Have you ever found yourself stuck in the line to turn left onto Kenwood Parkway and all of the sudden you see a huge black GLE 350 Mercedes-Benz budge in front of you by cutting through the Parade Ice Garden parking lot? The owner of this particular Mercedes-Benz, Zander Ganz ’23, says, “I get past the light and see that it’s a super long line so I just go for it and cut through the Parade parking lot.” Ganz can’t jeopardize being late for class. Oliver Duininck ‘24 also understands the risk of going through the left turn line, “There will be times when school starts at 8:45am and I’ll get to the line at 8:30am and I will still be late.” Clearly this raises a moral dilemma whether to follow the rules or cut the line and be on time. 

Other drivers like Will Nelson ‘24 and Gunnar Johnson ‘23 strongly disagree with the decisions of those who cut the long line. Johnson exclaims, “People actually do that? That’s toxic. I wouldn’t let them in.” Nelson adds, “I don’t like [people who cut the line]. It makes me angry and disappointed.” However, both Nelson and Johnson admit that if they were running late they would undoubtedly do the same. 

Even younger students like Maddie Raih ‘26 who can’t drive yet understand the moral violation of cutting off your classmates in the turn line. She says, “Literally what is the point? You’re not special. You don’t have any sort of special authority so just don’t [cut the line].” Similarly to Nelson and Johnson, Raih confidently confesses, “If I were running late I would 100% do it, no questions asked.” 

What possesses these drivers to muster the audacity to cut the line in the morning, yet they feel personally violated when someone does it to them? This phenomenon might never be explained. There is a disconnect of respect for our peers that must be mended one way or another. Duininck proposes that Blake or the City of Minneapolis adds another way for students to enter the student parking lot. This might be difficult for the school to accomplish so getting to school 10 minutes earlier might be your best bet for an academic year free of tardies.