The student parking lot has become a battlefield between students and parents, as both groups’ frustrations rise. Each morning hundreds of vehicles pile into the parking lot through a singular entrance, causing mayhem among the sleepy drivers. 

In the afternoon, the same issue prevails, only this time, drivers are in even more of a rush when their destination is home rather than school.  

“The students are the problem; they are line cutters, and it frustrates me. I constantly have to honk at them,” said Natalee Hewitt, a mother who drives her daughter to school daily.

Buses also add to the daily congestion faced by both students and parents. 

The difference is that students rightfully recognize that they have the right of way, yet parents stop and wait for the buses to go which creates confusion, frustration, and even more traffic.

“I have been walking to my car on a few occasions where a parent speeding through the parking lot, not paying any attention, nearly ran me over,” said junior Paige Fuqua. “I feel no safer when I am in my car because they drive so recklessly that I have nearly been in a collision with a parent in the parking lot. It is like they think they are better than us.”

The opinion of most parents, however, is that students are the issue. Parents blame students for cutting the lines, while students complain about parents nearly running them down. So who is to blame?

“Parents constantly complain about the way [students] drive, yet they cause just as many problems, if not more than we do,” said Paige.

According to Psychology Today, aggressive driving accounted for 56 percent of fatal traffic accidents. Although driving recklessly in the student parking lot is only a portion of the problem, it still seems like part of a much larger issue.

“There have been quite a few close calls of parents nearly hitting students walking into the school. Parents should be careful regardless of whether or not the students are in the crosswalk,” said security guard, Dave Brechtel.