Burks Gives Parking Advice

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This quote from Uncle Ben holds true in the lives of many Prep Students, especially when it comes to driving.

A rite of passage, driving at Prep comes with risks. These include: JUG, tickets, and a car covered in yellow paint.

With waves of new drivers being registered every year, rules are bound to be broken. To reduce the amount of JUG given to students, and avoid frustrated residents of Capitol Hill, Mr. Burks (traffic coordinator of Seattle Prep) gave the inside scoop on parking.

His daily routine consists of “getting out of bed and cruising around the neighborhood (Capitol Hill).”

WV: What areas can’t Prep students park in?
MB: Any of RPZ 12. It means Residential Parking Zone 12. It’s about half a square mile.

LT: Why do some students get both tickets from the Seattle Police as well as JUG?
MB: I try not to give students JUG if they already have a ticket, but if the JUG came before the ticket, there’s not much I can do about that.

WV: What will JUG be given for, in terms of parking?
MB: Parking too close to driveways, not leaving enough room for other cars to park, being on phones, and driving too fast, and it’s not just kids doing these things.

LT: What is the most important thing you tell students who are new to parking?
MB: Driveways, loud music early in the morning, slow down, look around and watch for pedestrians…[Also,] ask me if you are unsure about where to park, stay off your phone, and learn how to back into your spot.

WV: What are some rules that are common rules?
MB: Mostly people forget that they can get JUG from speeding. Also, do not turn left out of
the garage!

LT: How often do you get complaints from neighbors?
MB: At least once a week.

Mr. Burks has seen it all. He thinks that someone locking their keys in their running car is funny. However, he does not find people hitting those yellow poles for no apparent reason when no one is in the garage amusing; he just feels sorry for them.