Every morning, Menlo students drive into the school parking lot, expecting enough spots for everyone. Recently, however, more parents have started using the lot to drop off their children to bypass the traffic in the Loop. While this might seem like a clever shortcut, it’s anything but. These parents’ actions create more congestion for students trying to park and take up valuable parking spots.
This practice creates a ripple effect of problems that go beyond minor inconvenience. First, the student parking lot is designed to accommodate student drivers — not parents. When parents drive through or stop in this area, they clog traffic flow, making it harder for students to navigate safely. Imagine trying to park while a car randomly stops in front of you, and you are forced to wait as the door swings open, and a student gets out. I find myself in that exact situation almost every day. Not only is this frustrating, but it can potentially cause accidents. The lot is meant for parking — not dropping off. Since many students parking in the lot are already new or inexperienced drivers, adding extra stress or unprompted stops is particularly dangerous.
Another concern is how parents take up valuable parking spaces. The number of student parking spots is limited, and when parents park briefly to drop off their kids, it prevents student drivers from finding a spot. This situation is especially anxiety-provoking when students are trying to get to class on time but no spots are left. Students apply for parking permits with the expectation that they will have a reliable place to park, so it’s unfair for parents to undermine that system just to save themselves a few minutes in the morning. There are also specifically designated visitor parking spots that are just as convenient, which parents could use instead of taking student spots.
Some parents might argue that the school’s loop is inefficient or overly crowded in the morning, but the solution isn’t to invade the student lot. Instead, students could get dropped off across the street on University Drive — this also would help reduce Menlo’s traffic numbers!
Parents, please reconsider the impacts of your morning drop-off routine. The extra few minutes it takes to use the loop properly can make a world of difference for the students trying to park and get to class on time. Let’s make the student parking lot what it was intended to be: a space for students, not a shortcut for parents.
