Stay right and be polite

The importance of hall etiquette

Michelle Parker

More stories from Michelle Parker

Empty halls are easy to navigate, unfortunately, they fill with students quickly during passing periods. Each passing period gives six minutes to a student to get to their next class.

Michelle Parker

Empty halls are easy to navigate, unfortunately, they fill with students quickly during passing periods. Each passing period gives six minutes to a student to get to their next class.

Every 80 minutes, floods of students rush to the halls, fighting each other tooth and nail to have a brief chat with their friends. Students can lack a common courtesy that allows others to reach their classrooms on time, unscathed.

Stay by the walls when stopping in the walkway to let other students pass easily. A tedious math class doesn’t need to be discussed in the middle of the walkway. Instead of causing students to make a sudden dive for the wall, take a few steps over out of the main way.

Checking before you turn around corners and staying on the right, basic driving skills, can be applied to school hallways. Halls act as two-way streets. Like when driving, if someone’s going against traffic, there’s bound to be a few accidents. Some corners also act as blind spots where two people can easily collide. It is safer to walk in the middle to avoid unnecessary crashes. Following simple driving laws can lead to faster, more efficient hallways. If you don’t see the problem, you may be part of the problem.

Self-awareness is crucial to having efficient walkways. Many hall-clogging offenses can be attributed to students not noticing others trying to pass through. Having more self-awareness when stopping in the hallways saves time for other students and reduces students using force. Whether you’re fixing your shoe or stopping to check your phone, make sure you’re in a spot where too many people don’t have to leapfrog over you. 

There are simple ways to get to a classroom efficiently, without having to use your backpack to knock people down. Being aware is the most important thing to avoid accidents. When in doubt, stick to basic traffic rules. Stay on the right, be respectful to other drivers, and use your blinker when you turn.