Over my past two and a half years at Niles North High School, I have noticed that the hallway etiquette has become progressively worse and worse. The students at NNHS seem to have lost all respect for their peers while walking through the hallways.
In a way, walking in the hallways is like driving in traffic. There are lanes one must walk in, speed zones, and “traffic jams.”
One thing that I think should be an unspoken rule at NNHS is to walk on the right side of the hallway. A lot of people become agitated when someone is walking on the left side, against the “traffic.” If a driver is merging onto an interstate highway on the left side, someone is going to get hurt. In the hallways, if one is walking on the left side of the hallway, they are going to get bumped into, brushed against, throw to the side, or yelled at.
Another unspoken rule, I believe, should be put in place is that each side of the hallway should have three lanes; one for the fast walkers, one for the slow walkers, and one for the people who like just standing in the center of the hallway, blocking people from going to their class.
This rule should be put in place because we all know how annoying it is when a group of friends are either walking very slow or standing in the center of the hallway while you are rushing to class. Sure, you can try to pass them, but that’s not going to work because of the “traffic” from the left lane is coming straight at you and you will collide with them.
“Traffic” zones is also a big issue at NNHS. At major hallway intersections, you have to squeeze through the crowd to get to where you want to go. The major intersections to avoid are the 2100-2200-2300 intersection and the 1100-1200-1300 intersection.
People tend to both stand in the center of the 2100-2200-2300 intersection and slowly walk while talking to friends through the hallway, while swerving because they are texting. The 1100-1200-1300 intersection is the most clogged intersection of the school. I highly suggest that you go out of your way to avoid this part of the school while walking to class. I have been bumped, squished, and my backpack has been pulled off in this mass of people.
Hallway etiquette and manners need to be improved. As a school, we need to learn to walk on the right side of the hallway, not cause major traffic jams, and not walk as slow as a turtle.
Tiar Atoigue • Dec 17, 2019 at 2:15 pm
Thank you, even though I’m a few years late, because I actually tried to get them to do this at Ferris High School, and they refused to. So every day there was hell for me when trying to walk.
The walking traffic problem is the number one reason why I ever hated going to school.
Walmarts and malls, same thing, people walking on the left like they live in the UK, or walking slowly, in huge groups you can’t pass easily or at all.
I swear, the next time I encounter somebody on the wrong side of the hall, I’m not moving.
summer • Feb 4, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Thank you for understanding my life!
Dylan • Nov 14, 2013 at 10:06 pm
I’m one of those people who yell at others to get out of my way because even though i’m not always in a hurry, I still find it annoying when people block the hallway.