The worst times of the school day are the passing periods, and that’s because nobody really knows how to navigate the halls. There’s no set of rules for them–when you enter your freshmen year of high school nobody tells you explicitly how to walk in the hallway. It’s something that you have to pick up on from your older peers as they go through their day or figure out yourself through observation. So how do we not fight for our lives in the hallway? Here’s some unspoken rules about the halls I’ve learned throughout my time at Abington High School.
1. Treat the hallways like a road, stay on the right!
When you’re in a car (even if you don’t drive), you always stay in the right hand lane so you can move with the traffic on the road and not against it. I’ve noticed that the crowds in the hallway tend to follow this pattern as well. There’s typically two ‘lanes’ of kids in the hall, one going the way you want to go, and the other going the opposite way. When it comes to walking to class, it’s important to go into the group that’s going where you want to go. This reduces ‘traffic’ and makes it easier to walk, like a fish going with the current of the water instead of against it. Additionally, if you need to turn around, go into the opposite ‘lane’ to prevent colliding with the person behind you!
2. Don’t stop in the middle of the hallway
This causes ‘traffic’ and people bumping into each other, making the hallway harder to navigate. If you need to stop to check your phone or for other reasons, either wait until you get to your next class or move out of the crowd and to the side of the hall. If there’s no empty space in the hall you’re in, try the open spaces at the top or bottoms of the stairwells. It’s not often that people walk in those areas as they’re trying to get to class.
3. Keep small groups or ‘single file’ while walking with friends
We all know that there’s nothing worse than getting stuck behind a group of four or more people wide, after all they take up the whole ‘lane’! To avoid this, try walking in smaller groups (like in two) or walking single file behind one another. It’s fun to talk to your friends during passing, but other people need to get to class as well.
4. Walk at a decent pace
It’s important to keep a good walking pace in the halls, if you’re too slow you may be late to class or cause some traffic behind you (especially if you’re a big group of people). However, running isn’t the solution, as you risk bumping into other people or them into you. So, by keeping a decent walking pace it makes it easier for everyone to move in the halls.
5. Try to look for openings when crossing the hall
It’s frustrating to try to make your way across the hallway to get to your class, I know, it’s bad. But before cutting through other people, try to look for an opening while walking. If you can’t find one, try turning into the crowd walking on the same side of the hall your class is. While this might mean it takes you just a tiny bit longer to get to class, it avoids cutting people off and colliding with another person if your timing is off, making the hallway just a bit safer.
6. Stay alert!
It’s very important to keep an eye out while walking in the hall. Someone could cut right in front of you, a group could stop moving, or a person is walking against the direction of the ‘lane’ you’re in. By being aware of your surroundings, you avoid any possible collisions and generally might have an easier time walking in the halls.
This is just what I’ve picked up about how the hallway traffic works from my four years at Abington High, so there’s bound to be things I’ve missed. Just remember to be aware of the people around you while you get to class, and even share some of these hallway ‘rules’ with others so everyone is on the same page! Good luck surviving the school halls!
