As we all return from summer break, it’s important to remember that many chaotic situations will undoubtedly happen in the Gunn parking lot throughout the school year. Luckily, you’ve avoided these hazards simply by avoiding the campus. Now, in the spirit of survival, here’s a refresher on the most perilous parking lot problems you may encounter in the first weeks back.

Beware of Bikers

You’ve most definitely heard the saying “Watch where you’re going” at some point in your life, unlike some of the students who bike to school. Try to get out of a car anywhere in the Gunn parking lot right before school starts or after it ends without having a close call with a peer speeding to class or off campus — it’s harder than you might think. Chances are, you or someone you know has opened a car door a little too quickly and either earned themselves a new dent or a missing side mirror. And what good is a parking spot if there’s a biker in the middle of it? One biker to another, let me offer you cyclists some advice: your bike may be two-tired, but you will never be too tired to get out of the way.

Hunting for a Spot

Arriving late to the parking lot guarantees one thing: a hunt for an available spot. The stakes get higher when you run into someone from your first period class and realize only one of you will have a chance to save your attendance in this parking lot showdown. Take your
time going through the lot — you don’t want to get in an accident and you definitely don’t want to miss a spot ripe for the taking.

The hardest time to hunt for spots, unfortunately, is in the first weeks of school, before parking permits are released. That’s the fall free-for all, right there. The autumn altercation. If there’s any time to keep your eyes peeled in the lot, both for an elusive parking spot and any dangerous situations to avoid, it’s now until then.

Passenger Princess and Pedestrians

Prepare for a passenger princess when walking back to your car with a friend. You try to pull out of your spot, only to receive a constant slew of unhelpful or even incorrect driving tips. Be sure to remind them which friend has their license and which friend failed their driving test.

The parking lot is clearly not just a place for cars these days. Is it too much to ask not to have to slam on the brakes for a group of students obnoxiously sipping on their most recent boba run? You might also run into a popular pedestrian, one who is chronically online, can’t go a minute without reloading Schoology to check their test grade or go a second without being in the way of oncoming traffic or standing in the middle of a parking spot.