You could find a ticket on your windshield Monday morning for parking in the same spot you've parked in all semester, thanks to the Muncie City Council.
More than four months have passed since the City Council first approved three near-campus parking ordinances, but this week the city finally decided to enforce the policies.
After four months of debate regarding these parking issues, the City Council is offering drivers just two business days before the ticket writing begins.
That's ridiculous.
For months, the City Council has argued over whether streets would be two-hour parking, resident-only parking, no parking any time, no parking during certain hours and so on. Signs have been posted, covered, uncovered, taken down, re-printed and re-posted.
Between the raging debate over how the parking ordinances should be enforced and the lack of enforcement while the signs were being figured out, students parking in this zone have no way of knowing where they can and cannot park next week.
The city is going to introduce its enforcement by leaving flyers on cars Friday to notify drivers that their cars will be ticketed if parked there Monday. While that's a smart way to let students know about the new policy, the notification will occur on the day the fewest students come to campus - meaning only some of the students who normally park in the area will be given any warning.
Aside from the Muncie Campus Community Coalition, which hung brochures on doorknobs in August, no one has advertised or spread the word about the enforcement area or policies in any other way. Even so, those students who haven't already thrown the brochures away have no reason to trust that the information is still accurate three months later.
If the City Council can allow itself to hold off on decision making and enforcement planning for four months, it can certainly give students a week or two and some better information before it starts handing out tickets.
It's only fair.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
