I think everyone who goes to Mill Valley knows how chaotic it is getting out of the school parking lot after school. No one is looking where they’re going, people are backing out on the both sides of you, no one is checking their mirrors for possible obstacles (read: people). The upperclassmen start honking wildly at each other and burn out in the parking lot.

At this point you realize that most people really don’t care about how they drive in the parking lot. What you just read may have been a fictional anecdote, but nonetheless, it is still true and happens multiple times throughout your average school week. The high school parking lot is the epitome of reckless driving. We are only one month into the school year and I have already witnessed a handful of car accidents and heard about plenty of others. And most of them occur because people aren’t paying attention simply backing out of their parking spot. As a fellow teenager it’s embarrassing to watch this happen.

As teenagers, we have a million things racing through our heads and a million things that distract us. However, a high school parking lot isn’t the place to drag race or bust out a Journey song with your horn. It doesn’t matter how much fun racing your friend out of the crowded parking lot is, you’re a hazard to yourself and to those around you. All it takes is one wrong turn, one look down at your phone and you could be in a wreck. Sure you’re not an adult yet but when you get a car and you get your license you need to be responsible and pay attention to what goes on around you.

Now, it is a little hypocritical for me to promote completely safe, focused driving because let’s be honest, no one is a perfect driver. However, behind the wheel we should strive to be the perfect driver because if we’re all responsible the parking lot will be much safer. All I am getting at is that when you are driving in the school parking lot and there are other people walking and driving around you, you should hop back into that Driver’s Ed state of mind and at least get off school grounds before you speed off honking your horn at your friends.