Every time a new Pelham student gets their license they always seem to face the same problem, parking. For students who don’t live within a manageable walking distance of school or those whose parents aren’t able to drive them, driving themselves is often the only option. Recently, the absurd lack of parking spaces near the school has led to an increasing number of students receiving parking tickets, creating stress and distraction during class hours.
The constant fear of being ticketed can lead students to anxiously leave their classes to move their cars, disrupting their focus on schoolwork. Students should be able to go to school without having any worry about getting a ticket. Regarding the situation, Senior, Elayna McMahon said, “Parking for school is very stressful. Since I only have one free period every other day, I have to worry about moving my car during classes which makes me unable to focus on my work. When someone says that the parking enforcement is giving out tickets, I often have to run out of class to move my car before she gives me one, or else I’ll have to pay for the ticket myself”.
The students in the community are calling for action. Many believe that it’s time for the local government to reassess the parking situation and implement solutions that accommodate the needs of students. A simple solution would be to waive the 2 hour parking on neighboring blocks during school hours, or start developing a parking lot to fit more students and teachers.
Most high schools have a parking lot for their class of seniors. Students are often able to decorate this spot and this adds convenience and character to the school. At PMHS, not even all of the teachers can get a parking spot at the school. Some teachers have to park blocks away which only adds time onto their already long commute to work.
On Monday September 16th students parking on Pelhamdale were greeted with signs that said “ Emergency No Parking”. These signs were put up in the morning after many students had already parked where the signs had been later placed. Throughout the day, students were seen running outside during their free periods in order to move their cars that were parked on Pelhamdale. This parking situation made for an extremely stressful day for many students, making it nearly impossible for them to have a productive school day. Senior Chloe Murray is very passionate about this issue and has several comments she’d like to make. “I think the whole parking situation is unfair. I live in Yonkers and I have to drive myself. It’s not like I can walk to school and I don’t have a parent who can drive me. I have to leave extra early from my already long commute (25 minutes) only to find absolutely no parking on highbrook, pelhamdale, and only illegal parking on corlies. I’m done with this.”
For all students who take their cars to school, a chance to park close to the school without fear of getting a ticket would be wonderful. Closer and less stressful parking would allow students to be more productive during the school day and improve the school community as a whole.
