Students that park in the TCU Bookstore parking lot who are not going to the bookstore will be towed, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Kathy Cavins-Tull said.

Cavins-Tull said in an email that the bookstore has resumed towing any violators as of Monday.

“Those who are trying to get to the bookstore are experiencing a lot of frustration because they cannot find a place to park,” she said.

Police Lt. Ramiro Abad said the bookstore controls its own parking. The TCU Police Department can cite cars, he said, but it is the bookstore that monitors and tows vehicles from the lot.

“Before they call the towing company, rest assured, the bookstore employees do monitor how long the car has been there before they call the tow truck to pull them out,” Abad said.

He said students park there out of convenience, but that doing so is unfair and harmful to the bookstore’s business.

“They have actually been very lenient about towing cars. This is the first semester they have really started towing more frequently,” Abad said.

Towing is enforced in the lot 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Abad said.

Even though employees don’t monitor cars after hours, the towing company the bookstore contracts with does monitor the lot and tow cars if needed, Abad said.

Ryan Ribinskas, a junior geology major, had his car towed from the bookstore lot Tuesday. He said he parked there and walked to his advising meeting.

Ribinskas had to pay $293 and drive 30 miles to pick up his car after parking in the lot for just an hour. He said that was unfair.

“I understand it’s for the bookstore, but there is nobody here,” he said.

Abad said there are plenty of other parking options on campus, but that it just may not be exactly where students and faculty want it to be.