Contrary to what some might believe, Andrea Geiger's coworkers don't have names like Goebbels, Mengel or Himmler.
"A lot of people call us 'Parking Nazis,'" said the parking enforcement officer with a smile, "but we don't have Adolf Hitler as a mentor or anything."
Geiger, a senior majoring in magazine journalism, has worked part-time in parking enforcement since last August. She said that being able to take a joke is a necessity in her job.
"You have to have a good sense of humor to do this," she said.
As a student, Geiger is in closer contact with many of the people she tickets than some of her coworkers.
Cpl. Sandy Pyle, her supervisor, said Geiger handles the duty with grace.
"She doesn't worry about it too much. It doesn't seem to bother her," Pyle said. "Her friends know that she is just doing her job."
Geiger said that having to write tickets for friends and acquaintances is a regular occurrence, and that people she knows are generally understanding about her responsibilities.
"They pretty much understood, because they know that it's not my fault that they did not get out in time to move their car or pay their meter," she said.
Geiger said that her friends don't hold back on her account when they have complaints over something related to Parking Services.
"I like it that way," she said. "I mean, I want to know what people really think. We try and keep the lines of communication open with everyone as much as possible."
In addition to patrolling parking lots for expired meters and improper parking, Geiger's duties include working in the Motorist Assist Program. Created in 2002, the program exists to help drivers with a variety of automotive mishaps, from opening locked doors to inflating tires.
Geiger said that some drivers seem surprised a female officer is arriving to assist them.
"I think sometimes people are a little taken aback that a woman is coming to help them fix their car," she said. "I'm not really all that mechanically savvy, I just know how to jump start a car and pop a lock, I guess."
Drivers react to her quite differently when she is performing her MAP duties, she said, than when she is writing parking citations.
"Sometimes it's funny; you'll give somebody a ticket, and then they'll cuss you out, and then 10 minutes later they've called you to unlock their keys out of their car, and they apologize so bad for it," she said.
Geiger's reason for applying for the job wasn't a love of catching parking code violators, she said. Her motivation, rather, was one to which nearly all college students can relate.
"Really, at that time I was just trying to get a job somewhere," she said. "I wasn't really worried about where it was because I needed money."
As a parking enforcement officer, Geiger frequently gets to witness, to put it gently, a less-than-personable side of motorists.
"I've seen a lady throw her pad of paper on her car, start crying and beating her head on the hood of her Blazer," she said. "I mean, what some of these people do over $10 is amazing."
Pyle said that Geiger's professional attitude is one of her greatest merits as a parking enforcement officer.
"She's one that can let things slide and not take it personally," she said.
Nevertheless, Geiger said, there are still occasions that catch her off-guard.
"I had an employee, an older gentleman, cuss me out. It surprised me," she said. "I said, 'Calm down, there's no reason to yell at me,' and he just kept going and used every word in the book. It just stunned me."
Geiger said that while she normally isn't greeted with utmost courtesy, some motorists actually thank her for the work she does, particularly ones that have spent as much as $190 for a red zone pass.
When she's not at work or in class, Geiger said she often spends time with her Phi Mu sorority, of which she is parliamentarian, and her boyfriend, who also attends Ball State. She also enjoys playing video games in her spare time.
Through an independent study course, Geiger is involved with a group of students who are working to launch a magazine, with the help of faculty and outside mentors. The publication's theme will be centered around the issues that face young people when they graduate from college.
"Coming from personal experience and from peer experience, there is a lot of fear about graduating from college and going into the real world and having to find a job," she said.
Though she is planning to pursue a career in the magazine industry, Geiger said that she has also sometimes considered working in law enforcement.
"First and foremost, I want to be a journalist." she said. "I want to write for magazines; I love feature articles, I love design."
Regardless of what field she enters upon graduation, Geiger said she feels her current part-time work has given her skills that will help her in any career.
"It's a cool job," she said. "I think it's taught me how to deal with conflict really well. I would hope that's something an employer would smile on."
What Motorist Assist Program provides
* Jumping dead batteries
* Unlocking doors
* Inflating tires (autos and bicycles)
* Providing transportation to buy gas
* Offering de-icer for frozen door locks
* Providing the shovel and abrasives for vehicles stuck on snow or ice.
The service is provided on from 5 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. on Sundays, 8 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays.
Motorists can call 285-1111 for assistance.
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