In her first two years at Fresno State, Esmé Duran-Medina, a student majoring in psychology, had her car hit two times in university parking lots.

“I’ve actually had two different incidents; one where I’ve gotten [to the parking lots], and like five minutes later, somebody backed into my car,” Duran-Medina said.

That was during her first year at Fresno State in 2017, in the dorm parking lot, P27. 

Although the collision only scuffed her car’s paint, a similar incident occurred the following school year at the P6 lots when another car backed out without looking, this time denting Duran-Medina’s car.

Before the pandemic moved classes online, Duran-Medina also had her car dented due to people hitting it while opening their car doors. She said she feels like changes need to be made to prevent further incidents at the parking lots.

“There’s not enough parking for anybody. There’s people that are willing to park at the [parking meters] where you buy the tickets. Like, no. Or they parked across the street and they get their car broken into,” she said. “We need an actual parking structure.”

Duran-Medina was one of several Fresno State students who spoke to The Collegian about their frustrations with parking on campus and offered advice to help fellow students avoid future incidents. 

Since the semester began on Aug. 17, there have been 14 vehicle collisions, six thefts from vehicles and one vehicle vandalism reported to the Fresno State Police Department, according to Amy Luna, the manager for emergency operations.

Vehicular crime is not uncommon at Fresno State. According to the university’s 2022 annual security report, there have been 27 motor vehicle thefts on campus from 2019-2021. Within that timespan, eight other motor vehicle thefts outside of the campus have also been reported to Fresno State PD.

Fresno State traffic officers do patrol the parking lots throughout the day, but many student complaints were about drivers not paying attention.

“They’re looking down the aisles of the cars and they’re not focusing on what’s in front of them …  Even I’ve been guilty of doing that,” said Miranda Ramirez, a third-year student majoring in business administration marketing.

When Duran-Medina was in her second collision, she said she was concerned about drivers’ lack of awareness.

“What would happen if I had been walking? It would have been worse. Would they have felt the impact of hitting me or would they have just completely run me over?” she said.

This issue has also affected The Collegian staff. One editor came back to the P6 lots after class to find her car’s bumper scratched and dented. Another editor found his license plate was stolen in the P1 lots after working late on production of the student newspaper.

While some students report incidents to Fresno State PD, others, like Duran-Medina, feel like it’s too much of a hassle. 

Fresno State PD got rid of its online report submissions. Now students who want to file a report regarding their vehicle must go in-person to the Fresno State PD office with their car. 

However, multiple students said they do feel like traffic officers do a good job helping out when they’re needed.

“I see them around a lot. So I say they do enough. I locked myself out of my car once [when] they were around, so they’ve been there,” Duran-Medina said. 

Ramirez said more officers should guide the traffic throughout the day at the crosswalks at P20 on Barstow Avenue, but said there is likely nothing else they can do until the parking situation changes. 

“I feel like they’re doing a fine job. I’m glad they direct traffic in the morning. The parking lot, we can’t really do anything about that unless they build a new parking lot,” she said.

For those who are freshmen or new to parking at Fresno State, Ramirez advises staying  away from P20 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. because she said that’s when it’s most hectic and packed. 

“It’s weird because there’s a sweet spot of time… if you get there too early, you’re just driving around for no reason. But if you get there too late, then you know you’re most likely going to be late to class because it is very competitive for the spots,” Ramirez said.

Despite living close to Fresno State, Ramirez still leaves early because she said students should account for a minimum of 10 minutes to find parking. She also encourages students in a rush to not be afraid to ask other students walking if they can have their parking spot if they’re leaving. 

“Park early in the morning, or really late in the afternoon,” Duran-Medina said, noting which parts of the day have the most spots available. 

To avoid collisions or crowded spots altogether, she also advises students to park by the Save Mart Center even if it requires a longer walk. Students with green parking permits are allowed to park there on non-event days. 

Students can also park anywhere outside of regular enforcement hours. In the fall through spring semesters, enforcement hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays-Thursdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.

For emergencies, on campus students can contact Fresno State PD at (559) 278-8400.