Due to the lack of parking spaces on campus, several students have been parking at nearby Alondra Park, despite the risk of being ticketed.

Some patrons at Alondra Park have complained that the lack of spaces in the morning and during the day is inconvenient and that some senior citizens and handicapped people cannot easily access the park if there is an abundance of students already parked there.

“Sometimes I’ve had to park there even though there is a risk,” Walter Martinez, music major, said.

Parking enforcement at Alondra Park is usually done when students are in class and are not present to watch their cars being ticketed.

More students across campus are becoming aware of the risk associated with parking at Alondra Park and on streets around the campus.

“I’ve parked on the street near the college and got a ticket, which was fifty dollars,” Gary Spalding, a graaduate, said.

Some students question the methods used to give tickets to who violate the parking rules, or how ticket recipients are chosen. One parking enforcement official says that their presence is always obvious to students, and that there is no “hiding or sneaking around.”

Students are finding many reasons why parking at Alondra Park should be permissible, and many do not understand why it is not allowed.

“There should be a certain time in the day where students are allowed to park (at Alondra Park,]” said Cherry Saren, liberal arts major.

Other suggestions include having a few spaces available exclusively for students at the park, but plenty of room for patrons as well, or that an additional level should be added to the parking structure on campus.

“They should designate handicapped parking and have spaces for students too,” Shelia Masters, undecided major, said.

Another suggestion was that faculty lots at school should be open students to park there during the day.

“Teachers have plenty of spaces, while students have to drive around for half an hour looking for a spot. At certain times in the day, staff should park in certain areas, and when they leave students could park there,” said Rachel Hirsch, education major.

Parking violation prices on campus cost $30 for not having a permit, or for parking in reserved or staff parking. Using fake permits can cost as much as $250, and parking in handicapped-designated spaces cost $330.

Some students, however, are annoyed that there are so few spaces and that tolerance for parking in restricted areas is low and being taken more seriously.

“Do they need to make their quota that bad?” said Hirsch.

Parking in Alondra Park is still off-limits to students, but will remain a risky option as long as parking is still a problem.

“The school is working on the parking problem, maybe for a new lot. They’re getting funding right now,” Officer Christopher Sanderson, an El Camino Police Department cadet, said.