Rainy Day Etiquette

As college students, we should take a moment to pat ourselves on the back; we’re on our way to being better educated than 70% of the population (!!!), and moreover, we’ve been accepted into The Pennsylvania State University–now ranked the 8th best public school in the entire country. I think it’s safe to say that we’re all some pretty smart cookies.

So why is it that whenever it rains, our society crumbles and people abandon all traces of civility and order? Guys, the world isn’t ending. It’s just water. So stop running, shoving, and and generally being rude because of the fact that you’re getting wet. We all are.

That being said, here are a few more tips to remember to be a polite, civilized human when it starts to rain:

Consider your umbrella size

It’s easy to forget this when you’re concentrating on getting to class as dry as possible, but your umbrella essentially doubles your size. You will not be able to weave in and out of people the way you normally would–if you try you will inevitably be playing umbrella bumper cars with everyone around you, and let’s be honest, that’s annoying. It’s already raining, don’t add to that stress.

Please keep a wide distance from others. And to the person who is using a golf umbrella: Really? Really? It’s like you want people to hate you.

Keep calm and carry on

Take a tip from the Brits and cool it. A little rain never hurt anyone, and it’s certainly not an excuse to abandon the set traffic patterns and go rogue. All of the rules of a good weather day still apply: right side of the sidewalk is going towards west campus, left side is going towards east campus. This is a rule; it does not change.

True, increasing your pace is fair, and encouraged (no one wants to be stuck behind the person taking a contemplative stroll at 9 am in the pouring rain), but keep in mind that aside from the wetness, everything is still the same.

In summation, a rainy day is the time to be even more polite than usual. Be considerate of others, and don’t be the one to start a game of umbrella bumper cars.