The Auburn Tigers' success on the football field has many looking for tickets.
However, unfortunately for students and visitors, the easiest tickets to find have nothing to do with sports.
Don Andrae, manager for Auburn University parking services, said the number of parking tickets issued by Auburn parking services increased during the fall 2013 semester.
"Just earlier today, I saw a truck stopped in the middle of Mell Street," Andrae said. "People who do things like that make it bad for everybody."
Since August, parking services has issued approximately 6,500 tickets, a dramatic increase from 5,800 parking tickets issued during the same time frame last year.
Andre said he found the increase disappointing because last year's numbers indicated emails and notifications about parking restrictions were working.
"We thought the emails were working," Andrae said. "I actually sent out more emails this year."
Andrae said this year brought larger crowds to home games and this resulted in more parking tickets.
"We seldom tow during the day," Andrae said. "Most of those are on game days."
Andrae said there has been a rise in vehicles towed that corresponds to the increase in the number of vehicles ticketed.
"When you get towed on game days, you get ticketed on game days," Andrae said.
This year parking services has towed 253 vehicles. Last year, parking services towed 83 vehicles.
Matthew Lord, junior in business administration, said he is familiar with the towing process.
Lord's truck has been towed three times during the course of three years.
"All three times it cost me $100," Lord said.
Lord said the repeated towing changed his mindset when parking his truck on campus.
"I'm paranoid," Lord said. "If I don't have to drive, I don't drive."
Despite the uptick in their regularity, Andrae said it is not his goal to tow vehicles.
"I really hate towing vehicles," Andrae said.
Andrae said restrictions on Central Campus parking also caused the increase in the number of vehicles ticketed and towed.
"We've started enforcing the central parking rule," Andrae said. "There's more and more concern about safety for students."
Andrae said more parking spaces will be available to Auburn students in the immediate future.
"Finishing the hot-water line will result in 32 more parking spots in the Coliseum lot," Andrae said.
Andrae also said parking services is considering purchasing a license recognition system.
Andrae said license recognition would eliminate the need to purchase hang-on parking passes and expedite parking enforcement on campus.
Andrae said while many students complain about parking scarcity, there are parking spaces that go unused.
"I've never understood why more students don't park in the Biggio Drive lot," Andrae said. "It stays open all day."
Andrae said until all the available parking is used, more parking will most likely not be added.
"It's difficult to say we need more parking when a lot is only 25 percent full," Andrae said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
