I avoided getting a single parking ticket this semester without having a permit

Parking anywhere around New Brunswick or Piscataway is hell. Rutgers makes sure every student has access to getting around campus with the bus system. If you do have a car on campus, resident or commuter, it’s recommended to buy a parking pass, but who wants to pay over $150 for a permit, then have to take the buses?

How about, no

As a commuter, life is hell if your car is far. If you were unfortunate and forgot to buy a parking permit before the school year, you can’t imagine having to get to school by 8 a.m., parking at another campus and walking/taking the bus to your class and being happy.

Life is difficult enough having to commute, so I thought, no, I won’t follow your rules. One day at the beginning of the semester, I was running late and decided to park in a faculty lot for about four hours. I was anxious the entire time. I couldn’t imagine paying a $75 fine. Replaying stories of others who found tickets in their cars at 3 a.m., I walked to my car, peered at the windshield and saw nothing. I moved the wipers and was surprised.

From then on, I decided to test Rutgers. Let’s see how many lots I can park in before I get a ticket. This does require you to constantly have to move your car because if you stay in one lot all day, you are bound to get a ticket.

After parking in the student-faculty lot, the faculty must’ve thought I belonged there. I always parked the farthest away, in the same spot and never once received a ticket. I parked in different lots on Livingston, steering clear of the faculty lot near Tillet because of the parking police camp there. Parking near Livi Recreation and even on the student lot near the student center, I was fine, and so were other cars.

The faculty lot at the Douglass Student Center is safe only during dawn and dust. I’ve seen cars with tickets during the day, but every time I had my 7 p.m. recitation at Davidson, I was fine parking there for an hour.

I only worked on Busch and was safe parking behind Werblin Recreation Center, but many students illegally park there. I’m not sure about the other student lots on Busch because they are also incredibly limiting, but everyone near Werblin comes and goes.

College Ave is the trickiest because there are so many small lots. Many are residential and faculty because parking is annoying and hard to find. Just hope you can find a parking lot always sort of empty so it doesn’t look as suspicious.

Such a risk taker

I think, all in all, I was lucky, or maybe the parking police actually check the lots once per semester. I don’t know if I feel safe continuing to park in lots without a permit, but if I could go three months without a ticket, I think I’ll be fine. Just know, you were warned and just because you follow this advice does not mean you won’t find a ticket.

@jackysuave