Vehicles repeatedly in violation of Ohio University parking rules are about to be booted from campus - literally.
Early last week, OU Parking Services put into effect their new booting policy to provide better customer service to students and faculty that park on campus, according to their news release.
The $50 booting fine is considerably cheaper than towing costs. Also, parking violators no longer will have to retrieve their cars from impound lots.
Local towing companies charge anywhere from $70 to $84 for retrieval from their lots. In addition to that, after-hours retrieval adds $13 to $20, and additional days at the impound lots cost $12 a day.
Some students, having lived under the constant fear of Athens towing since they were freshmen, find to their dismay that they would rather travel to the impound than bother with the hassle of
boot removal.
I would much rather have my car towed than booted
said OU junior Brandie Thacker. It's going to be a pain to have to walk to Parking Services and then wait half an hour for someone to come get the boot off. If my car is towed I can go get it whenever I want. With booting I only have two days and then they're going to tow my car anyway.
Each booted vehicle receives an immobilization notice along with instructions outlining how to get the boot off. If owners fail to show up at the Parking Services office within 48 hours to pay the fine and any unpaid tickets and have the boot removed, the vehicle will be towed, and the owner is then responsible for paying for both the boot removal and the towing fee.
Students who wish to have a boot removed from their cars after Parking Services' office hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm, must go to the OU Police Department to pay the booting fee along with their unpaid tickets in order to have their car released.
With the booting process seemingly just as time-consuming as towing and the fact that booted vehicles will remain sitting in university lots, some students voiced concern over already limited parking.
Putting a boot on a car that would ordinarily be towed out of its spot leaves that car in an area where it doesn't belong and where another student should be parking said OU graduate student Samantha Seivertson. With such limited parking on campus for students and commuters
it doesn't seem like a bright idea to leave these booted cars in a lot where others need to park.
Owners of Athens towing companies were unavailable for comment on the new booting policy but gave their towing fees.
For more information on which vehicles are eligible to be booted or other questions in regard to booting, visit the Parking Services Web site at www.facilities.ohiou.edu/parking.com or call 593-1917.
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Sheri Tambourine
