By Maddie Kunkle 

Staff Writer

    Picture this: you’re already running late from the Career Center and are stressed about getting to school on time. Somehow, you manage to pull into the parking lot three minutes before class starts. Maybe you can still make it. As you drive towards your spot, you notice something: someone has parked in your spot. 

    For most students at R.J. Reynolds High School, this has happened to them at least once during their high school career. So, is there a reason why people are having their parking spots stolen, and if so, what is Reynolds doing to address this issue? 

    Vice Principal Paul Pressly is in charge of the transportation at Reynolds.  Pressly manages student and faculty parking lots to ensure transportation runs smoothly. 

    “The parking lot is really empty in the morning because of the Career Center. I think sometimes there’s confusion between the black and gold lots, or even which spot is which.” Pressly said. 

Painted spots are stolen less frequently than non-painted spots, because the paint marks a claim on the spot. People know when they see a painted spot that someone parks there, and so they typically don’t get stolen. Pressly advises students on what to do if they find themselves in this scenario. 

    “Come to us and we’ll try to give out a violation,” Pressly says. “The Senior Resource Officers can look up the license plate. Then, I can see who the car belongs to, and we can tell them to stop parking in that spot.” 

    When someone parks in one individual’s assigned spot, that individual must then also take someone else’s spot. This creates a domino effect. No one is taking spots out of malice; they just need to find out where they’re supposed to be. 

    Reynolds is also putting into effect a new system for parking violations. The first few times someone is caught parking in a spot without a sticker, they will receive a violation. If the violations continue, then they will receive a special slip of paper stating Reynolds has permission to tow their vehicle and/or put a boot on their car. Once a boot is on a car, the vehicle’s owner may have to pay money or face other consequences to get it off. 

    According to Pressly, there are ways students can handle someone parking in their assigned parking spot. Reynolds is doing its best to address the issue of stolen spots, but it’s up to students to report any issues they may encounter in the lot. Ultimately, if you find someone in your spot, don’t panic. Utilize the resources available at Reynolds to ensure that you and everyone else get to where you need to be.