Nick Serino pulled into the Triton parking lot, only to find his spot again stolen. Across campus, students and staff are wondering whether stricter rules must be implemented to solve the growing epidemic.
This isn’t the first time Nick has encountered this issue. Over the first few weeks of school, students and staff members have reported similar frustrations with parking spot theft. Many members of the Triton community call for stricter enforcement within the parking lot to ensure they have a spot to park every day.
The ongoing parking lot controversy at Triton High School has become a festering source of frustration for many students, making parking thefts increasingly common. Students like Nick Serino and Bradyn Lopes report recurring incidents of their assigned spots being stolen, making them late for class and leaving them searching for an open spot. Triton staff such as Ms. Scarfo are employed to enforce the rules and issue tickets to repeat offenders. Eyewitness students like Ava Kiricoples can recall often observing reckless student driving, she as well as many others, suggests paying attention could greatly reduce the number of accidents on campus. With ever-growing tension and annoyance, the great debate over how to resolve parking problems has become a pressing concern for the Triton community.
Many students across campus can relate to Nick Serino’s devastating experience. For Bradyn Lopes, the problem is a typical occurrence: “At least four times a week my spot gets taken.” This widespread annoyance isn’t limited to parking theft, reckless driving in the cramped parking lot is ramped among students who seem to think they are invincible.
Jayden Torres recalls his own troubling experience, in which another student, Mr. Carl Lucy, wasn’t paying attention and severely damaged Torres’ car: “He ripped my back bumper off with his car, but at least I got compensation that was worth more than my car.” Jayden’s incident highlights the dangerous lack of spatial awareness some young student drivers express, only further adding to the parking issues.
The Triton administration knows this, as they have tasked Triton staff member Ms. Julie Scarfo with enforcing the parking rules and issuing tickets to repeat offenders. When asked about the true impact of these extra measures, Ms. Scarfo stated, “They could lose their driving privileges to school,” and added, “I think so, by giving them all tickets,” when prompted whether ticketing has affected students and their willingness to steal spots.
However, some students like Nick feel these are minimal efforts, stating, “Yeah, I feel like there wasn’t a lot done to the person repeatedly taking my spot.” This feeling is common among students who want stricter rules put into place, not caring if through heavier penalties or better lot monitoring by staff or authorities.
Beyond parking theft, safety within the lot has quickly become a major concern for students. Triton High student Ava Kiricoples, while fortunate to not have had her spot stolen, has witnessed many reckless driving incidents. “The driver [Connor Rumph] was being so stupid and wasn’t looking in their mirrors as they backed up out of their spot,” she recalls, stating we need more responsible behavior within the parking lot.
Kiricoples suggests, “The simple fix is just that drivers must pay attention and use common sense.” She points out common driving rules, “People are walking, and cars are passing – you need to check your mirrors and look around to avoid collisions”. Her words resonate with the broader issue of driver awareness, which could help mitigate both theft and accidents.
The ongoing parking issues in the Triton parking lot have escalated from a minor inconvenience to a persistent issue as the school year continues. At the same time, there have been recent efforts to enforce parking regulations such as people getting warning tickets, and the loss of driving privileges to school. Many students feel that these actions just aren’t enough to get students to stop. The dilemma of theft of parking spots and reckless driving has recently made the lot a hazardous environment.
