As a student from Barrington, getting to school my first two years was more challenging than it should have been. Barrington doesn’t have buses like Madbury, Durham, or Lee does; we are on our own in that department. I was late to my A period biology class almost every day, just because getting out of the house in a timely fashion wasn’t easy when I had to wait an extra 15 minutes for my mom to get ready to drive me to school. I was also stuck after school waiting until 4:30 for my mom to pick me up; it was nice having time to do homework, but it got boring and frustrating quickly.

   But from what I’ve learned, patience pays off. The school implemented a lottery system that randomly selected students for parking passes this year. I was a Barrington kid who initially did not get a pass, but ended up getting one after people without licenses were winning, which was evidently unfair to someone like me who was capable of driving, but lost to someone who couldn’t. I applaud the school for recognizing that and taking appropriate action.

    But before I had got a pass, I wasn’t ready to put up with another year of waiting around and wasting time when I could have been driving myself to a job or going home after school.

    The issue now is that the people who played by the rules and followed directions like responsible students are now being cheated by people who are parking at the school without paying.

——

    I started driving for the first time my freshman year; I was 15 and a half that February, so I was legally allowed to. At first, cars were terrifying to me. I hated driving and I was scared to be on the road with other people.

    At the start of sophomore year, I was 16. I was still trying to get used to my mom’s over two-ton 2012 Jeep Liberty, which drove more like a truck than an SUV. But I was ready to start driver’s ed and get a car and a job; I was ready to stop waiting after school (which I ended up waiting until 5:30 since my mom switched jobs) and bumming rides off of people. I didn’t end up taking driver’s ed at the school until April of that year, but I completed the class and all I needed were my hours required by the state.

    At the time, I didn’t even have my license, but I was still mad about the parking situation at the school. I wrote my issue article in journalism one about it, explaining the matter and how the school had very limited space, but also expressing dissatisfaction with the way Barrington kids were left in the dark in regards to transportation.

——

    Back then, the school was pretty lenient with giving sophomores temporary parking passes for kids with sports and parents who would be gone for an extended period of time. But now, the school has been more strict with it, understandably so.

     As of right now, we have too many people trying to park at the school; some students with and without passes have been parking in the visitor and teacher spots, which was never meant for student use. But current pass-less sophomores, wait your turn. Wait your turn just like every student before you did. And to the juniors who didn’t win the lottery, you still have buses to take to school (unless you’re from Barrington. I understand your pain, but you’ll make it).

    These passes that students have costed them $50 a sticker. That money contributes to school funds, and not paying to park is negatively affecting the budget. Not to mention, it’s also incredibly unfair to the people who did pay that money to park here. On May 16th, Owen Kurtiak and I went through all of the lots and counted 24 cars that did not have passes. That is a total of $1,200 that the school could have used for funding.

    Your day will come. Senior year is the only year you are guaranteed a parking pass. Parking at this school is a privilege, not a right.