Teens get a lot of grief for their driving. A great example of this is the battlefield that is the high school parking lot. From what we’ve seen in the parking lot, new drivers are a part of the issue, but so are veteran drivers and parents trying to pick up their children. While waiting for them at the pool doors, they end up blocking the path from one exit to another and sitting in our blind spot so we can’t see oncoming traffic.

Another problem we have with parents is the driveway up to the common doors. When they pick up and drop off their kids, they always stop on the crosswalk that the students use to walk up from the parking lot to the commons.
Some solutions to these problems could be making signs to tell parents where to park and making sure that they know where the crosswalks are located. An all-around solution would be a parking lot attendant and cop that solely focuses on making the area as safe as possible. In the past, we had a parking lot attendant and their wages were paid by the sales of parking passes. Now that the parking lot is free. I doubt that we would want to give that up. Another proposal we have would be to sell senior parking spaces. The seniors that purchase these spaces would be able to paint or decorate and paint the spaces any way they wanted. This would keep the parking lot free, create a fun opportunity for the seniors and help address the problems parents cause and it would address the students reckless behavior too.
Speaking of students, there are obviously problems with their driving too. For instance, ramming into other cars and cutting people off to get out of the parking lot faster. A small tap that is intentional is still a crime. And for what? Five minutes?
You’re most likely just putting yourself, others and your car in danger. Even though taking 20 minutes to get out of the parking lot is the usual for most of us, there’s probably nothing we can do about it other than wait. We know that some of you may need to get to sports, jobs or other extracurricular activities, but that doesn’t make you any more important than everyone else waiting in line. Remember that your plans should not compromise other people’s safety.
Even though there is nothing we could do about the wait time, there are things we can do as students that makes the parking lot a better, safer place:
• Slow down
• Turn left at the left exit
• Take turns
• Stop budging in line
These things should be common sense, but some people might need a reminder now that winter has come, ice has appeared, and lines have vanished. Speaking of lines, stop making them up because by doing that, you are crossing my lines.
Remember, no matter where you’re going, or when you get there, your primary goal should be to get there safely.