Before I came here on campus, I didn't expect to pay so much money for parking.  In high school you only have to pay $20 a semester where I went to and I personally did not pay that much because I thought it was ridiculous to pay to go to school you're required to go to. 

At CMU you have to pay around $175 to pay in a specific parking spot that's around your dorm. However, if you don't live on campus or you work here you have to pay the same amount to park in the community lot. I've heard you can pay extra to be able to park almost anywhere you want, but when I asked, they would not let me buy that pass... Not only that, that pass is not to park anywhere like I said, only in ONE part of campus.

On November 22, 2021, I received my first parking ticket. I parked in the community lot because I've heard that it was free to park there. And since I have asthma and heart problems I cannot walk that far to my classes and work from my dorm or else I will have problems. I did tell the Parking Servies and they said I would not have to pay for the ticket if I prove I do have those medical conditions and that I have to get a handicap placard if I wanted to park closer; so that's what I did. And let me tell you it's free to do that and you can park closer, I wished I would have just done that, so I didn't have to pay so much money for parking. However, it sucks because when I'm trying to park in the handicap spots by my dorm, they are always taken by those who don't have any pass to be there. 

I believe parking should be free for college and work employees because we are paying for tuition, plus room and board. It mind as well be counted as that since we are paying so much just to learn. As for employees, they don't make much here, and with having to pay that much for a parking pass, it's hard on them to support a living.