The day a student gets their license is one of the most memorable moments in their life. The ability to cruise roads while blasting their favorite music is now at an arm’s reach. The dream towards independence as an adult is closer.

However, many students at Lambert find the driving experience to be something less than a dream. With slow lines, cramped spots and bumpy roads, the driving experience can be more trouble than what they expect. 

While Lambert is extremely fortunate to have expansive parking lots and a population of students who can afford driving themselves to school, there are a few complaints from the students. One of those who complain is Lambert Senior Janice Rho, a Lambert driver of two years. A well known complaint that she had is the renowned gravel parking lot near the stadium. Many feel uncomfortable with the composition of this parking area as it is bumpy to drive on and rough on their cars. 

“If you drive a low car like me, it scratches up the entire bottom of the car,” Lambert senior Janice Rho said. “Put down concrete. You put concrete, all these problems will be solved.”

Not only this, but the distance of parking lots from the school have also been cause for complaint. While students with a parking pass in the auditorium and gym lots have relatively close proximity to the school, those who park in the gravel and recreational center feel they have to walk too far for their money’s worth. 

“Why can’t they just make it like if they just looked at everyone’s first period and just parked them based off,” Janice Rho suggested. “That would make more sense than what they do now.”

With news that Old Atlanta Road will undergo changes in the following year, many hope that the congested traffic around Lambert on busy mornings and afternoons will become a thing of the past.

Carpool lines at Lambert have extended hundreds of meters around the outskirts of Lambert. Students have to depart their houses early in order to try and avoid the traffic and make it to school on time. 

“I left the house at 7:30 to get to a meeting at 8:30,” Janice explained. “And if you leave the house by 7:30, I live like 12 minutes away with no traffic right? But normally, there’s always a little bit of traffic near the front of the school. That’s 20 minutes, but this morning it took me an hour to get to school and I left at 7:30.”

Students already have enough on their plate, so stress of parking and having to leave early on time is an imperative concern. Despite all these strong opinions however, many should remember that the luxury of being able to have their own vehicle conveniently parked near school is something that we shouldn’t take for granted. The most important priority, above all, should always be to drive safely despite constant inconveniences.