In an effort to curb unpaid parking fines within the parking lots of the Carleton campus, parking services will begin using a device known as a “boot” to prevent a driver from leaving without paying their fine.
“[The boot] is a safe method of disabling a car so it can’t drive off,” said parking services director Allan Burns. “We are going to use it in certain circumstances where previously we have towed vehicles in order to obtain the information of the owner when there are a number of outstanding fines.”
“This allows us to disable a vehicle so that the driver can’t drive away until we identify them without having to tow it. It’s a much easier process for both the operator of the vehicle and ourselves,” he said.
The rationale of using a device such as a “boot” is aimed to help with identifying the owners of vehicles on campus.
“This is in particular, we don’t know who the owner of the car is and they’ve accumulated a few unpaid fines, so this is a method that allows us to identify who the owner of the vehicle is,” Burns said. “If we know who the registered owner of the vehicle is and they are a student, we have other measures within the Traffic and Parking regulations that allows us to deal with that.”
Drivers who use parking services can link their name with their vehicle while obtaining a parking pass or a day pass.
“They can obtain a permit through the parking office—that can be done either online or by coming into the parking office,” Burns said. “Once they have a parking permit then they can park as the permit allows.”
Second-year commerce student Jon Bernier said he doesn’t mind the usage of a device like a “boot” on campus.
“I feel like if you get a ticket that you don’t deserve, they’re pretty reasonable about it,” he said. “So if you don’t pay ones that you do deserve, I guess it’s a good choice.”
If a driver incurs a fine and is registered with their vehicle, a ticket will be placed in their window.
“There are instructions on the back on how to pay the fine if they wish to pay it, or how to appeal the fine if they wish to appeal it,” Burns said. “If they don’t pay it or don’t appeal it, then it would go on their student record.”
Bernier, who parks on campus four to five days a week, said he incurred two fines last year, but both were later waived.
“The first one was the very first day of the year and I hadn’t picked up my pass yet so they gave me that one,” he said. “And the next one was a miscommunication where the new parking garage opened and they didn’t tell us, so no one moved their car in and then you get a ticket for not being in the right spot.”
Bernier also believes the “boot” could benefit those that ensure their parking is paid for, and park in the correct areas.
“I know in the parking garage, it’s small, and you’re not guaranteed a spot, so if there’s cars that are in there that aren’t paying to be in there, and they get tickets, I guess it helps out those that do deserve their spot,” he said.
