Frankly, I am quite tired of talking about the election. It’s the only thing the news stations have been broadcasting for most of the year—which candidate has the better tax policy, who chose the worst candidate for vice president and who has more experience.
Barack Obama is right, we do need change. The change I’m looking forward to most is not hearing about the election every time I turn on the TV or the radio.
So instead of doing the “expected” thing and writing an editorial about who won the election and how excited or upset I am about it, I am going to write about something that has been plaguing our campus for as long as I can remember: laziness.
I know that as college students we are expected to be pretty lazy. I am just as guilty of letting my room become a disaster-zone and letting those dishes pile up in the sink as any other college student. We all have things to do and cannot always put time into things like that. But I am talking about a different kind of lazy. Not the I-just-don’t-feel-like-cleaning-up-right-now lazy. The lazy that I am talking about is downright confusing and is on an entirely different level.
Have you ever been walking to class, minding your own business, and then out of nowhere practically gotten mowed over by someone running by to try and catch the Stinger or Trolley before it leaves? That is the kind of lazy I am talking about.
I am astounded that these people can’t muster the energy to wake up ten minutes earlier so that they can walk to their class like most of the student population, but they somehow manage to find the energy to sprint half a mile when they see a Trolley or Stinger that is threatening to leave them behind.
This unusual form of laziness is one that I simply cannot wrap my mind around. The classic engineering mindset tends to drive the engineer to either find the shortest route on foot or to get to class in the shortest amount of time.
I am not sure whether people are just unaware, but I’m fairly certain the Stinger and Trolley get you to class in the same amount of time (or more) than walking. I will not judge those of you who use the Trolley to go long distances, but for those students who hop on the Trolley to travel from Tech Square to the corner of 5th and Techwood, shame on you. You are making the Trolleys far more overcrowded than they should ever be and are simply causing more of a headache for the drivers.
Trolley and Stinger drivers are far too underappreciated. The few times that the door gets shut in someone’s face because one more person could not possibly fit (even though they certainly try), it is absolutely justified, and I feel not one bit of pity for that person. Stop being so lazy. Walk sometimes. It’s good for you.
The worst part about this weird form of laziness that so many Tech students seem to embody is that the people who do exert the energy to run a marathon to get to the bus in time are the people who could no doubt use a little time outdoors.
I will never be able to understand why some prefer to take the Stinger or Trolley over walking or biking, especially since it does not really save any time. At this time of year when the weather is generally so beautiful and pleasant, the best part of my day is getting outside and walking to class.
So if you find that you are reading this article and thinking, “I wonder if she’s talking about me,” I am talking about you. Do something different. Do something that might actually be good for your body. Wake up a little early, get outside and walk to your class. You might actually find that you enjoy it.
But whatever you do, do not go from being one of those people who run to catch the Trolley or Stinger to one of those mindless sheep who crosses the street when you should not cross only because the kid in front of you decided it would be a good idea (let him get run over).
Give the poor drivers a break. Use your legs instead of your butt.