By Collegian Staff

Many people have gripes with the parking system, but Butler University needs to be more realistic and smarter when issuing tickets and arranging the allotment of spaces.

The semester is not even halfway done, yet there have been enough parking stories and issues to last the rest of the semester.

Some nights, users of lots—such as the one behind Residential College-—circle lots, passing all of the empty faculty and staff (A) and commuter (C) spots, with the hopes of finding a lone Residential College (B) spot so they can park their cars.

The amount of tickets handed out is even worse than the layout of the parking situation.

On many nights, the students who have walked out of academic buildings late at night have found a fresh green slip under one of their windshield wipers.

No matter how desolate the lot or the hour of the night, the Butler University Police Department seems to always find the lone car and issue it a $50 or $75 fine.

That was apparent in a recent incident involving the Lambda Chi fraternity.

Brothers could not park in their house’s parking lot during the recent Watermelon Bust, a Lambda Chi philanthropy event, because of the space constraints pertaining to the event.

BUPD informed Lambda Chi brothers they could park in the Clowes Memorial Hall lot.

Tickets were threatened  around 10 p.m. one night for cars parked there, however, and they were asked to move the vehicles to the Hinkle Fieldhouse lot.

The situation played itself out again the next night—with some tickets actually being distributed at Clowes.

Even worse, more tickets were distributed at Hinkle later in the evening.

While this ticketing fiasco was occurring, Lambda Chi was hosting the philanthropy event.

Despite the tickets eventually being rescinded, it underscores a lack of common sense being used by Butler through BUPD.

Assistant Police Chief Andy Ryan said most students could avoid all the parking confusion and issues reading and knowing the parking policy.

Most of the parking violations occur between eight in the morning and five at night, Ryan said.

Ryan said some of the problems with the current parking system will be discussed at the next parking committee meeting.

At the next meeting on Oct. 30, the 24/7 parking policy in the school’s various lots will be brought up for discussion and potential reassessment, according to Ryan.

Ryan says he does not believe anything will change, but it is worth having a discussion about reassessing the time limits on some lots.

While changes to the parking policy may take place on Oct. 30, any changes made they will most likely be implemented during a school break, Ryan said.

Butler should consider making a small change through BUPD even sooner: using logic and common sense instead of padding the pocketbook.