By: Sutton Loughran | Writer & Marissa Allen | Writer
September 27, 2017
Students at San Clemente High School have complained about the school parking lot for years, but this year the problem has gotten exponentially worse.
Due to tight parking spaces and the over crowding of the lot, the school’s traffic jam has always been dreadful for parents and students to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time. “It’s very disorganized, especially on Wednesdays,” an anonymous sophomore parent complained. “It would be nice to have San Clemente Police out there to direct traffic.”
Every morning, students arrive at school up to 30 minutes early to get the best spots closest to the exit. And every afternoon once the 5th or 6th period bell rings, students can be seen running faster than they ever had for the middle school mile to get to their cars before the the traffic rush. The trouble with the parking lot is that the spots can be extremely small for larger cars and can create anxiety for students with SUV’s or trucks.
Senior Faith Berlin exemplified this when she told us; “I was at lunch and I got a call saying my friend clipped the whole side of my car and headlight. He felt awful and we figured it out, but I think the spots are a little tight for big cars like the one that hit me.”
Although the parking lot can be a great hassle, it is still a rewarding privilege for juniors and even seniors to be granted a parking pass. The pass itself is a commodity around campus and is held with high regard. Most sophomores and some upperclassmen have to park on the upper campus street, or the limited parking on the side of Avenida Pico and Avenida Presidio which students wake up as early as 5 am to park at. The unluckier students who do not have zero often park at the 99 cent store, which puts them at risk for a parking ticket, or being towed. For those students that do not have a parking pass, it can be harsh having to wake up so early just to find a parking spot for school. There are even students who have passes and have to park on Upper Campus because administration oversold spots and had to accommodate for teachers who lost their spots to construction.
The parking lot situation has continuously worsened over the years. If you or someone you know has experienced parking problems such as the ones we stated or others, make sure to see if administration can assist, or at the very least understand your grievances.
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