La Voz

I just read your "Citation" article on page 6 of the Feb. 27, 2006 issue of La Voz. I'm compelled to tell my story. As a staff member of De Anza College for the past 16 years, I recently got a $30 parking ticket.

Since the opening of the Student and Community Services Building, Staff Parking Lot A has been reduced quite a bit to visitor and handicap parking lanes. At the Dec. 3, 2005 flea market, I noticed the two visitor parking lanes were practically devoid of cars. My friend and I asked a passing FHDA policeman if a staff member with a staff parking sticker could park in these spots on flea market Saturdays only. He thought about it and said there should be no problem doing that. Before the holiday break, I asked a parking/special events officer I've known for almost as long as I've worked here the same question regarding the visitor spots in Staff Lot A while attending the Flea Market.

I was definitely skeptical about the answer I received from the first officer. This trusted person gave me practically the same answer. I parked in the questioned area while attending the Feb. 4, 2006 Flea Market with the same friend who witnessed the first police officer's answer. Lo and behold, when we returned to my car, there was the ticket.

Upon talking with the ticketing officer and telling him about my two encounters with his fellow officers, he said he never heard of such a thing and that I had no recourse other than to pay the ticket or talk with the assistant director of the De Anza Police Division. I left here that day with a feeling of being demoralized. Two days later my complaint to the assistant director was in regards to the false information I got from the two previous officers I specifically asked regarding the parking question.

I got nothing as a response. I took responsibility for parking there and I paid the ticket knowing that only part of that $30 fee will go to the college general fund. Needless to say, I am even more skeptical of the information I receive from that department than I was before this unfortunate event. We are all co-workers of the same organization, De Anza College (or more correctly, Foothill-De Anza Community College District).

Are policemen not coworkers? Do we not respect one another? I asked a legitimate question from two supposed co-workers who should know more about their department than anyone else on campus. I got the same erroneous information from both of them. I took them for their word. After all, we're co-workers. They were wrong. I got busted and they would not admit to any wrongdoing. So much for mutual respect in the workplace.


Bonnett Saussol
Classified Staff
Graphic Artist in the Marketing/Communications Office at De Anza College

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