2007 was the first year that Panther Creek High School saw students parking on campus. In the 6,140 days since the start of 2007, Panther Creek has seen a significant increase in students who sought on-campus parking. The area’s population has grown in recent years, leading to more crowded classrooms and, even worse, a chaotic parking lot.
When you first get to school in the morning, what’s the first thing you expect to do? Park right? That’s not quite the situation at Panther Creek, as student drivers must weave through a tricky maze and dodge stray cones to ensure they arrive at their assigned parking spot in the morning. Matthew Salmon, a senior at the school, believes navigating the student parking lot “seems to be a game with the cones,” then adds, “Where are they going to be today is a great question, every day I have to ask myself that.” This intense matchup between drivers and cones continues day by day. Some great drivers are in that parking lot, but oftentimes, even the brightest of them are bested by the cones. Luke Runyan, a senior, said “Last year it was a very set system, every day same thing. Now it seems like the placement of cones changes daily, and rules change- it’s just been more confusing.”
The layout of the cones causes panic in some drivers and results in them driving the wrong way in the mornings and afternoons at Panther Creek. However, according to J.W., a senior at the school, the cones might not be completely at fault as she claims, “It’s really hard to park in the mornings when cars are driving the wrong way because she [the security officer] doesn’t tell us where to go,” although W. also pointed out that the cones are being moved by the Security Guard. Runyan mentioned how he has observed “the security talks to a lot of the students, which slows down the flow of the parking lot altogether.”
Dodging other cars while maneuvering through the parking lot isn’t the only concern that student drivers have; the body also has an issue with how long it takes to enter and exit the parking lot. Students claim that it takes excessive time to make their way out of the parking lot during lunch and dismissal. Matthew Salmon was asked what he dreaded most about the parking system this year and replied by explaining, “During lunch, even though I’m in the first row, it takes quite a bit.” When asked about the timing, he described, “Last year, I was off campus by 10:22, and this year, some days I don’t get off till 10:31”, displaying the outburst of traffic this school year. Additionally, Wake County Student Parking Rules have prohibited drivers from backing into their spots upon arrival. This makes trying to exit your parking spot a little more challenging for those who are used to backing into spots.
From the looks of it, the Panther Creek High School drivers are in for a challenge from here on out when it comes to moving throughout the parking lot. The Panther Creek News Network staff would like to advise you to be safe and to help out your peers while navigating the parking lot. To the future generation of Panther Creek student drivers, good luck getting out!
