Mt. SAC students can appeal parking citations and have one dismissed per semester if they meet certain criteria. However, some students, like Danny Meshamel, 20, are unclear on the parking rules due to a lack of clarification on the guidelines, as listed on the Mt. SAC website.

Over the past three years, Meshamel has acquired six parking tickets, of those he has attempted to have two appealed. Of those two, neither was dismissed.

“The first ticket was for parking in a 30 minute limit and I parked there for longer,” Meshamel said.

Meshamel received his first ticket during the first week of school, when most citations are overlooked.

“They replied to my appeal saying that it didn’t matter if it was the first week, I shouldn’t have done that,” Meshamel said. “I lost the appeal and paid the ticket.”

In the case of Meshamel’s second denied appeal, he said the citation was issued for parking backwards in a regular student parking lot.

“I had a parking permit so there was no problem there.”

Meshamel was unaware that parking backwards was against campus rules and there were no signs displaying the parking lot’s rules.

“I appealed that ticket explaining exactly what happened and even told them there wasn’t a sign saying I couldn’t,” Meshamel said. “They still denied and said there was a sign.” According to the Mt. SAC website, there are multiple ways to contest a citation: online, via e-mail, or by mail. The website states that a citation may be forgiven in the case of students who have a valid parking permit, but were issued a ticket for “No Valid Permit Displayed” or “Improper Display of Permit.”

Students may only contest a citation within 21 days of the issue date of the citation.

Still, some students, like Meshamel, are unaware of the criteria for being able to have a citation dismissed.

“I didn’t understand what the appeal policy was,” he said.

For more information on the Public Safety and Parking guidelines visit the Mt. SAC website.