We have a parking problem here at N.C. State.For one, I’m sure anyone who has tried to park in the Coliseum or Dan Allen parking decks from 10:15 to about 1:30 knows that it’s a small miracle to find a decent spot. And on some days, it’s a miracle even to find a spot.But what really bothers me is the arbitrary nature of the University’s parking tickets, particularly for University and service vehicle spots.There is little or no consistency with how University parking and police officials determine who gets a ticket and who gets off scot-free. And when you combine the random punishment system with overcrowded commuter lots, you are going to have a problem with stupid parking tickets.I know for a fact the University overassigns parking spots for commuters. Both Greg Cain, assistant director for parking and David Gregory, parking services manager, said on-campus spots are a limited commodity and the commuter parking lots are assigned more permits than there are spaces.But the parking permits for the decks only apply from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and people are on campus when these hours do not apply. Yet service and University parking spots are reserved from 7 a.m. to midnight, despite the fact that I have NEVER seen anyone come out to repair or replace anything after 7 p.m.Why are these spots reserved for an extensive part of the day when the University barely uses them after 8 p.m.?These parking spaces are prime real estate, particularly after business hours when students may wish to park closer to where they need to be while it’s dark. Is the University really saying it’s better to be safe from a parking ticket than it is to be physically safe?This is ridiculous, and it must change.E-mail your thoughts on parking to [email protected].