As the start of school jitters settle and students begin to ease into their schedules, one problem still remains: the parking lot. A common complaint at the school, South’s parking lot is crowded and full of teenagers who are just learning to drive. This leads to frustration and confusion among those who park there. 

Although it was a rule in years past, the Parent Pick-Up Policy is being heavily enforced this year. The policy dictates that all parents must drop off and pick up their children at the attendance doors so that the buses can access the front driveway without interruptions. 

Even if this might seem good fundamentally, it has been slowing down traffic and causing chaos in the parking lot for those who drive.

“I think the traffic has gotten significantly worse. It’s to the point that it takes six to eight minutes to get out of the parking lot now—not including the time it takes to back up from a parking space,” Blanca Cortez-Perez (‘28) said.

Even people who depend on their parents and friends for school transportation have noticed the difference. 

“When my dad picks me up, or when I go home via other students taking me, [the parking lot] is crazy,” Kailey Barnett (‘28) said. 

Most of the parking lot conflicts happen after school since everyone is leaving at the same time, rather than gradually trickling in like we do in the mornings. Some students have plans after school, such as going to work or sports practice, so it’s imperative that the parking lot is as orderly as possible so things can run smoothly and quickly.

To make leaving the parking lot more efficient, it’s important to remember to be courteous and patient with others. If you see someone that has been stuck in their parking spot for a while, let them through. It’s also crucial that when exiting the parking lot, you follow the zipper merge procedure, which is where you let the car from the opposing lane go forward first and then you next

If you depend on your parents or guardians for transportation, make sure to review parking lot etiquette with them, such as not parking in no parking areas and keeping the crosswalk clear for students to cross.