. The purpose of parking regulations is to restrict from certain places or permitted at times, motor vehicles which are not in motion. The presence of a passenger, a sign or blinking lights does not satisfy this purpose and, therefore, does not constitute a valid reason to dismiss a violation.

7. It Was Only A Few Minutes: This explanation is one of the most common claims. Even if true, parking in a prohibited area is illegal.

8. Nobody Else Got A Ticket: Sometimes this excuse is raised as discriminatory enforcement. The officer may have had to leave the area before checking all the vehicles, however, a citation stands on its own.

9. Someone Else Had My Car: Under the new law, the registered owner (R.O.) has joint responsibility with whoever was driving their car. Unless it can be shown by the R.O. that the car was driven without permission, the R.O., renter or lessee is responsible for a parking citation.

10. An Official Saw Me Park And Didn't Say Anything - Or Said It Was OK For A Few Minutes: Generally speaking, employees have no authority to give permission to break the law. Whenever possible, an officer will caution about illegal parking, but silence by an official does not waive parking restrictions.

11. This Violation Has Not Been Enforced In The Past: This normally is not the case, however, inadequate staffing or other priorities may give rise to violations not being enforced continually; but nowhere does apparent failure to enforce parking laws constitute a valid excuse for illegal parking.

12. I've Done It For Years - Everybody Does It: This is never a valid excuse for illegally parking. Nobody should be rewarded for getting away with prior violations.

13. The Parking Permit Website Was not Working: It is often discovered that the parking website is working fine. The inability to get a permit from the website is most often due to operator error. Read the instructions on the website. Report any issues immediately to the Parking Management Bureau by calling 1-800-700-4417 so they can assist in troubleshooting. The college HIGHLY recommends purchasing a SEMESTER PERMIT using InSite when registering for classes.