Student Protests Parking Tickets by Paying Fine With 11,000 Pennies

[KamaAina]

https://gma.yahoo.com/student-protests-parking-tickets-paying-fine-11-000-175630831--abc-news-lifestyle.html

When Stephen Coyle got two parking tickets in June on campus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, he flirted with the idea of paying the $110 in fines with pennies.

But when the 26-year-old student discovered how the money collected through fines is used, he said he resolved to turn that idea into a form a protest, by way of 11,000 pennies.

"I started digging deeper of what the money was used for and 80 percent is redistributed to other schools instead of keeping it on campus," Coyle told ABC News. "That's what upset me, which led to paying with the pennies."...

"According to North Carolina law, the University is only allowed to retain 20% of the money collected from parking citations. The remaining 80% must be remitted to the state to support local public schools (elementary, middle and high schools). The 20% that UNC Charlotte is allowed to keep is earmarked to cover operating costs for parking enforcement," according to the website.

Remember that old Chinese adage, "Be careful what you ask for. You may get it." If the school gets to keep all the money, how many pennies you wanna bet there'll be a spike in the number of tickets written?

[unblock]

1. oh how horrible, using the money to support local schools! oh, the injustice!

[PoliticAverse]

2. Keping revenue from parking fines has been known to encourge organizations to fine more people.

I think it is good they give most of the money to other institutions.

[snooper2]

3. Guy who got his car towed -Pays tow truck company with 8,800 Pennies

Lady behind counter not happy LOL

[Travis_0004]

4. Maybe in the future, he should park legally.

Also, I'm a bit surprised NC law requires them to accept them.

If he tried that with me, he would be taking his pennies back home, and taking the pennies back to the bank.

If I was in congress in NC, I would change the law to allow the university to keep 100%. I would name it Steven Coyle's law (after the guy who paid with pennies).

Then when universities have incentive to write as many tickets as possible (since it is now a major revenue source), they know who to blame.