This is in response to the column “Where did the respect go?” I was one of the students who received this misdemeanor and I thought it was totally out of hand and above all, completely, utterly, totally and absurdly uncalled for.

I do not drink so I am aware of exactly what happened that night. Instead of catching the staggering drunks who are stumbling, most likely underage, out of Dot’s to get in a car and drive home and endangering people’s lives, they got us for a parking violation!!

The judge explained to us that this is the exact same offense as a speeding ticket but because they called it trespassing, we were required to go to court AND pay the court costs as well as smudge our permanent records!

A gimmick to get money for Martin?

We all sure think so, but as it was explained to us by the judge, MPD only made $23.00 out of the deal. Now was that really worth the effort of writing out 11 citations?

The actual criminal offense was only $25.00 - it was the absurd court cost of $256.50 that really pissed me off for lack of a more delicate word.

The $25 is nothing - maybe a dinner at Applebee’s if you get dessert.

It was the almost $300 in COURT COSTS that really taught me the lesson.

I learned that the MPD and court system is out to suck money from college students which, according to past history of parking in this lot which has always had those signs, have not done anything wrong.

We were also slapped with probation and had it not been for the grace of God, we were also going to be doing 20 hours of community service as well.

Name one college student that has the time among studies and other activities that is available for 20 hours of community service for a parking ticket! It’s totally unbelievable!

Not to mention of course that we are in college and as students, most of us lack a steady income.

Why not a more descriptive sign, a warning, or even a normal parking ticket!

Was it totally necessary to catch the people who weren’t worth catching?

TWO, not one, but TWO officers had to take time away from making Martin a safer place to hand out misdemeanors for “trespassing with a motor vehicle.”

As a small side note, I was told as I was being handed my citation that this was in the fact the first time that they (MPD) has written tickets for such an offense.

That did not make the $281.50 check any easier to write- just like the officer said, “You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Honestly, gimme a break!

Emily Miller is a sophmore Spanish major from Memphis.