The bell rings at the end of school. Finally, school is over and I can go home to relax for a bit before grinding out homework assignments for all my classes. But before I run into my homework, I have a different challenge to tackle. I need to get to my car and beat the buses. Now if you’re a Staples student, you probably know what I mean when I say ‘beat the buses.’ But for those of you who don’t know, it’s something that has turned into a game for me at this point. Beating the buses is the act of racing to your car and darting off campus before the buses start moving like a herd of rhinos. There is nothing like the feeling of burning calves as I race through the hallway across the school from the math hallway all the way to my car in the parking lot by the pool (left of the school). For me, beating the buses is an impossible mission.

Andrew Saunders ’18, a student who parks in the parking lot by the fields (right side of the school) has had a different experience. “Yes, sometimes I will beat the buses,” Saunders said. In his experience, it is much easier for him to beat the buses than it would be for someone who parks on the left side of the school.

In my experience trying to beat the buses is like winning the lottery. You just need to get lucky with your timing. Sophia Gerard ’18, a student who parks in the parking lot by the pool (left side of the school) shares a similar sentiment. “The after school traffic in the pool lobby is not good,” Gerard said. “I never get out before the buses and then once they leave no one gets out of the pool lobby for another few minutes.”

The beginning of this year marked a new beginning for parking at Staples. Instead of having a parking pass that allows you to park anywhere on campus, you are now assigned a parking spot that you must park in for the whole year. They assign these parking spaces based off of a survey asking for you preference for the location of the parking spot. I now realize I made a mistake when I chose the pool lot (left side of the school) as my first choice. It may be worth it to consider bringing back the old style of parking for next year.

In the end, it’s not so bad because the traffic gives me the opportunity to sit back, relax, and jam out to some music.

Tags: Jacob Kogan, Parking, Staples High School, Traffic, Buses