It’s no secret that students want close and convenient parking, and sometimes students resort to leaving their car in illegal spots to reduce walking distance.

“I’ve received a parking ticket before because I parked on the grass,” said Steve Thibault an Oakland University senior. “Everyone else was doing it so I decided to, as well.”

In the past year, the number of parking tickets during the first week of classes has increased from 504 to 598 tickets issued. All parking violations are $20, except for dealing with handicap parking which is $50.

“P1 is the main lot students want to park in,” said OU police chief Mark Gordon. “Students choose to drive around this lot over and over again, and then they get frustrated and park at the end of a row, fire lane or on a sidewalk.”

Chief Gordon said the oddest place he’s seen students park is on the top of snow mounds in P1, but the most frequent tickets are handed out to those who park at the end of a row. The lots are specially constructed by engineers incase of a car fire or other emergency. OUPD has to enforce the law of not parking at the end of a row for safety. The design of the lots serves a purpose and OUPD feels it’s important for people to know that.

Chief Gordon explained that if students would just park in one of the south lots, rather than driving around P1, they would not receive a ticket.

The new parking structure has never been filled, yet students still insist there is nowhere to park. Although students strive for convenient spots, if they were to park in the new structure, they would save both time and gas.

“Either students are not yet aware that this structure is there or they just don’t want to walk, but it’s really not that far,” Gordon said. “OUPD has walked from there just to test it ourselves, and you can walk from just about anywhere on the main campus to somewhere else on campus and get there in about ten minutes.”

Tickets are consistently handed out throughout the school year. Lots located on central campus are most wanted by students.

“My best advice to students is to leave early and allow yourself (time) to park and walk,” Gordon said. “If you do this each and every time, you will have no problems.”