Think your USF parking ticket is worthy of an appeal? Statistically, it’s unlikely.

Everyone who parks on campus and does not follow parking rules is subject to parking citations. The next step is to determine whether the citation holder’s reasoning will be enough for Parking & Transportation Services (PATS) to dismiss the fine.

Related: Got a parking ticket at USF? Here’s how to appeal it

Marie Bowen, the interim director for PATS, said from Aug. 21 to March 28, there were 14,228 parking citations issued and only 2,780 appeals.

Out of the 2,780 appeals, 2,650 were denied — meaning that only approximately 4.68% of the appeals were accepted this school year.

But why is that? Let’s see why some appeals are more likely to be accepted than others.

Appeals that would unlikely be approved

Students, faculty, staff and visitors can appeal their parking citations on PATS’ website.

Bowen shared a list with The Oracle of the top five most common reasons cited by students when appealing a parking ticket. They are:

• I didn’t know that was a rule.
• I only parked there for just a few minutes.
• I was running late for class.
• There’s just not enough parking.
• I had a bathroom emergency.

Bowen said it is highly unlikely that any of those reasons will be accepted.

Some of the most common examples of not knowing the rules are parking in disabled spaces and not having a valid permit, Bowen said.

“Not parking in disabled spaces is a rule anywhere,” Bowen said. “And more importantly, there is also the impact that has on the rest of the community because you’ve taken a space from somebody with a need.”

The “I only parked for a few minutes” excuse is highly unlikely to be accepted because the license plate recognition vehicle takes a long time to patrol parking lots and issue citations, Bowen said.

“Not enough parking” is not an accepted reason because Bowen said there is always parking on campus, even if you have to walk or take the Bull Runner after parking.

“You should know that if you’re running late and you’re trying to park in front of your class building, it’s going to be a very high volume usage area,” Bowen said. “It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to get a space there.” 

The Tampa campus maintains 20,000+ parking spaces, and 80,125 parking permits were issued in 2023, according to PATS’ website. 

Bowen said the emergency bathroom issue will only be accepted in case the student has a medical condition and can verify that information.

 Even though individuals have five business days to provide supporting information, PATS can extend the time period to allow people to contact their physician, Bowen said.

Appeals that would likely be approved

Bruna Evaristo, a sophomore IPRA major, said she recently got a car and received a citation during her first time ever parking at USF. 

She said she parked in an area that didn’t match her permit.

Evaristo said she submitted her appeal through PATS’ website and explained she only parked in the wrong area because the signs weren’t explicit enough.

Evaristo said she misinterpreted the sign because she thought GZ36 was the name of the lot — it’s actually a “gold zone” permit for employees, faculty/staff and affiliates. When she read “permits only beyond this point,” she thought all permits were allowed there.

PATS reviewed and accepted her appeal in less than five days, Evaristo said. 

“I didn’t have a job at the time, so even though the fine was just 30 bucks, I was relieved that I didn’t have to pay for it,” Evaristo said.

Some other understandable reasons would also be related to parking permits. 

When individuals purchase a parking permit, they provide information about their vehicles. Bowen said sometimes, however, they mistype their license plates. 

 PATS will compare that information by checking the license plate and parking permit. Bowen said this is a reason PATS can easily identify and is certainly going to be accepted. 

 Bowen said if a student mentions that a professor held them late in class, PATS will ask them to provide supporting documentation. PATS takes strong consideration when a citation is indirectly caused by faculty, Bowen said.

Evaristo said she is now learning about the parking rules so she doesn’t get another ticket. However, she said she still believes having to buy a permit to park on campus is unacceptable.

“We pay a lot for tuition, yet we still have to pay for the parking permit,” Evaristo said. “I feel like everything USF does is just try to take money from us.”

Bowen said encouraging people to buy permits is a way to maintain order at USF — not to make money.

“Our goal is not to utilize citations as a way to make money for PATS,” Bowen said. “If you follow all rules, you will have an absolutely stress-free parking experience here at USF.”

Aaron Nichols, USF spokesperson, said in a Jan. 12 interview with The Oracle that PATS relies on funds from citations, transportation access fees and parking permits to operate.

Related: OPINION: USF, don’t value pocket change more than your employees.

Bowen said PATS asks the appeal mediators to consider that some students are still getting acclimated to the college experience.

“The whole idea behind this is that this is a community,” Bowen said. “USF is a small town, and we certainly understand that one of the joys of coming to college is getting ready for life in a town of some sort.”

   Bowen said certain things may be obvious in the regular world that may not be obvious at USF. Because of this, students should be familiar with parking rules.

“When I speak about parking, I speak less about citations and focus more on the rules,” Bowen said. “If you follow the rules, which are not difficult, you will never get a citation.”