Most of the time, when people think of a parking lot, the word “mayhem” doesn’t usually come to mind. However, at Panther Creek mayhem is the perfect word for it. Day in and day out, the bell that ends the school day rings, and students bolt out of the school doors like miniature Usain Bolts. Administrators line the courtyard hoping to catch a sprinter in the act. All of these students on a mission to be first off-campus, or first in line to leave school at the end of the day, but only one will be successful.

Ultimately, this parking lot is a battleground. Senior driver, Paul South, has had many tough outings. In his interview with PCNN, he informed us that he has received six parking tickets and has been in three fender benders. Another senior driver, Aleigh Hockaday, has experienced some similar issues in the PCHS parking lot. The one thing that stood out was her answer to the question: “Have you ever been hit in the parking lot either this year or last year?” Her answer was yes, but it wasn’t her car that had been struck by another car; it was her! Thankfully, there were no serious injuries.

One of the most salient predicaments of the parking lot is the amount of people who run to their cars at lunch, and the end of the day. The thing about running is that people who are backing out of their spots may not see a runner behind them and back into a person! So, you ask, why do people run? The sole reason for people running is due to the fact that the student parking lot was engineered to be combined with the bus loop. For that reason, students have to run with hopes to pull their car out and secure a top 10 spot in their row; this ensures that they will have the opportunity to leave the lot faster than others. You’d think that students would be furious about this combination of bus loop and student lot, but surprisingly, our interviewees showed rather light emotions about the situation. Responses such as “we have to deal with it” and “I guess it’s necessary” were prominent.

Overall, the Panther Creek parking lot brings on quite the competition from the student body. Being one of the first cars in your line, or the first out at lunch has become a rather great accomplishment for students. And, nevertheless, the accidents and tickets will continue to pile up for the future generation of drivers at PCHS. All PCNN has to say is “good luck”.

Should we be able to back into our parking spots? #PCNNQuestions

— Lauren Reichardt (@laurenr39_) October 13, 2017