As juniors and seniors gain their driver’s license and an increasing distaste for the bus, the question arises at Danbury High School: Where do you choose to park, the Black Box or the gym? The answer is the Black Box, but not by a lot.
Through interviews with a few students obtaining multiple perspectives, it is understandable; parking is a pain and sucks anywhere in the school. However, with a combination of an entire student lot, parent pickup, a larger lot, and school events happening down by the gymnasium like Senior Sunrise, the gym is just a worse place to purchase a pass.
I am a tad biased because I personally park Black Box and it’s a hassle, but it will always be a hassle. The buses will always leave the second the clock strikes 2:07 and there is not much changing that, it’s like death and taxes. That goes for both lots, if you miss that time, you are there until 2:15. Nonetheless, those are constants, gym or Black Box, additional constants like people can’t drive, and people steal your spot. I, through personal experience, do not encounter many issues with the stealing of spots but I can’t leave before 2:07 unless I were to leave my class early which is not allowed.
According to gym parker Allen Trate, “The parking in G-gym in my personal opinion is an unorganized mess,” Allen also cites issues with having “to get the parents to move their car because they are obstructing.” Allen raises another very massive point, the parents. The high school’s parent pickup happens at the gyms adding much more aggravating congestion to the problem of parking.
The Black Box doesn’t suffer from these issues though, teachers park in an adjacent lot but through dividers around the lot, prevent a large amount of congestion like the gym. However, these dividers create tight driving space that causes some issues with navigating with other large cars.
Ella Djiliani, another person who parks Black Box, mentions having to have her sister (who drives with her) pull the car up to be able to beat the buses. To leave the school before 2:07 she has to enter a song and dance, something that is nothing if not immensely inconvenient . The Black Box also has to deal with teachers, although many do not leave around the same time as students which is a plus.
In summation, parking sucks at Danbury High School, there is no if, ands, or buts about it. Nevertheless, there is a clear choice of the Black Box. With the gym holding many more issues including parent pickup happening along with a larger lot full of students, the choice is clear. Spend your (or your parents) 65$ wisely and spend it on a parking pass for the Black Box.
