To Build a Bridge Between Lots

Thomas M Armstrong

Picture this.

A mother drives her minivan into the bus loop to pick up her children. She’s waited forever at the Towson light and all she wants is get her kids and go home before the unpredictable six-and-half-hour-traffic-rush.

Her daughter just finished softball practice and is barely managing to walk herself off the field, let alone to the curb.

Her son had to stay for Math REPs and, by sitting for the better part of three hours, his legs have cramped into that like a frog’s.

But what’s this? As if by fate’s own cruel amusement, he’s out waiting by the parking lot while the daughter treads ever so slowly to the bus loop. No mother would make a child in pain walk all the way over. So, the mother does the right thing.

Pulling out, she drives down Towson Road, around the intersection, before entering the Carver Center parking lot. Tears spring to her dark rimmed eyes as her son hobbles into the car. She only breaks once she’s made it to the packed highway, finally sobbing along with the rest of the passengers as they inch their way, ever so slowly, to home.

Tragic. It’d give Shakespeare a run for his money.

Every day, families sob on their way out from the Carver Center’s dual parking lots.

Well not anymore!

Introducing the Carver Center Bridge of Convenience.

Why not just pave a road connecting the lots, you may ask.

Everyone knows how long roads take to construct. First you have to demolish the entire sidewalk, which won’t only distract students learning, but also make the school grounds look terrible. Then you have to dig and pave a new road, which takes time and money, money better spent on proms and pizza parties.

By constructing a bridge, we could not only hire the carpentry students to do it for free, but also ensure a quieter construction process. We could even build it off the grounds and drill it into place at, say it with me, 2:45 pm when everyone’s left the school building.

By building a bridge, we create a more effective way for students, teachers, and staff to easily transport their vehicle to either parking lot, while reducing the sobs of torture we expel while waiting at the Towson light.