The Price of Freedom: Getting Crushed
By Zander Hodson
Have you ever found yourself expecting a casual walk to the PRHS exit doors at the end of the school day, and then getting crushed?
Yeah, me too.
Suddenly people are moving too fast. Just as suddenly, I am about to run over three friends who are enjoying themselves, just a few steps from freedom. They’re in danger of getting crushed – by me and an enormous line of people that seems to be moving too fast. Then, without notice, someone is walking so slowly with their friends that there is no way to get by them. It can be just as stressful to be stuck behind someone, thinking that they’re thinking you’re following them, as it is to be run over.
A lot of students are just trying to leave the building but there are people everywhere and you lose track of where to enter or exit the building. You also lose balance, bumping and flopping into people.
Have you ever wondered how long it takes for this end-of-the-day ritual to actually end? Not as long as you might think, even though it’s miserable. If you sit down on a lobby bench and watch the show, like I did with some teachers, turns out the rush lasts maybe five minutes.
Seeking perspective (hard to do in a mosh pit), I got permission to leave my fourth block class early to sit on the lobby bench next to teachers who have to suffer through supervision duties in the lobby, “supervising” this mob leaving the school. One teacher was caught in the middle of the march and had no choice but to move with it or get smooshed like a pancake. When the teachers are safe on a lobby bench, they can supposedly make sure that nothing bad happens as students and faculty leave. They get a warm-up period for this task, watching students race to the door five minutes before the bell rings because they snuck out of class. Hey, they don’t want to get hurt!
The fast-and-furious cascade lasts just 5 minutes before it starts to slow down, and then – poof! – you have a large room with a few people standing and talking to their friends. It’s still surprising that they didn’t get trampled by the rest of the people thinking they are in their way. This rush hour is kind of stupid and unnecessary because you could just wait until it is over before making a move, but some people think differently.
When the rush is over, you’ve got athletes over by the gym, hanging out, theater kids over by the auditorium, hanging out, and some kids in the cafe, not bothering anyone. Not a bad place to be, if you can survive rush hour.
By Zander Hodson
Have you ever found yourself expecting a casual walk to the PRHS exit doors at the end of the school day, and then getting crushed?
Yeah, me too.
Suddenly people are moving too fast. Just as suddenly, I am about to run over three friends who are enjoying themselves, just a few steps from freedom. They’re in danger of getting crushed – by me and an enormous line of people that seems to be moving too fast. Then, without notice, someone is walking so slowly with their friends that there is no way to get by them. It can be just as stressful to be stuck behind someone, thinking that they’re thinking you’re following them, as it is to be run over.
A lot of students are just trying to leave the building but there are people everywhere and you lose track of where to enter or exit the building. You also lose balance, bumping and flopping into people.
Have you ever wondered how long it takes for this end-of-the-day ritual to actually end? Not as long as you might think, even though it’s miserable. If you sit down on a lobby bench and watch the show, like I did with some teachers, turns out the rush lasts maybe five minutes.
Seeking perspective (hard to do in a mosh pit), I got permission to leave my fourth block class early to sit on the lobby bench next to teachers who have to suffer through supervision duties in the lobby, “supervising” this mob leaving the school. One teacher was caught in the middle of the march and had no choice but to move with it or get smooshed like a pancake. When the teachers are safe on a lobby bench, they can supposedly make sure that nothing bad happens as students and faculty leave. They get a warm-up period for this task, watching students race to the door five minutes before the bell rings because they snuck out of class. Hey, they don’t want to get hurt!
The fast-and-furious cascade lasts just 5 minutes before it starts to slow down, and then – poof! – you have a large room with a few people standing and talking to their friends. It’s still surprising that they didn’t get trampled by the rest of the people thinking they are in their way. This rush hour is kind of stupid and unnecessary because you could just wait until it is over before making a move, but some people think differently.
When the rush is over, you’ve got athletes over by the gym, hanging out, theater kids over by the auditorium, hanging out, and some kids in the cafe, not bothering anyone. Not a bad place to be, if you can survive rush hour.
