Watch out! Lot etiquette
Photo Credit: Caitie Lewis
Cady Carlson
November 19, 2009
Filed under In-Depth
Watch out! You step into the parking lot and a car zooms by, narrowly missing you. This may sound dramatic, but many wrecks are reported every month at Bishop Kelley. However, many more go unreported.
“[People] fly out of there like bats out of Hades on fire,” drama teacher Mrs. Dana Hoagland said.
“Sometimes people back out without looking and scare the livin’ Jesus out of me,” junior Cameron Newton said.
He also commented that it seems no one knows the rule of “right of way.”
Senior Sara Robinson agrees.
“People pull out fast,” she said. “Maybe if there were a teacher out in the senior lot, [it would be safer],” she said.
In addition to not backing out too quickly, a proper parking lot etiquette exists here and in public places as well. For example, if you hit a car and the driver is not present, you should leave a note with contact information on the windshield or tell the front office. While you may be embarrassed and upset, imagine how much worse the drivers would feel if they returned to their car and discovered that someone had committed a “hit and run” and did not leave a note.
In addition, using turn signals in a timely manner gives other drivers a heads up of where you plan to go. Also remember that when it is raining, it is a good idea to go slower, resulting in a safer environment and happy, non-splashed pedestrians.
Another helpful gesture is to park straight and between the lines. Even if it takes an embarrassing several tries, people really do appreciate it.
Religion teachers Mrs. Jane Bender and Mrs. Ellen Doyle were assigned parking lot duty during first quarter and reported it as being hectic.
“Too many cars get bumps and bruises because people can’t seem to get their cars in their spaces between the lines,” Mrs. Jane Bender said.
“I considered buying a neon green vest to wear during my duty,” Doyle said.
While the parking lots may not be as dangerous as others, like QuickTrip’s, several helpful suggestions have arisen.
“The last row (the row back by the bank) [should] be for trucks only. If you have a truck, you have to park it there and if you don’t have a truck you can’t park there. Also, if you are in another person’s space because you can’t park your car correctly, you should be given a KP. For kids who have a hard time parking their cars, they should park in the STC lot, there are plenty of spaces over there,” Bender suggested.
Parents usually teach their children the value of manners, and it is important to remember that being polite applies to the parking lot as well. This means restraining yourself from gestures, especially honking the horn.
“It was late start and it was like 8:50 and a person came up behind me and started honking really [loudly],” freshman Michael Bookout remarked.