Hallway Traffic Out of Hand

Hallway+Traffic+Out+of+Hand

Austin Luciani

He’s in first place… making a sharp turn, smooth speed and almost to class… BOOM!! What a hit! Smacked right into another student! Game Over!

Tallwood should reduce hallway traffic; halls are starting to get crazily over packed, especially by the stairs. There are so many students walking at about five people or more ACROSS the hallways, and they seem to just stop have their own little conversations in the middle of the hallway.  This has to stop. There are also students who may have agoraphobia, a fear of being in a group or outside.

The stairs are a nightmare to get up and down during the day; students always walk up the wrong side of the stairs and try to push others to the side as they forcefully push themselves up the stairs. Even though there aren’t any specific lanes, there is still need for common sense: You see students walking down the right side of the stairs, then take the left side with the people walking up the stairs.

The hallways, of course, are some of the only bits of freedom a high-schooler can get, but such a thing can affect many aspects of a high schooler’s travel toward destination. There was time, long ago, when students could walk and talk, not just stop in the hallway when someone tries to talk to them, causing anyone behind them to trip up and or bump into them. Then the students who caused that sometimes get mad and blame whoever it was who bumped into them.

Times like this that make you wonder…. How do they even drive?! 

In all honesty, I really like that the hallways give students freedom to talk and socialize for about a minute, but there should really be more traffic control. Maybe add lanes going left and right depending on the direction you’re heading for the stairs. There are also the dreadful three singular doors… THREE! There can definitely be more room in the hallways, especially at the entrances and exits of the buildings where those three singular doors are. Just remove them.  Add large double doors or just take them out entirely.

People just stop dead right in the doorway and don’t allow you to move, and sometimes “excuse me” is not good enough because they just won’t move. Tallwood should consider arranging more traffic control and possibly even refurbish the hallways or making lanes on the stairs.

What about students with injuries or Agoraphobia? Students in crutches or wheelchairs can’t move as fast and often need help from another student or adult to move around. They certainly can’t get around when most students in the hall follow the yellow brick road, standing hand in hand like The Wizard of Oz.  

Sure, sure, I can already hear the comments about one of the Tallwood High mottos coming in… “Hand in Hand We Walk Together!” Not the case here; this is entirely different and most annoying to many hardworking students trying to get through their day and get to class on time to avoid that dreadful tardy window.

Maybe give students more time to transition from class to class? That is a great suggestion! More time to transition from class to class is needed, at this point, due to the fact it takes someone a whole minute just to make it halfway down the hallway because of backed up, wall-to-wall traffic. 

Those are just some of things that could (and should) be done for Tallwood High to make it easier get to class before the bell rings.  And, for the love of lions, please get rid of the three singular doors next to the bus loops and other entrances and exits. There really isn’t any need for them. There isn’t need for middle school teacher led lines, we are too old for it but there needs to be more control over traffic.