7:05 on a Friday morning, I got calls and text messages during my early bird class saying someone hit my car in the main parking lot.
Someone did, in fact, hit my legally parked and unoccupied car.
Then they went to class and sent me a text saying their car got the worst of it.
As upset as I was, it could’ve been worse. Luckily, they had insurance, so the situation is practically resolved now as I wait for new parts to come in to fix the damage.
In the eyes of the law, it’s all settled. Problem solved right?
Not quite. My car might have been one of the first parking lot accident victims this year, but it won’t be the last.
The parking lot mishaps range from chipping the paint on a neighboring car to large dents and expansive scratches. Just like drivers’ behaviors range from taking responsibility to deciding to ignore the damage and hope others do the same.
In my case, it was a simple accident. With hundreds of relatively new drivers in the main lot and complex lot, accidents are bound to happen. But for some students, their poor driving is tied to their behavior, not just a lack of experience behind the wheel.
Every day, pickup trucks rev their engines, sports cars whip around turns and even minivans speed ten to twenty miles over the five-mile parking lot speed limit.
I understand that getting to school can be stressful and rushed, but honking at pedestrians and driving irresponsibly makes it worse for everyone.
I also understand that it’s exciting to leave school at the end of the day; I know the pride I feel when I get out of the lot in record time, but there’s no excuse for yelling, cussing and cutting people off to get out sooner.
Irresponsible driving like backing into other drivers and pedestrians, parking on the lines instead of in them and scraping nearby cars is never acceptable in other lots. So why is it acceptable here?
The best days in the lot are the days when most people follow the zipper traffic system, stop at stop signs and drive in a calm, normal way.
Those days are rare. Instead, a regular day in the main lot involves worrying about my car and worrying about the cars around me when I see how some students drive.
Luckily, there are plenty of buses that cover the entire district to bring those students to and from school.
Students who struggle to drive responsibly should consider using the school bus system or finding other transportation to school.