The Bloomsburg Parking Enforcement office is located in Town Hall on East 2nd St. The parking enforcement employees work out of this building. Note, this is separate from the university police and parking enforcement. The Bloomsburg police and parking enforcement used to be all the same. A few years ago, the police department got its own building, and they now work separately from each other. Bloomsburg Police Department has a website that holds all the information, from hours of service to how to get a parking permit. The metered spaces around town also have the option of using an app called Pango to pay for parking. There are hours and payment instructions on signs all around town and in every lot. The in-person hours for the office run from Monday-Thursday 7:30 am- 4:00 pm, and Friday, 7:30 pm- 1:00 pm. If someone needs to pay a ticket, they can pay online, or they must go to the Parking office.
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| Entrance to office |
When entering town hall, there are friendly signs directing to the ticketing office. The office is a small rectangle. The air is warm and still. The glass windows inside the office are decorated with fun colors and pictures. With the comfortable chairs along the wall and the soft light grey walls makes the office feel cozy and welcoming. There are bright blue-friendly pamphlets placed along the front desk to share information with anyone who wants it. “Welcome! What can I do for you?” Greets the ladies behind the desk. Everyone who walks into the office gets a warm welcome. Tracy and Elise are the women who run the Parking Enforcement office behind the scenes. Both are wearing deep navy blue sweaters and the “Parking Enforcement” badge on the side. While they complete some of the same jobs, they also have different responsibilities. Elise handles the payments, sends courtesy letters, issues reports, and much more. Tracy handles tickets, verifying addresses, citation withdrawal, etc. They both deal with people at the counter and over the phone. Both of these women complete the jobs in the office of ticketing enforcement.
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| Bloomsburg Parking Enforcement Pamphelet |
This position is not always as simple as it seems. Tracy and Elise describe their job as demanding, hectic, and challenging. Dealing with people is not always an easy task. They agree that public misconception is the worst part of their job. Many people do not understand that they are not the ones who make the rules, they are just there to enforce them. If someone would like to make a change, they would need to see a council member or be heard by public safety. Many people come to the Parking Office to yell at the employees about complaints or changes they want to see. People have complaints about prices, parking signs, locations of meters, and much more. However, they do not have the authority to make these changes. The parking enforcement employees actually rarely even talk to council members! Tracy claims that it depends on the situation, but they are rarely consulted unless requested by Chief Price of Bloomsburg PD.
Many people are unhappy that they got a ticket and react very poorly. An older gentleman walked into the office with a very dark demeanor. With a clenched jaw and hostile glare, he approached the desk.
“I got this parking ticket, and I don’t understand why!” he resentfully yelled.
Tracy responds, “Well, let me see the ticket,” she takes the ticket and looks at it for a few seconds. “Well, sir, it appears you were parked in a residential parking lot, and you had no permit visible.”
“That’s crazy! I live here!” the man shouted. The women remained calm as they deal with this on a daily basis. They stayed professional and requested he pays for the ticket. As he hands her the money, he mutters, “This whole town is twisted.” People always take out their anger on the parking enforcement office workers. It is disappointing to see how some people are treated nowadays. Tracy remarks that this is a very common thing to happen.
Elise recalls a situation that has stuck with her for years. She describes, “A man came here just furious, eyes full of red. He started yelling and cursing at us ladies. I was able to radio the police, and within 2 minutes, 6 police officers arrived at our building. They took care of the situation from there. That was very scary, and I hope no one else ever has to experience that.”
On the other side of this office is the parking enforcement officers. They go by foot or car to all the lots and meeters to ensure everyone follows the rules. It is very important that citizens who pay for parking spaces do not lose their spots to people who should not be parked there. The officers ensure this does not happen. They also help people who need to find parking spaces and answer citizens' questions. Every position and person in this office is very important to the town of Bloomsburg. They each depend on each other to complete their responsibilities to fulfill the Parking Enforcement job. Together they make parking easy and safe for the citizens of Bloomsburg.
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