Parking perks outweigh headaches

The parking lot. The privilege to drive to school. Those two things are what make the day run a little smoother, yet possibly more hectic. Finding the right parking spot, avoiding traffic, and dealing with inexperienced drivers can make students’ lives difficult.

“The parking lot can be crazy sometimes. I really hate all the traffic and people not paying attention to where they’re going. There should be a certain way everyone should go,” senior Fiona O’Mara said.

First of all, to be able to park in the parking lot, you need to obtain a parking permit. These are easy to get; all you have to do is go to your AP and pay a $35 fee each school year. It has already been tried and failed — do not try to make a counterfeit parking pass, it will not work.

As long as you have a drug-test consent form on file, obtaining a legitimate one can all be done in the blink of an eye.

“I know people that have tried to get away with fake parking passes, but they got caught. Just pay the money — it’s that easy,” senior Travis Ford said.

In the parking lot, there is a wide selection of parking spots. There are three main places to park at school: the lot across from the back of the school by the bus drop off, the main and biggest lot right by the street and finally the lot by the tennis courts.

Out of the three lots the most convenient and the safest would have to be the one by the bus drop off area. The reason for that is it is the most camera surveyed area, so it would be hard for a robbery or damage to your car to occur, and it is the easiest and closest lot to get in the school. However, if students want to be one of the lucky few to get a spot there, they should plan on getting to school pretty early.

“I do not mind getting to school early for a parking spot in the front. I am lazy and I do not like to walk very far in the early mornings,” junior Brian Kleb said.

The second best place to park is the main lot in the area next to the street. This area has the most parking spots and is perhaps the most hazardous. The reasoning behind this is since there are so many spots there are a lot of cars, which may result in a wreck from all the cars driving around.

With half the school in that area, it could be dangerous to get out when school is over and other students are eager to get home. Due to the large size of this area, it is only still a convenient distance from the school in the first four or five rows. The later a student gets to school, the further back they have to park.

“Personally, I could care less where I park. I mean, sure, it is a shorter walking distance if you are up front, but then again, I do not feel like getting to the school at 6 a.m. I do not mind walking a quarter mile, it is good cardio,” senior Myles Herzog said.

The third and final place to park is by the tennis courts. This is the most inconvenient place to park because it is such a long walk to and from the school. Students that arrive right before the bell usually end up parking in that area.

So on rainy days any students that have to park there should prepare to bring an umbrella or get drenched.

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Also there is little video camera footage, so it is the most unsecured place to park.

“I think it is safe from outsiders because of the gates and guard people, but none of that protects our cars from other students vandalizing them,” senior Bekah Hohl said.

The Cougar Claw

The Cougar Claw

Parking perks outweigh headaches

The Cougar Claw