by: Dana Cook

PR Editor

With the start of construction in the former upper parking lot, students have taken to the streets searching for parking. Side streets such as Loma Alta Ave., Whitney Ave., Stacia St., and even Los Gatos Blvd. fill with cars every weekday morning. With the loss of even more student parking at the high school, students and homeowners need to learn how to park properly and respectfully.

It’s easy to argue that people can park however they went, as long as they park legally: close to the curb, not blocking a driveway, and not in a red or white curb zone. But there is a difference between parking legally and still parking like a fool.  

My issue is with the people who park their cars five feet away from the cars in front or behind them and waste room that could perfectly fit another car if all the cars were scooted closer together.

It is incredibly frustrating to have to drive to school yet still end up parking so far from campus. It is even more infuriating to have to walk in the freezing cold or the pouring rain before it is even 8 AM, in order to get to school, and pass streets near campus lined with cars parked so thoughtlessly spaced out.

I understand that it can be difficult to parallel park, and since most of the drivers parking off campus are sophomores and juniors, people want to space themselves away from the new and less experienced drivers and parkers. But with the many students who drive to school and need places to park, people must start parking reasonable distances apart in order to allow as many student drivers to park as close to campus as possible.

Additionally, cars constantly lined up in front of people’s houses can be a nuisance, but the parking only lasts until 2:15 PM during the weekdays and is absolutely necessary. All that I ask is for homeowners to be more conscious and respectful of students that need to park in front of their homes.

For example, for Loma Alta, trash pickup day is Friday morning. Trash cans are set to the curb to be emptied. I take the trash out for my family, so I know that the bins need to be separated a little bit. But one or two trash cans does not take up enough parking space for an SUV, let alone a sedan.

On the rest of the weekdays, I’m most frustrated by the homeowners who easily have room for two or three cars between their driveway and their neighbors’, but decide to park smack dab in the middle of the space, so that either no other cars can fit or maybe one smaller sized car can.

With limited space available, please park properly and respectfully, keeping in mind that other students need to park on the streets. I don’t want to be the person that parks literally an inch away from the car in front or behind me so that I can squeeze into a spot, but I will if I have to.