The parking lot is a common topic of conversation among Liberty students. From complaints of a lack of close parking, to debates over upperclassmen priority parking, everyone at Liberty seems to have some opinion on the topic.
While on the surface these complaints may seem frivolous, there is potential for real danger. According to the National Safety Council, each year tens of thousands of car crashes happen in parking lots and garages, leading to thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths. High school parking lots are particularly worrisome as they are filled with new and inexperienced drivers.
“The parking lot is an area where there is a lot of unsafe driving due to people being distracted by their peers or cell phones,” said Caroline Cooper, 11.
Many Liberty students complain of dangerous drivers or a lack of respect for unsaid rules of the parking lot.
“Theoretically, everyone should know that driving unsafely is incredibly dangerous… However, people don’t seem to really understand it could happen to them,” said Konstantin Titarenko, 12.
The presence of police cars in the school parking lot can soothe these issues. However, many students feel the police are unable to truly stop reckless driving.
Furthering the issue, a lack of parking spots close to the front of the school leads to many students parking illegally every day. This can make driving through the parking lots very difficult.
“I see people parking in some disabled parking spots.. where there are walkways or no spot at all,” said Titarenko.
This isn’t due to a lack of parking spots. There are many parking spots left empty each day in the lot by the tennis courts. However, many students consider these spots to be unreasonably far from the school.
Some students arrive up to an hour early before school in order to secure a parking spot close to the school.
“I get to school really early to get a good spot and still end up losing it during my open periods,” said Laney Robbins, 12.
This issue was exacerbated in the winter when snow in the parking lot was moved into massive piles, covering spots for weeks even when the rest of the snow had melted.
The school claims the right to fine students for illegal parking. Though many students question the validity of these fines, they still face the consequences.
All of these issues have led students to debate whether upperclassmen or even just seniors, should be granted priority parking.
“I’m not a fan of the parking situation at Liberty. I came from a school that had assigned parking spots and I think that works much better,” reflected Robbins.
Many have unofficially dubbed the parking lot closest to the school the “senior lot” to dissuade other classes from parking there. However, officially implementing priority parking may not be a wholly effective solution.
“I don’t think seniors should get priority parking because all students need to be at school… I think first come first serve is pretty good,” said Lucia Allgood, 12.
The Liberty administration has attempted to address these issues through assembly presentations and other similar forms of education. Students have found these to be mostly unhelpful.
“I believe our school should have a required, one trimester class about driving and driving safety… a class which teaches the dangers of driving, the importance of seatbelts, how to keep your car in order, and other such ideas,” said Titarenko.
Whether through priority parking or other methods, many Liberty students are interested in a revamp of the parking system.
