It’s time to put the brakes on the current parking permit system.

        Junior and senior parking permits sold out quickly on Monday, Aug. 8, but the process of getting one was a guessing game that shouldn’t have had to be played.

        The ETHS website states that permits are “available for sale in the Safety Office (H102) beginning in August prior to the start of each school year.” Several sources reported that they called the ETHS Safety Office over the summer and were told that passes would go on sale on Monday, Aug. 8 at 9 a.m., while others were told 8 a.m. and still others were told an entirely different date.

        In reality, permits hit the ETHS Web Store at midnight on Aug. 8, and only about half of the Lot 4 permits were left at 2:30 a.m., which means that people were buying permits in the middle of the night, long before the advertised purchase time.

        If you happened to stay up late or wake up early, it wasn’t an issue, but for those dutifully following the information given, they were too late.

        Nearly 1,500 juniors and seniors vie for fewer than 300 parking passes. When something is such a limited commodity, fair access seems crucial.

        Events like Lollapalooza and even ETHS’ Summer School online site get it right. They clearly state a date and time that tickets and registration are available.

        In the future, to avoid confusion and to be as fair as possible, ETHS should simply advertise the exact date and time that permits go on sale.