The Essex lot: the only place you can hear the bass pumping and see erratic driving all before the sun has fully risen. KHS has two main lots, Essex and Dougherty Ferry, which both include spots for students. The Essex lot is dedicated to juniors, and is the smaller of the two lots. It has 176 spots total; 52 for staff and 124 for students.

Essex has a very normal structure, with four rows and straight parking spots, perfect for new drivers. Its location is prime for athletes, as it is right across from the stadium, soccer and lacrosse fields. 

Due to how compact this lot is, you will get to know everyone in your grade, bringing the class together one door-ding at a time. If you aren’t looking to make new friends, you could always claim a section of the parking lot for your group, making it easy to socialize before first hour.

Unfortunately, that’s where the pros for this lot end. Due to its limited size, the lot fills up quickly. If you get there any later than 7:30 a.m., you might as well just skip scouring the parking lot for a spot because there won’t be one. 

There are many experiences KHS students all have in common, one of them being that rush of adrenaline when you see an empty spot a few rows over. You speed over, only to discover the white numbers classifying it as a teacher’s spot. Day after day about half of the teacher spots are left vacant, which seems unfair for a grade that has 460 students, but only 124 spots. 

After the bell rings, this lot is a nightmare to get out of. Buses, parent pick-ups and junior class traffic all attempt to squeeze out of the same small exit, so you might as well just wait until 3 p.m. before you even think of heading to your car. There are arrows painted on the asphalt to direct traffic, but once the clock reads 2:42 p.m. it’s almost as if these directions don’t exist because everyone speeds toward the exit. With cars filtering in from all directions, combined with the stubbornness of KHS’s drivers, it’s a miracle to get out of that lot in less than 10 minutes. 

Another issue with this lot is the entrance and exit are too close to each other. It’s nearly impossible to turn left out of Essex because the line of cars trying to get into the lot back up past the exit. The only good thing about this is if you arrive and realize you can’t do school today, you can easily whip out without anyone noticing. 

This lot takes second (and last) place. If Essex’s inhabitants were a little better, then maybe it would be considered a contender for top spot.