[jachill]

I HATE WALK-BLOCKING!

lol You wouldn't believe how much I have that happen to me. Ahhh. Thanks for this post!! Please keep this bumped.

The worst problem is deffinitely people waiting outside lecture halls, don't people understand that the students coming out still have to make their way to their next class while we are already at our next class so they are higher priority and should have as much room as possible to get out.

So ya, great article. I deffinitely experience all this daily throughout my first year.

[Goce]

Great post. I agree with much of it, if not all. The fact is that many people are impolite, even at higher education. This is why we need courses for critical thinking and etiquette. Perhaps there was a time when these used to be two things that a majority of people had, but it is definitely not the case now.

[Phoenix]

when in student center...please walk fast, none of this slow thing, where I have to snake through. That probably falls into walk-blocking....i think there needs to be a speed limit in MUSC

[sew12]

Yeah a lot of these things are really annoying.

As far as saving seats if its early and there are lots of seats left and someone is just waiting for their friend that's cool, I tend not to go for the seats right next to other people anyway. If its late and that is one of the few seats left tough luck, your friend could have been earlier. I'm paying tuition to attend these lectures, I'm going to get a seat where I can hear, see and take notes.

I've saved seats before but if it is getting late and the seats are running out I always take my bag off the seat. If I haven't taken my bag off yet and someone asks I remove it.

Same goes for the Go Bus. Last year when I would go home on weekends I had my bag and a huge laundry bag. I preferred to keep the laundry bag on the seat beside me. Sometimes this was okay b/c the bus didn't fill up and there were plenty of extra seats. If there was a ton of people waiting or I could see the bus filling up I would make sure I was sitting on the inside seat with my laundry bag on top of my stuff until the bus filled and left. Then if the seat remained empty I'd put the bag on it. Its so awkward when you get to the bus and everyone has their bags on all the seats. I paid to be on this bus so have the common courtesy to wait for the bus to fill up before using a seat as room for your stuff.

[jc24]

Originally Posted by BHChew

What you've written are probably things that most of us have been silently annoyed by. Nice post.

However regarding #2 - Move to the middle. I'm left handed. Yes, lefties only make up 10% of the population, but we also have to sit on the ends where the lefty tables usually are. It's just as much annoying for me to get up to let people by as I'm sure it is for those trying to find a seat. For some classes I'll end up sitting with friends or sitting somewhere else because I didn't arrive early..but most times it's not worth the awkwardness of scribbling on the right-hand tables.

So to all people that hop over me before every class..I'm still going to sit on the end. Sorry.

I'm guessing I'm going to have the same problem since I'm a lefty too. Is it really that bad to sit on the desks for the right handed ppl even though ur a lefty? i tried it on orientation day and it wasn't too bad ..

[jhan523]

Originally Posted by jc24

I'm guessing I'm going to have the same problem since I'm a lefty too. Is it really that bad to sit on the desks for the right handed ppl even though ur a lefty? i tried it on orientation day and it wasn't too bad ..

I'm not a lefty, but I don't even use the desks although I do type my notes most of the time. But when I took notes by hand I always used a clipboard on my lap.

[Taunton]

I hate walk-blockers... I walk VERY fast through campus (it's just the way I am... my friends tease me and tell me to try for the olympic walking team) and usually normal walkers aren't a problem, but the people who take up the whole path to have a conversation with someone they bumped into should be ticketed or something.

I'm even in a facebook group called something like "I want to punch slow walkers in the back of the head".

It's even worse in the student centre, which I try to avoid walking through at all costs if possible.

[jhan523]

Originally Posted by Taunton

I hate walk-blockers... I walk VERY fast through campus (it's just the way I am... my friends tease me and tell me to try for the olympic walking team) and usually normal walkers aren't a problem, but the people who take up the whole path to have a conversation with someone they bumped into should be ticketed or something.

I'm even in a facebook group called something like "I want to punch slow walkers in the back of the head".

It's even worse in the student centre, which I try to avoid walking through at all costs if possible.

Yeah, I also walk pretty fast and I'm always annoyed by people taking up the entire sidewalk. It's alright if they are only taking part of the sidewalk since I don't mind weaving, but it very annoying when I have to walk on the grass or on the street in order to pass a group of people taking up the entire sidewalk.

I also avoid MUSC at all costs...

[Mowicz]

In all honesty, I'm right handed and I prefer using a left handed desk. I don't know why, but crossing my arm over just feels more comfortable. For some reason though, if it is an actual desk then I hate left desks...it makes no sense!!

But don't worry, I only take the lefty seats in classes that they aren't in demand...and most of my classes have had tables / desks anyway. (:

-----------------

I did want to add that even though people may be deemed 'impolite' at McMaster, there are a lot of very polite things we do here that we take for granted.

Did you know in the USA it's not customary to look behind you to make sure the door doesn't close behind you in someone's face? Heck, here we even hold the door for people behind us. Whenever I cross the border I always get at least 2 doors slammed in my face...even if I'm only there for like 4 hours. Not to mention, I have 3 friends who moved up here from the USA, and they all say they're impressed by how polite we are here...in particular, the door holding thing.

I also find this to be the case whenever I enter an ethnic area, like the so called "China town" districts. Sure, it's arguably 'common courtesy' and that everyone should do this, and a whole lot more...but it's not as common as you'd think.


The only way 'walk blocking' would be rude in my opinion, is if someone had explicit knowledge that they were doing it...but since nobody has eyes in the back of their heads, and we have that lovable phrase "Excuse me" I don't really think it's that rude...there's much worse.

[Taunton]

Originally Posted by Mowicz

The only way 'walk blocking' would be rude in my opinion, is if someone had explicit knowledge that they were doing it...but since nobody has eyes in the back of their heads, and we have that lovable phrase "Excuse me" I don't really think it's that rude...there's much worse.

It's not the slow walkers that most people are talking about. It's the people who stop in the middle of the path or sidewalk to talk to someone or something else... they should move off of the path or sidewalk.

[Mowicz]

Then I stand corrected...that's a bit rude.

But I do think it's 'standard procedure' for people to complain about slow walkers too. Haha... I think that's a bit silly.

And I quote:

NUMBER THREE - DON'T WALK-BLOCK
Not a huge issue, but still notable. Talking with your friends on the way to class is all well and good, but when there's four of you walking shoulder-to-shoulder at a slow pace, it can be very frustrating for people behind you. Please, either pull over to somewhere with less traffic, or bunch yourselves together and make room

[syaseen]

Originally Posted by Mowicz

In all honesty, I'm right handed and I prefer using a left handed desk. I don't know why, but crossing my arm over just feels more comfortable. For some reason though, if it is an actual desk then I hate left desks...it makes no sense!!

I also like the left handed desks (also a righty). It just feels right and more comfortable.