Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU BG News (Student Newspaper) University Publications 1-27-1975 The BG News January 27, 1975 Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news Recommended Citation Bowling Green State University, "The BG News January 27, 1975" (1975). BG News (Student Newspaper). 3052. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/3052 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in BG News (Student Newspaper) by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. r Inside: This week's / State and /This weekend's television 1 national news , f sports ! Z_ F%feJ/TI»«iON«wv Mendey, January 27, 1975 It. Melvin R. Jones, head of the Parking Office, talks with one of his employes. ( Newiphoto by Janice E. Homzak) Parking-a magnet for complaints If there is one subject that draws more criticism at the In the middle of the 1960s, when he was still a patrolman. Bugie, who has frequently expressed a belief that the University than any other, it is probably the Parking Office Jones-then known as "O.J.." for Officer Jones- wascon- office is unfair, refused to register his car during fall division of Campus Safety. sidered the fastest ticket-writer in town. quarter and refused to pay the tickets he received. , It is maligned in letters to-the-editor. cursed at by HIS RECORD for writing a citation-from the time he His car was towed and impounded in October, and Bugie VecenUy-ticketed drivers and even scorned by the president took out his pencil to the time he was finished-was ten has not paid the fines necessary for its release. of the Student Government Association. seconds. He now drives a motorcycle. Complaints are varied and numerous. Some people say Despite his costly speed. Jones was well-known and well- According to Jones, there has been an increase of more the office's "meter maids'—known officially as parking liked on his regular patrol, particularly near old fraternity than 600 registered cars on campus this year Along with officers-are callous, overzealous and rude, arid the sight of row. whose residents first gave him his nickname. the additional cars come additional problems. one of the little white Cushmans in a parking lot usually means bad news to questionably-parked drivers ALTHOUGH THERE ARE more than 13.000 parking Still others say it costs too much to register a car -|20 a "Ww try to run a spaces on campus and only 7.000 registered cars, there is a year-compared to the benefits derived from the expense. shortage of parking spaces close to dormitories and human office '-Jones academic buildings, because many of the spaces are neap SITTING BEHIND his desk in the Parking Office. Lt the Stadium and are therefore inconvenient. Jones said. Melvin R. Jones takes the criticism calmly. An additional 144 spaces will be built adjacent to lot 5. Few students today call him O.J. Instead. Jones says he is north of the Health Center and east of the Industrial A tall, heavy, balding man. he contends that his office is introducing himself to students as Mel. "just to let them Education and Technology Building. Jones said. merely carrying out justice, and to do that well "you have know I'm human." But according to Campus Safety Director Dale to do It completely." He admits that being human can help in the ticket-issuing Shaffer.there will probably be no large-scale expansion of business. parking facilities in the near future. His penchant for doing things completely has earned him friends as well as enemies "WE TRY TO RUN a human office." Jones says. There have been studies conducted to determine what type He adds that his staff frequently "goes out of their way" of expansion would be best should it ever become necessary, to help students with problems. however. t Although he has a reputation for being "hard-nosed, "as Shaffer said the University architect's office has one student put it. Jones considers himself a fair and even- conducted a study to determine the.feasibility of building a THe BG news handed administrator, he said. parking garage above an existing lot. But the study concluded that such a garage would be too expensive. Perhaps the biggest complaint about the Parking Office Shaffer said, to be of any benefit. centers around its officers. He added that parking garages are "expensive, hard to One student said he recently witnessed a "meter maid" police, and not very attractive." issue a ticket to a student despite his willingness to move his As for student complaints about his office. Jones said ' car from an expired parking meter space. many of them don't realize bow good the parking situation is The student added that he doesn't like parking officers here. "because they never talk to people." He said other schools charge more to register a car--' But Jones said be believes all of his employes feel the notably Ohio State University, which charges NO a year. same about the public as be does-that they should be treated fairly. HE ADDED that the geography of the University allows parking expansion whenever it is needed. ASKED WHETHER he believed parking officers do treat And according to Shaffer, the Parking Office has reduced everyone fairly. Jones replied: "I hope so. I can't say, 'yes. the number of tickets issued this year. He said he hopes the they do' for sure, but if they don't I want to bear about It." downward trend will continue At least oae student-SGA President Doug Bugie~has had If we could get word to students not to move their ears i^waMaeawaswaseewawaawewawewawawwi n i a ICTIOUI run-in with Jones aad the Parting Office . ••V I »<WJ»1 • .-'. .- l«V\'V.'.V.V. ..-.-.•. v.-.- ; ' Mwtday, January 27, 1975, Th. BO Nowt/tw** 3 Apparently it's not jutt studonts and somi faculty who occasionally park iHogolly Tho cor or right- poikod in a ipato rotonod tar a drUoront ono-oolongs re It Marvin ». Jonas, Af attar of rha Parking Ofhto. /I wot patkrd in that spoco for moro than tawr hours, and rocorvad only a warning nofka from a parking oHicmr. inroad at fho $ 10 fin* asffod tar by rogukilioni. Tho parking lot Wow knows how hocfic it con ho fo find a parking spacm in a aowdodlot. • from pago 2 lot-to-lot with their classes, they'd receive a lot fewer tickets." Shaffer said. "We'd love to cut tickets in half. We'd make less revenue, but it would also cost less to run the operation.'' But even with the ticket volume reduced. Jones said students are still coming into his office at a rate of between 30-50 a day "IF THEY WOULD just try to park legally, we wouldn't have to write them a ticket." Jones said, "and if we didn't write tickets, nobody would come in here and complain." He added: "I'd enjoy that." The Parking Office, however, is not the sole parking authority. The University Parking Committee, comprised of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff and Shaffer and Jones, holds bi-weekly meetings to discuss parking matters. Charles Hablitzel. senior I Ed ) is a committee member representing commuter students. He said the committee has been effective in improving and changing parking policies, and has allowed more student input HABITZEL ADDED that "as a whole. 0 J (Jones) has got an unpleasant job. and he's not going to be able to please everyone He can be curt and a little rude sometimes, but I think it's understandable." Hablitzel agreed with Jones' assessment of parking at the University "We've got a pretty good system here," he said. "We're not in as bad shape, parking-wise, as a lot of c iher places." BOWLING GREEN S WAIT 'TIL Dairy THE GANG ONLY 2fOr'10 Queen FINDS OUT! PANT PLACE is holding its annual STORE WIDE CLEARANCE *EVERY PAIR OF PANTS ON SALE * EVERYTHING MUST GO!!! OPEN Oxford House ™(!iDIILIy 548 EAST WOOSTER IMJKok * fin •<< ' n >.'ii'»i*i» •:'..■« •'. i !•(••' -t" II" bwl >.i..l:-»r«uji uu ■ •- • >flEL*MI> ACROSS FROM FOUNDERS QUAD M.\ •4vUt»ii.:'.;... ,.;,'.'», i jiji 'ji",r Peg* 4/The BO Ntwi, Mondov, Januory 27, l«75 Congressional pace expected to remain WASHINGTON (AP)--The age for Ford, combining a shire election, the Senate new Congress that got to $36 billion increase in Trea- will take up tomorrow a work with unusual speed is sury borrowing authority, variety of alternate propo- scheduled to keep up the with a 90 day postponement sals. pace this week with action of the oil import tax. One would declare a on tax relief and supervision vacancy, opening the way of the CIA and its sister THE HOUSE may act on for a new election contest intelligence agencies. it late this week, or more between Republican Louis likely next week C. Wyman and Democrat The House Ways and John A. Durkin. Means Committee returns to The Senate is scheduled to Another would refer the hearings on tax cuts and vote Monday on formation of dispute to the Senate Rules energy levies with the objec- a special 11-man committee Committee. tive of sending a bill to the to investigate the CIA. FBI House during February.