Parking passes: the inconvenience of having the parking decal checked at every entrance
March 21, 2024
Students all across campus have experienced frustration when trying to enter the gates to High Point University. Recently, there have been a lot of inconsistencies on campus with roads and entry. Students have been complaining about the hassles and struggles of driving to and from campus.
It started when the road between Panther Commons and the Caffey parking lot was blocked off for almost a month due to the continuous construction on Panther Commons, causing students who lived in the houses behind it to have to drive off campus and then back on again to attend classes.
While this is already an unnecessary obstacle, students who didn't have an HPU decal on their cars were being denied access onto campus.
“I was so confused when some security guards let me in and others wouldn't even open the gate all because I didn't have a sticker, '' said sophomore, Dylan Beckwith. “They made it seem like I didn't need one but then wouldn't let me on.”
Security officers have cracked down on checking for the car decal when driving back into campus. The frustrating part is that not every guard checks for the sticker. Those who do check for the sticker hold up the line causing traffic getting into HPU's campus.
It's a guessing game for those without it of whether they will be let onto campus or not.
In the HPU parking terms and conditions it states that every vehicle must be registered and therefore have the purple decal attached to the back. For those who do not abide by this rule, they will not be allowed to enter campus.
“The officers are being disciplined if they are not checking for the decal,” Debra Duncan said, Chief of Police and Security at HPU.
Even if this is true, there are many not abiding by this rule while others are so strict they won't let students onto campus without it.
The dilemma is if guards don't check for the sticker, students aren’t going to get one. Most students who don't have the sticker say it's because of the removal process or the general appearance of the sticker.
The decal rips apart when trying to scrape it off a vehicle, leaving behind residue making it extremely time consuming and a messy job. These stickers are also pretty large with the HPU logo across it, making it more of a marketing scheme rather than a parking decal. Most students don't want a giant sticker on the back of their car that screams HPU. Other universities parking decals are much smaller and easier to remove. Students are also required to have another smaller sticker on the windshield that opens and closes gates across campus.
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Students are questioning why so many stickers are required to park on campus and why the decal has to be so big?
In the guidelines it mentioned that if your sticker is faded you can scrape it off and get a new one free of charge. Security, at least those who check, are urging students to get a new sticker if the one they have is faded.
“We need to be able to see the numbers on the back to identify you,” Duncan said. “We are just trying to limit those who don’t need to be here.”
In doing so security is also locking down on passports. HPU is ensuring that if you don't have your passport upon entry, you will receive a letter in your HPU email. After the third time a student forgets their passport it's a letter on top of a $25 fine.
“We want to teach students to carry it on their person,” Duncan said.
The passport guidelines have been a lot more clear than the decal rules. If a passport is damaged or faded to a point where it's legible, students can turn it in and get a replacement for free.
If a passport is stolen, students need to file a report and will be able to get a replacement passport for free.
If the student loses his or her passport, the student will receive a $50 charge for a new one.
Although these rules can seem stingy and confusing, the only reason for them is to keep students safe. The security measures are put in place to make sure those who don't belong on campus, don't get the chance to try.
“If you want to go to school here you have to follow the rules we have,” Duncan said.
It all comes down to safety over convenience.