Chaos hits the Olathe North parking lot as soon as the clock strikes 3:00 pm, as everyone darts to every exit available. The scene becomes a madhouse, and you’re fortunate to get out of the parking lot before 3:15 pm. According to North students, the parking lot scene sure is a trouble spot when you have places to be immediately after school.

As students rush to leave the parking lot, unfortunate run-ins and collisions take place. Junior JT Adams has been one of the unlucky few to be involved in a run-in in the Olathe North parking lot.

“Some kids walked in front of my car so I had to come to a stop and some kid pulled out straight into the truck behind me, and then the truck behind me rear-ended me,” Adams said.

Luckily, all that was done to Adams’ car was a few scratches.

When an anonymous student was asked about their parking lot run-in, they shared that they had hit a car by pulling into the tight parking lot near the tennis courts. They state that nothing too damaging was done to either cars, but “awkward eye contact” had been made as both parties heard the crunch of the cars hitting. Thankfully, Officer Reid helped file a report.

Students state that they are upset with the parking lot situation, whether they caused the accident or not. Insurance should cover most scratches and dents on the damaged cars, students claim, but that still won’t prevent future collisions and the chaos that lives in the parking lot.

Most students think this is the result of inexperienced drivers and students and parents alike desperate to leave the school parking lot.

“Maybe if more people took Drivers Ed then stuff like this wouldn’t happen,” says sophomore Hannah Rupert.

Students claim that once the hectic drivers are gone, it’s smooth sailing.

The chaotic nature of the parking lot plus the pressure of having responsibilities after school is an unpleasant combination, but inevitable. The congested parking lot is straining for those who have obligations immediately after school. As most students have places to be directly after school, the parking lot is the icing on the stress cake.

“The parking lot is super annoying, especially if my cousins take their sweet time getting to the car, then we’re stuck. Makes me want to make them walk home” says junior Fernando Gracia.

As someone who has pit stops to make, Gracia gets understandably annoyed at the chaotic parking lot.

All students can see eye to eye on discussions about how no students here know how to drive and are undeserving of their licenses.

Sophomore Raejanae Turner thinks that, “People here don’t know how to drive, it’s amazing they have their licenses. Sometimes I just wanna hop out of the car and walk home”.

Most students feel that walking home rather than driving would just save them the trouble of having a stressful exit from school.

“I hate how backed up the lines are when you try to leave, and I’m always afraid that I’m going to hit someone in the parking lot. One day it’s going to happen,”says junior Sydney York.

York’s acceptance of seeing

herself hitting a car in the near future is unfortunate, but plausible, and she can speak on all students behalves that one

of the main concerns when exiting the parking lot is hitting other students’ cars.

“The parking lot is stressful, mainly because it’s a bunch of impatient kids trying to rush out at once. I feel if people just knew how to drive it wouldn’t be so bad. It always depends what time I get out of the parking lot, based on who’s nice enough to let me out. I hate the school parking lot and wish it was bigger” says junior Zayda Carell.

Carell’s distaste towards the parking lot is agreeable by many. Most students don’t have positive things to say in regards to our parking lot.

Lastly, Senior Sam Cox declares that, “I’m not out of the parking lot till usually 3:15, which is funny because my car is literally right by an exit. I think we need someone out there directing traffic. I don’t have time to waste in the parking lot when I have work after school”.

Cox speaks for all when stating that the parking lot is not a place to waste time when most have obligations after school.

Unfortunately, this problem does not have many solutions, but in the end, another day of not getting hit in the Olathe North parking lot is a day worth celebrating.