I got a parking ticket today and it was a lie. I'm shocked.

[seaglass]

Really.

I parked in a 30 minute parking spot at my college. I arrived at 12:20 and when I left it was 12:48. As I was pulling forward I noticed the ticket on my windshield.

The time on the ticket said I arrived at 11:50 and was ticketed at 12:40.

I saw the security guard and asked him if he gave me the ticket, when he said yes I told him that the time was wrong, that my appointment was at 12:30 and I arrived at 12:20p. He said OK, I'll take care of it and took my ticket.

The ticket was only for $5 but it was the point of it, I can't believe he made up a time. I am an older student, I wonder if he thought maybe I was one of the kids and figured they'd just pay it?

I don't get it.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. He was probably glad you brought it to him ...

... instead of taking it to his bosses. He was probably trying to hit his quota without doing too much walking. Ticketing by prediction of who will be late. I don't think they taught that in "security guard" class.

[seaglass]

2. Really - you think there's a quota of parking tickets at a

Community College? Seems like a scam.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Who profits?

Security department gets money for the school, the guard gets kudos for maximum contribution.

Just a guess.

[InternalDialogue]

3. I'm glad you called him on it.

Whether he gave you the ticket in error or intentionally fabricated it, you gotta speak up and you did.

It's part of our Rebate Culture, where the default position is things cost you money unless you actively speak out and lay claim to your own dollars. I think there's an entire subsection of our economy built on money that belongs in consumers' pockets but only goes there if you actively put your name on it. Otherwise, it's off to the government coffers or the bottom line of some business.

I don't know about a quota for tickets on a community college campus, but I certainly think that someone like the guard might have performance or ego incentives for writing x number of tickets per month, and the easiest ones to get are the ones that fudge the time a little bit.