Navigating Parking Lot Mayhem

A new school year definitely brings many new changes and different things to adapt to. Since school started on Aug. 9, students have recognized that there have been many accidents and that the back parking lot has been more hectic than in previous years. Some students find themselves stressed about getting home from school in a reasonable time, and especially getting to their jobs on time right after school. Other students have been strategizing how to deal with a situation that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.

“The traffic in the parking lot after school requires me to leave school early when I have to work in order to get to work on time. If I do not leave school early and get stuck in traffic I don’t make it to work on time,” said senior Rebecca Williams, who works in Charlottesville. However, Williams said she relieves some stress from the hectic parking lot by waiting and talking to her friends.

Another problem student drivers face is having to wait until the bell at the end of the day for their underclassman siblings who they transport home. Senior Maddie Haslip believes that waiting “defeats the purpose” of getting released earlier as a senior, so she finds herself often biding the time in the parking lot by eating a snack and catching up on social media. Her suggestion? “Allow siblings that ride with [approved] drivers to leave early as well.”

As students graduate, they often leave underclass siblings with no ride to school or home. In junior Rianon Runnett’s case, she went from riding with a 2021 senior to getting taken to school by her grandmother. “The traffic is pretty much the same, but I think getting picked up by a parent makes things go smoother because she parks on the corner and doesn’t have to wait for other cars to let her out,” said Runnett. She was used to sitting in the parking lot until the previous year’s traffic died down. Still, she says “even though I leave school as soon as I get let out, I still get home at the same time I used to.”

With every start of a new year, school administration has many things to deal with; however, students are willing to give their input to help out with the parking lot problem. Williams believes that “allowing student drivers to leave early in waves could help reduce the traffic. Like allowing seniors to leave first, then juniors, and so on.” While this could be one solution, it still will not help with upperclassmen waiting for their siblings. Overall, says Runnett, “we need to have a more organized leaving routine instead of everyone trying to get out at the same time.”