The dreaded dashboard ticket: My grievances with Miami parking services

I, like almost every other Miami University student with a car, have had my fair share of poor experiences with Miami Parking Services. Those $75 tickets really know how to ruin a day, and the appeal process is almost worse.

For me specifically, I pay $100 per semester to park on campus with my handicap tag in the marked handicap spots. I pay the same fee as residents pay to park in the Millett Hall and Chestnut Street lots.

In my first semester doing so, I received three tickets, all of which were disputed and resulted in me, thankfully, not having to pay.

I hope you’re all thinking the exact thing that went through my head upon seeing the ticket under my windshield wiper — who in their right mind gives out a ticket to disabled individuals? I hope I’m not alone in thinking that it must be bad karma for those workers to fine me $75 for parking with my plate not facing the aisle in a handicap spot.

I’m obviously not here to argue that I shouldn’t have to follow the rules, and I know how serious the parking people are about needing to see your license plate. And it might be different if this were a one-off thing, but unfortunately, it’s not; That ticket was the first of many.

Let me also be one to defend myself, as there was a reason for my somewhat blatant disregard of the no backing in rule. This was during the 2024-25 school year, when McGuffey Hall was undergoing renovations on the exterior brick walling.

A large fence and dumpster consumed half of the already small parking lot, and with a spot at an odd angle, I didn’t feel safe or comfortable pulling in front-ways. I was met with an email detailing this rule, alleging that the parking officers won’t be able to see my license plate to identify the vehicle.

Unshockingly, a photo of my rear license plate was attached to the email notifying me of my ticket. The five steps outside their vehicle that the officer was required to walk to take the photo shouldn’t have cost me $75.

Thankfully, I wrote a strongly-worded appeal and was granted a pass for the one instance — God bless Miami’s policy detailing that first offenses of each calendar year are issued as warnings.

A similar situation occurred that same semester, when I was ticketed for parking in a non-handicap space. Miami’s policy on disability parking clearly outlines that when all handicap spots are full, disabled individuals are permitted to park in unmarked spots without penalty.

As the McGuffey lot was still partially obstructed, I parked in a normal spot one day when I arrived at class to find all four handicap spots full. When I left my class, the spots were now all vacant, and I had received another $75 ticket.

I appealed again, explaining the lack of spots and the obstruction of the lot, and my fee was once again reversed. Blissfully unaware of what was to come, I wrote it off as a two-time thing — maybe those officers had a bad day or had a quota to meet.

Boy, was I wrong.

Weeks later, I pulled into the Package Center parking lot behind Shriver Hall, home of Student Disability Services (SDS). I parked in a conveniently located handicap spot and walked into the Rinella Learning Center to take a test with accommodations.

I once again returned to my car with a pesky white paper sitting on my windshield. This time, the ticket was only $10, citing I had parked without paying in a pay-to-park zone.

Again, I hope you feel the anger I did at that moment. The irony of it all still makes me upset even as I write this — fined for not paying to park in front of the building housing SDS, after parking in a handicap spot that I pay $100 per semester for, while taking a test in the center that is there specifically for disabled individuals.

At that moment, I was purely out of patience and wrote an appeal that could only be considered passive-aggressive. I was rightfully fed up with this whole ordeal, and although the fine was much less significant, the principle of it felt so wrong.

My appeal was denied within days. I reached out to SDS to complain about the issue and ask for help rectifying the problem. At this point, I no longer cared about my wasted $10, more so trying to prevent future students from having to deal with the same frustration.

Unsurprisingly, this had been a problem previously, one that SDS was actively working with the parking services to fix. My fine was reversed, and I got my money back, but at present, I’m still doubtful that this problem has been fixed.

I’m not asking for complete immunity here or requesting that the parking officials stop policing the lots so incessantly. I’m simply asking them to have a little more compassion and attempt understanding for all students, especially those with disabilities.

As I wrote in one of my appeals, it’s hard enough being disabled and feeling unable to walk to class, without the added difficulty of $75 when you park the wrong way.

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Elisa Rosenthal is a senior Spanish education major with a passion for writing and storytelling. She’s originally from Georgia and writes sports for The Student, honoring a long family love for college sports.