<p>This morning I got a call from a collection agency. It started with a robocall asking if this was <insert extremely=“” mangled=“” version=“” of=“” my=“” name=“”>, and if so, press 1. Accustomed to mangled versions of my name, I thought this might be for me and pressed 1. That was my first mistake.</insert></p>
<p>Eventually, after 5 or 6 robovoice invitations to “make a payment” to the Providence Municipal Court, or wait to talk to a human, a woman came on the line and said something unintelligible. She then asked if I was <extremely manged=“” version=“” of=“” my=“” name=“” actually=“” resulting=“” in=“” a=“” completely=“” different=“” first=“”>, and I said no, I wasn’t. She proceeded to ask if I had my birthday and lived at my address. I said, “You called me. What is this about? I haven’t been in Providence since 2007, and to my knowledge I don’t owe them any money.” She informs me that I owe $90 on a parking ticket from February of 2007! I told her that I wasn’t sending anyone any money over the phone and they should send me a bill, which no one has ever done.</extremely></p>
<p>The gross injustice behind all this is that my H was driving/parking the car, not me! </p>
<p>We’ve talked in the past about how difficult it was to park for the info session/tour at Brown, and a number of us had gotten tickets. All I can say is, look out: if you didn’t pay it they’re coming after you. :)</p>
<p>Brown Univ has a parking office, which is unfortunately not located near the Admissions Office. However, you can go to it & pay a nominal fee & use one of their lots for a day if visiting. I have done this when visiting my daughter.</p>
<p>When we are visiting colleges in cities I assume parking will be at a premium — there are employees, faculty, & students not to mention people who live and work in the area, who are all vying for parking spots. I look on their sites for parking info and if I can’t find same easily, I email the AOs and ask directly. If they are not helpful, I email other offices in the university such as Security or the sports complex. </p>
<p>If you can’t think of anything else, ask permission to park in the lot at Meehan; that is the hockey rink. But ask first or Brown will ticket you!</p>
<p>Be careful of any unpaid parking tickets. My husband recently had problems renewing his driver’s license. Apparently he had a ticket 26 years ago on New Years Eve in Maine that somehow didn’t get paid. Our state and theirs have some kind of data sharing now which resulting in it showing up. I had to pay the ticket via overnight mail in order to get his license which is critical for his job.</p>
<p>Consolation,
My D visited Brown, but I never did, because I couldn’t find a parking space! I drove around and around for what seemed like hours, hoping to park and see the campus as well, but finally she was done with the tour and I still hadn’t parked so I just picked her up and we left!</p>
<p>While visiting Brown for 6 years (two for looking at it and four while visiting my daughter there) we never got a ticket. The reason is that we read the parking signs and parked where it was legal, even if it meant having to walk a few blocks. Providence is a city, just like NY or Philly, and you can’t just park your car wherever you want. Just try parking near NYU! The streets on College Hill are very old and narrow, and that is why many streets allow parking on one side only. It’s not to annoy you. It’s to allow emergency vehicles to get through. I found that on move-in days, the parking restrictions were relaxed enough so that the cars could be unloaded, and then we moved so that someone else could take the spot. When we go there (and we still do every year, because we miss it so much and have our favorite places and restaurants) we stay at the Courtyard and mostly walk up to the campus. I recommend that–nothing is prettier than Benefit Street. Chalk it up to a mistake in urban parking and don’t blame it on the University.</p>
<p>fafnir, we are not hicks from the sticks. We have lived and worked–and parked–in NYC, Boston, Chicago, and various European cities. If H thought he parked legally, it was not because he was unaccustomed to urban parking. Don’t be so defensive. No one is casting Brown as a villain. It is light-hearted.</p>