There is no doubt that the hallways of Edison High are overfilled and sometimes impossible to walk in. You will inevitably need to either push someone or be pushed. The conditions of the hallways are becoming frustrating as daily, between classes, the hallways resemble a quasi-mob. Daily, when walking through the split of the hallway to go to either the lunchroom hall or keep walking straight to the auditorium, I feel like I have to use extra strength to keep myself from falling because I’m being pushed by people all around me. I’ve even had to keep my arms up to protect myself from people pushing past, pushing me side to side, fearing that I could fall. Along with the physical dangers of getting pushed in the hallway, a lack of courtesy is also becoming an issue.
The most popular complaint regarding hallway behavior seems to be about others walking slowly. We all rush to get to class on time in our limited 5-minute passing period, with many of us having classes on opposite ends of the building. All I’m saying is that you should be aware of your surroundings as the hallways are not the place to stop in your tracks. On the other hand, it is dangerous to run in the crowded hallways. Chasing your friends, or anyone, in the hallways makes for a hazardous environment for others and yourself as well. There are times when I have seen people rudely pushed because someone was running behind them. I’ve even had to either shield my friends or move behind them because of the crowd and those running amidst it. Where is the courtesy of saying “sorry,” “thank you,” and “excuse me” to people?
Despite this, I do have to acknowledge that it is refreshing to see some people at times taking the initiative to hold the door open for people walking by in the breezeway, or people clearing up paths for others. It is also nice to see those who are occasionally saying “sorry” or “my bad” when accidentally pushing someone, or “thank you” when someone is holding the door for them. But at the same time, it feels odd and out of proportion to get so excited about simple niceties.
It is important to acknowledge our own and other’s behavior in the hallways so we can make it less unpleasant. An effective way to improve the hallway experience is to think of it as if you were driving. Think of the standard driving rules and try applying them in the hallways. Like how you should always drive on the right side of the road, you should also always walk on the right side of the hallway. Or, how if you want to pull over, you do it to the side, not in the middle of the road. If you’re going to stop in the hallways, you shouldn’t stop in the middle of the hallway, you step to the side instead and then stop. Cars have specific speed limits they need to follow. Driving either too slowly or too fast is frowned upon and against driving rules. Apply that to the hallways as well. Walking too slow is frowned upon and you could hold people back, but walking too fast could cause you to push people.
Let us be the change we want to see in the hallways to make sure that courtesy is more commonly used throughout the halls of Edison High. If we successfully work together to make a change, our initiation could stick to future Eagles and soon-to-be adults.
