Alright folks, it’s that time again. Rant time. So, Henry has written on driving in the garage and kudos to him for that because I have to admit, I’ve noticed a slight improvement in driving.
However, we still have a HUGE problem. I’m talking about walking in the parking garage. I get it, you drove 20, maybe 30 minutes to school and now you want to check your phone while walking in. Maybe finish listening to that hot album that just dropped or a podcast you really like. That’s fine.
The problem arises when you think that you own the road, however.
You know what I mean. You’re walking down the aisle of the garage, minding your own business, when a car comes up behind you. This is a parking garage after all; the cars do have to drive in here.
So what do you do? Well, if you’re smart or courteous, you move to one side and allow the car to go around you. If you’re cutting across an aisle to head to the tunnel, look both ways and cross as quickly as possible.
The garage has aisles for driving, much like a road has two lanes. Would you drive your car in the middle of the lanes so no one can pass?
No! You stick to your lane and stay there so others can go around. The same applies when you’re walking in the garage. There is enough room for a car to go down the center and for you to walk on either the left or right side of the moving vehicle.
You might feel brave, but I’m not going to be the one to pay for your medical bills when you do something stupid because you were listening to music. It’s nerve wracking enough just having to drive in the garage not knowing when cars will pull out without looking.
No one wants the added stress of potentially hitting a pedestrian who didn’t bother to look and ran in front of a car. Thankfully, most go slow enough that it’s pretty easy to stop; but keep in mind these are big metal machines that weigh a couple tons at least.
Anything can go wrong, and it’s better to be safe and walk beside a car than to be unsafe and walk in front.
Take last week for example. I was driving in the first row of the third floor garage when a man decides to walk down the middle of the aisle. He stops, turns, looks at me and stares me dead in the face before turning around and continuing his leisurely stroll down the center of the row until he reached his destination.
While I have to applaud his boldness for staring at me and continuing his behavior, I also have to feel just a little bit angry that he felt so entitled as to take up the middle and not allow cars through.
This happens in the other lots too. People don’t tend to pay attention to their surroundings and it leads to problems not just for the drivers, but for unaware pedestrians as well.
So next time you’re in the garage, stop and think. I’ve seen far too many cars go flying through those aisles and rows, and far too many students who get too absorbed in their phones to really notice their surroundings.
Be careful, walk where it’s safest to walk and most importantly, be courteous to your fellow students.
Jeri Hensley
Graphic Designer