Imagine this scenario: As a commuter, it is common sense to leave a little bit early from the house to get to class on time. I usually leave my house about 35 minutes before. This includes the 20 minutes it takes to commute and 5 minutes to walk to class.

Did you notice that I did not include time to search for parking? That's because until this semester, I have never had to worry about it.

You've probably heard stories from your friends about parking this year. Yeah, me too.

Now let's consider this scenario again: I leave the house two hours before my classes start.

I spent 45 minutes circling the levels, all the while cursing UT Parking and the fact that I just purchased a $160 pass to park in this garage.

When I get to campus, I can tell that the popular lots (the lot across from Gibbs, the lot behind Communications) are already taken. So I go to my safety garage, the one that never lets me down: G-10 (Neyland Garage). Except when I get there, it's frantic.

There are dozens of cars backed up. Sometimes you can stalk a student who's leaving, but there's clearly not enough to accommodate the rush. I spent 45 minutes circling the different levels, all the while cursing UT Parking and the fact that I just purchased a $160 pass to park in this garage.

Since there's absolutely no spots in this garage, I park in the diagonal lines on the 2^nd floor. As I'm leaving, I think to myself, "This is so ridiculous. I wish they'd give me a citation so I could contest it."

Now, I know never to tempt fate.

After a few days of unsuccessful attempts at parking, I continued to park in this spot. And then, one afternoon I returned to car my after class and discovered a parking ticket. It was odd looking, and to my horror, it dawned on me.

The ticket stated that the spot I had lovingly nicknamed the "criss cross lines" was actually a handicap ramp, in which parking was punishable with a $200 fine.

Yes. You read that correctly, a $200 fine. For parking. In Neyland Garage. With a parking pass.

So, I decided to contest it. I mean, I didn't intentionally park in a handicap ramp. Honestly, I only meant to park next to it.

I prayed that considering this was a first offense, maybe they could waiver it, and I would never commit this crime ever again. In fact, I would never tempt fate or brag about my cleverness or "the system" ever again.

On Wednesday morning, I walked into UT Parking Services at the University Center Down Under ready to beg. I explained my situation to an associate, how I never meant to park in a handicap related area, and he promptly told me I should appeal it... except that it couldn't be appealed, because parking in the handicap ramp is considered a state law.

Now, I know never to tempt fate.

I started to cry.

"What if this is my first offense? Is there someone I could talk to?" I pleaded.

To which the associate replied, "I could let you talk to my supervisor, but she'd tell you the same thing. Or I could read you the state law." As if this would make me feel better, hearing out loud how I am a parking criminal, according to Tennessee legislature.

Now, this is the point of the story where I tell you that I went off on the parking associate, stormed out of the building shouting "Screw you," and threw one of those goofy orange parking cones through a window. Sounds pretty hardcore, right?

But that's not how it happened. Instead, I spent the next half hour bawling on the phone talking to my Mom.

And now, I'm out $200.

You know, maybe it's fate. Maybe it's the Big Orange Screw. Or maybe it's just the bumps along the way to graduation. Let my horror story be a lesson for all of you: do not bite the hand that educates you.