Parking spots are one of the most coveted privileges for juniors and seniors at CCHS. There are many different locations students can get their spot in, including the main, upper and lower lots, along with baseball and tennis court spots. Among the student body, some spots are considered optimal, while others… not so much.

The main lot, dubbed the “senior lot,” gets its name from the abundance of seniors who receive parking spots there. Widely considered the best location, some seniors believe that as upperclassmen, they are deserving of the convenience of a main lot spot. 

“You want the main lot because it is closer [to the school], and you want to get out as fast as possible,” said senior Keren Sahar.

For junior Abigail Starr, the best location would be the lower lot, also known as the junior lot.

“For this year, I was hoping for a lower lot spot,” said Starr. “Most of my friends are going to be in the lower lot too, so that would be ideally where I would want to be. And it’s easy to get out of; […] you’re right by the exit so you don’t get trapped in the [upper lot].”

Unfortunately for Starr, she got a spot in what she considers the least desirable area: the baseball lot.  

“I live over by Lakeside, so to get out of that area, I have to go either in front of the school or go like a ridiculous way around it,” said Starr. “I know for some people who live in that direction, it’s not that bad, but for me, it adds like 10 extra minutes to my trip in and out which is really awful.”

Starr is also facing another problem that a baseball spot poses: conflicts with the carpool lane. Although the tennis court lot is next to the baseball lot, she would prefer the former for its distance from the carpool lane entrance. 

“The tennis court [lot] is a little less bad because you don’t get stuck by all the moms trying to pick up their kids,” said Starr. 

Senior Ansley Curran was also assigned a spot she did not want this year.

“My original spot was spot 57 in the lower lot, which is the very back of the lower lot, and I’m a senior, so I didn’t really want to have a lower lot spot because that’s where all the juniors are,” said Curran. “It was a spot that was literally further away from the school than my spot was last year.”

While Starr and Curran were disappointed with their spot assignments, junior Maci Yeager was very happy with hers.

“Honestly, I’m pretty satisfied with my spot in the upper lot because it’s closer than I was when I was parking in the main lot [before spots were assigned],” said Yeager. 

As a dual enrollment student, Yeager has found this to be the most prime location. And she is not alone; the upper lot is known to harbor many of Chamblee’s dual enrollment students. 

“[The upper lot] is for dual enrollment kids probably because it’s one of the closer parking lots to campus, and it’s easier to get to, especially if you are on a time crunch getting from your parking spot to the building,” said Yeager. 

Unlike Starr, though, she would dislike having a lower lot spot because of her dual enrollment status.

“It’s just so far [away from school], and it’s such a haul,” said Yeager. 

For many, including Starr, getting a better spot is worth putting some money into it.

“I did [want to trade], but no one wants to be by the baseball field,” said Starr. “I definitely one hundred percent [would pay someone for a spot]. Not like thousands of dollars, but a good amount of money not to be in the baseball spot.”

Even though Starr had no luck, Curran was able to find a better spot.

“I traded spots with someone. I gave them money for it because they didn’t want to [just] switch,” said Curran. “I traded with a junior [for] a spot in the main lot.”

While this was not her top choice, Curran considers her purchase to be worthwhile. 

“It was the lesser of two evils. I would rather be in the main lot, which is closer to my friends than all the way back in the lower lot,” said Curran. “[The person I traded with] probably would have taken it for less [than what I paid], but at that time, I was really annoyed because I couldn’t find anyone else who was even willing […] to trade.”

Yeager, on the complete opposite end, would not consider trading her spot, even if she was unsatisfied. 

“I mean you get what you get you don’t pitch a fit. That’s what I grew up with,” said Yeager.