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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Parking decal policy revised

Following several complaints filed with the Office of Parking Operations, College motorists are no longer required to affix parking decals to the front and rear bumpers of their vehicles.

Associate Director of Administrative Services Bill Barr said the decals -- which are used by Parking Operations to identify vehicles legally registered with the College -- can now be placed conspicuously on the front and rear windshields of a vehicle.

Barr said the decision was made in May, due to several complaints lodged by vehicle owners at the College who wished to display their decals in a less permanent manner.

The new policy became effective on May 31.

"We decided that we needed to do this [change] because there were some people who thought that putting decals on paint would damage the vehicle," Barr said.

"We have to be somewhat sensitive to that," he added.

Before the change, Parking Operations officials had said they insisted decals be on the bumpers because they wanted one universal, uniform place to look for the stickers.

Students, faculty and administrators who have vehicles can still put the decals on the vehicle bumpers, if they choose.

One administrative staff member felt so strongly about keeping her bumpers free of decals that she had refused to adhere to the rules and publicly protested Parking Operations .

Julie Lepine, administrative assistant in the Office of Alumni Relations, wrote in an electronic-mail message that she used to place her parking stickers on the front and rear windshield of her car.

Also attached to her vehicle was a large sign which read, "These are my Dartmouth College parking stickers. I will not deface or devalue my car by adhering them to my bumper!"

Since the policy change, Lepine has removed the sign.

Lepine wrote she began a petition in May against the ticketing of cars whose decals were visible, yet were not placed properly on the vehicle's bumpers.

She wrote she received two tickets -- each for $20 -- because her decals were affixed to front and rear windshields of her car and not the bumpers.

Lepine complained several times to Parking Operations, but their response was that they did not want to have to hunt for stickers on vehicles, the e-mail message stated.

She wrote she has been told by Parking Operations on many occasions that "it is a privilege" to park at the College and that she should simply comply to the bumper requirement.

Lepine said she objected because the Grand Am that she purchased a year ago has a bumper that is made of fiberglass, which she claimed would be damaged by a sticker's adhesives.

But Barr said Lepine was not the only one to complain.

"This has been an issue for a long time," he said.

Barr said drivers who choose not to use the decals at all may park in the free lot by Thompson Arena.