Is there a wrong way to walk? I believe there is. The targets of this column are slow walkers. Everyone knows what a slow walker is: a person who takes their valuable time and walks slower than the snail that just won the race.

Admittedly, I?m often late for class myself, but it is never my fault. Were it not for slow walkers, I would never be late. Have you ever tried to squeeze through a group of three or four students who think they own the sidewalk and walk like they have no schedules? Personally, I have a rather hectic schedule and when I walk, it?s because I have somewhere to go.

We could leave earlier to account for the slow walkers we encounter while hiking in from the Overflow Lot, but in all fairness slow walkers should just stay to the right side of the sidewalk (preferably in a single file line). This system works on the freeway, with the slow cars sticking to the right. In this case, the school could install a fast lane from the overflow lots to campus for speedy students who are on the fast track.

That wouldn?t fix the problem entirely, however, since slow walkers lurk all over campus. You know who you are. Slow walkers often have friends traveling with them. These friends tend to slow the walking process down as they gossip and talk with their hands.Slow walkers can also exist solo. They often have cell phones in their hands or are pulling their backpacks behind them on wheels. These wheeled backpacks are fine, but please make sure you know how to drive one before bringing it on campus. They tend to slow down beginners.

High heels are another problem resulting in slow walkers. There are a number of positive arguments about high heels; they make your legs look slimmer and calves more defined, but if you cannot walk in them, please do not wear them to school. It?s hardly amusing to walk behind chatty women teetering in their high-heeled shoes, hoping they don?t trip over the next crack in the asphalt.

Does a column about slow walkers sound petty? Perhaps. However, many other students find them just as irritating. Slow walkers are in a category of their own, yet many of them do not know they have a problem.

“They?re annoying. I hate when a group of them is in front of me and I can?t get around,” said senior Jessica Swain. Though not all students are always in a hurry, we still all have some place to go or we wouldn?t be walking in the first place.Sophomore Jason Lekki said, “I walk when I have somewhere to go, and it is not that I must walk fast, but I enjoy walking with a confident stride. So will the slow walkers please step to the right!” I agree.

Ever walked slowly in front of Crystal Clark? E-mail her at [email protected].

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