For seniors, parking at The Baldwin School should be simple. We get assigned a number, given a tag for our rearview mirror, and told that our spot is ours. However, many seniors tend to encounter an unexpected obstacle: parents.
Parents park in student spots regularly, with the problem becoming especially pronounced on mornings of Lower School events like the Halloween parade.
At Baldwin, student spots are marked by painted lettering at the entrance of each spot. While this system should work well, its effectiveness is undermined by faded paint, making the markings difficult to read.
Also, the subtle demarcation of student spaces is easily overlooked compared to the prominent signage for visitors and reserved parking spots. Baldwin’s Handbook policy also does not mention student spaces when discussing places for parents to park.
The guidelines for the Lower School parent parking state: “As a courtesy to others, drivers should use visitor-parking spaces if they need to leave their cars or enter the building. Please do not park in numbered spaces as these are reserved for faculty and staff members.” Crucially, the Handbook makes no mention of student parking spots, many of them near the Lower School, resulting in them often being occupied by parents. Amelia Skawinski ‘25, who parks in the senior lot, spoke on the issue.
“[Having my spot taken] is an actual problem because it’s happened repeatedly and makes me late to homeroom,” Skawinski said.
She also expressed that a lack of clarity around whether tardies for a taken parking spot can be excused causes increased stress, a sentiment echoed by other students.
Caroline Fenton ‘25 shared a similar experience.
“The other day, as I’m driving into the parking lot, I see someone pulling into my parking spot, and I’m like: ‘Really?’… It’s the same car every time!” Fenton said.
Ms. Christina Forrest, who parks near the school store, spoke of her experience. “People park in my spot regularly because there aren’t any real designated guest parking spaces, so it makes it really hard for guests to know where to park,” Ms. Forrest said. “For those of us coming into school to be on time when someone’s already in our spot… it’s been an ongoing problem.”
However, if the problem persists, especially if you notice a specific car in your spot many times in a row, don’t hesitate to bring the issue to the office, where they can help sort it out!
Though pulling up to an occupied parking spot never improved anyone’s morning, hopefully this helps provide a new understanding of how to approach the problem. Remember—not all sharing is caring when it comes to parking!