Parking at SHES

[screamformelongbeach]

I have always been intrigued by the aerial photo of the SHES parking lot, taken the morning 12/14, which appears to show one of the most orderly and regimented arrangements of parked cars I've ever seen (outside of a car dealership/rental agency or a valet parking lot).  To wit, the row closest to the school is filled with cars all (or almost all) pointed nose-toward-school, as is the row of cars behind it.  The "close row" of cars necessarily must have been backed-in (which most American drivers fail to do....just look at any typical parking lot and I would guess that at least 85% of the drivers did not back-in to a space), or headed-in if and only if the space behind was empty.  And the "far row" of cars were clearly all headed-in.

Aerial photo from 12/14

In my opinion, there is no way this happens randomly in a public parking lot.  You've got teachers and administrators arriving in the morning en masse, and I seriously doubt they could coordinate such a regimented parking pattern -- unless maybe someone was there who was some sort of signalman or marshaler directing the traffic flow.  Moreover, isn't it safe to assume that some of the cars belonged to parents or other visitors, since several eyewitnesses who were interviewed claimed to be visiting the campus for one reason or another (making gingerbread houses, etc.)?  I seriously doubt that these visitors would be in the know regarding this parking protocol, if such a protocol exists.

And last but not least, there are aerial photos taken before 12/14 of the same parking lot which show the haphazard, non-orderly arrangement of cars I would expect to see....some cars with noses facing away from the school, some with noses facing toward it.

Pre-12/14 aerial photo

So my question to our Newtown friends is, do you find any of this odd, and do you have any experience with the parking lot and/or the parking protocol at SHES?

Thanks for all your efforts and contributions here in this forum, as your time is sincerely appreciated!

[Deleted]

Honestly when the teachers come in this is how they park. The way the arrows go, it's the easiest way.

[screamformelongbeach]

Thanks for the quick response, Kate. 

Do you have any thoughts on the pre-12/14 photo, which appears to show a much less orderly parking pattern?

[Deleted]

I actually can't open the pre 12/14 one.

[Sandy Hook Hoax]

Neither can I.

[jenniferrl1975]

By the pictures it seems like it's set up sort of like our elementary school. As far as, when you come in to parking lot you have to go to the right because that's the way the parents have to go to loop around and drop their kids at the front door. The majority of ours parks like that because it's either pull all the way up or wait in line with the parents to loop around before you pull in from front of building. They aren't backing in. They are pulling thru. It's really not out of the ordinary.

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[Deleted]

Mar 20, 2013 15:46:35 GMT -8 jenniferrl1975 said:

By the pictures it seems like it's set up sort of like our elementary school. As far as, when you come in to parking lot you have to go to the right because that's the way the parents have to go to loop around and drop their kids at the front door. The majority of ours parks like that because it's either pull all the way up or wait in line with the parents to loop around before you pull in from front of building. They aren't backing in. They are pulling thru. It's really not out of the ordinary.

Sent from my PantechP8010 using proboards

Exactly!! It's really hard to explain but you did it perfectly!!!! Thanks

[jenniferrl1975]

:)You're welcome.

[kma]

I think it’s very odd that all the cars were parked the same way.

I mean, the only way the cars would be parked like this is if it was a rule or they had someone out there directing people where to park. That's the way the parking lots are at theme parks where someone directs you to a specific spot - through one spot and into the next as told by someone directing. Not at an average school on an average morning.

Honestly, did the school have a rule that the teachers needed to park that way? Or do they have a traffic director out there in the mornings to direct people where to park? Or do you really think this is how they all just happened to park that morning?

[jenniferrl1975]

Mar 20, 2013 17:22:39 GMT -8 kma said:

I think it’s very odd that all the cars were parked the same way.

I mean, the only way the cars would be parked like this is if it was a rule or they had someone out there directing people where to park. That's the way the parking lots are at theme parks where someone directs you to a specific spot - through one spot and into the next as told by someone directing. Not at an average school on an average morning.

Honestly, did the school have a rule that the teachers needed to park that way? Or do they have a traffic director out there in the mornings to direct people where to park? Or do you really think this is how they all just happened to park that morning?

I don't know about a RULE to park that way.  But, I'm telling you, that's just the way people park in that type of set up.  I even looked at our parking lot this morning when dropping my 3rd grader at his school.  Parking area is approximately same amount of spaces.  And every one of the cars on the row closest to the building (and that line was mostly full) was FACING the building. 

I know there is still alot of questions needed to be answered and I can't blame for alot of them.  I have them to.  But, the parking?? Nope, not a set up.  You either pull thru or you wait in line behind the parents that are dropping off.  And  you can't cut into another row to go park.  That's unsafe for the children. 

Just saying...