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Sept. 23, 2002
Take the hallways back: ban rolling backpacks
These days, our great nation faces many grave issues. Terrorists threaten our safety and we’re on the brink of war with Iraq. However this column is here to explore a far more controversial and pressing matter. I feel it’s my duty to spread awareness of an epidemic that has afflicted hundreds of students and teachers alike.
I am of course referring to rolling backpacks. Those bags on wheels that trail behind people all over the school, taking up the scant space in our hallways and banging into our shins. Not only are they the epitome of everything that is wrong with teenagers today, but they also cause “aggressive walking" in our nations schools. When you see someone dragging a bag behind them that they could just as easily hoist on their shoulders thereby freeing up enough room for at least three freshmen to walk with relative comfort instead of being forced by upper-classman to scale the wall, you want to kick it off its wheels.
What really gets me is when people try to pull the bag up the stairs. When I see someone do this, I want to grab them by the lapels and say, “Do you realize wheels DON’T WORK WHEN THEY AREN’T TOUCHING THE GROUND?! HUH?! DO YOU?!" But of course I keep my composure and instead sigh loudly, causing people to turn around and ask me if I need CPR.
Perhaps I should be more tolerant, but I believe in erring on the side of caution. Rolling backpacks should be rounded up and burned in a large bonfire, except perhaps they should be placed next to each other instead of on top of each other to avoid the possibility of innocent bystanders being crushed by flaming, wheelable L.L. Bean bags of death that have rolled down the pile.
Pulling around a little bag of your belongings behind you is reminiscent of a small child attempting to run away from home and equally as dim-witted. We can only hope that this new craze doesn’t evolve or we may start seeing kindergarten children with backpacks that have monster-truck big-wheels or little girls with knapsacks that double as strollers for dolls with names like “My First Baby-in-a-Bag."
We have a serious problem on our hands and we need to do something about it. I suggest every school spend at least one week discussing the issue with its students and educating them about what I like to call the “dork factor" of rolling backpacks. If all else fails, we could always have President Bush declare that the money the public spends on bags with wheels goes to terrorists.
I end this column with a thought provoking question: If MC Hammer began modeling rolling backpacks, would that be enough to drive people away from them?
I am of course referring to rolling backpacks. Those bags on wheels that trail behind people all over the school, taking up the scant space in our hallways and banging into our shins. Not only are they the epitome of everything that is wrong with teenagers today, but they also cause “aggressive walking" in our nations schools. When you see someone dragging a bag behind them that they could just as easily hoist on their shoulders thereby freeing up enough room for at least three freshmen to walk with relative comfort instead of being forced by upper-classman to scale the wall, you want to kick it off its wheels.
What really gets me is when people try to pull the bag up the stairs. When I see someone do this, I want to grab them by the lapels and say, “Do you realize wheels DON’T WORK WHEN THEY AREN’T TOUCHING THE GROUND?! HUH?! DO YOU?!" But of course I keep my composure and instead sigh loudly, causing people to turn around and ask me if I need CPR.
Perhaps I should be more tolerant, but I believe in erring on the side of caution. Rolling backpacks should be rounded up and burned in a large bonfire, except perhaps they should be placed next to each other instead of on top of each other to avoid the possibility of innocent bystanders being crushed by flaming, wheelable L.L. Bean bags of death that have rolled down the pile.
Pulling around a little bag of your belongings behind you is reminiscent of a small child attempting to run away from home and equally as dim-witted. We can only hope that this new craze doesn’t evolve or we may start seeing kindergarten children with backpacks that have monster-truck big-wheels or little girls with knapsacks that double as strollers for dolls with names like “My First Baby-in-a-Bag."
We have a serious problem on our hands and we need to do something about it. I suggest every school spend at least one week discussing the issue with its students and educating them about what I like to call the “dork factor" of rolling backpacks. If all else fails, we could always have President Bush declare that the money the public spends on bags with wheels goes to terrorists.
I end this column with a thought provoking question: If MC Hammer began modeling rolling backpacks, would that be enough to drive people away from them?
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Alright, that's enough sarcasm. The real issue is not the backpacks, but the overcrowding at Blair. That's the real issue. If people find it easier to roll their belongings rather than carry them, then why shouldn't they be allowed to? Just because other people don't want to pay attention to their surroudings as they walk through the halls? In addition, over-the-shoulder backpacks are so much easier to pickpocket while you are walking compared to roller ones. This is a school, and who cares how you carry your books, as long as you read them? And one other thing: I like MC Hammer.
Anywas we should start a pettion to elliminate rolling backpacks.
Well, if they want to play it like an airport, the school could always install scales to make sure that all packages are below 5 pounds and X-ray machines to make sure that not only are there no weapons, but no more than 1 textbook and 2 binders in every bag.
Just a note - compared to what you have to carry around in college (read: nothing), the amount I was toting around in high school was absolutely ridiculous.
To the anonymous student, I do understand for people with medical conditions, however, I know many people that roll their backpacks and do not have any limiting medical conditions.
Sincerely,
W. Randolf IV
I can't see why those stupid things are still around....they just hinder the lazy person (yes, I was lazy, and a hunchback, too.) and everybody else in the 20-mile vicinity.
By the way, what does America have to do with an article on rolling backpacks?
your article was really good. i'm writing this same exact story for my school newspaper, so i can relate to exactly what you're saying! erriight,bye.
4-en country, then go ahead and take ur dumb rolly-thingy w/u! but wen ur @ school, leev the stupid thing @ home! cuz Nickis right, we like our shins the way they r, and just use ur frikin locker! DUH! the school spends so much $ on them, but iff ur not gonna use it, then screw u, it's ur prob abt ur back probs! And Mr. Fang is totally right, it was meant 2 be fun-E, not something that everyone has 2 go and screw up their blood pressure abt! so iff u don't like it, tuff. cuz its ur prob, and ur just gonna have to deal. and Nicki, i agree w/u: KC is my hero, too! I LUV HIM! but i luv him mor than u do, Nicki. by the way, KC, r u available? ;)
GET OVER IT.
did you ever think that maybe that backpack is heavy? or that the person has a bad back and therefore cant carry a backpack. its not good for your back to carry something too heavy. yes they can be anoying but i think its a great idea and saves many ppl from serious back problems and our healthcare system from having to treat them
I know too many people who walk around with them and have about 3 or 4 books and a notebook, weighing less than 20 lbs. In most cases it's LAZINESS.
AND, if you think backpacks are the cause of back problems, look closer. most kids who wear backpacks, wear them incorrectly. Backpacks aren't as bad as people think, the way that the students wear them is. If you use both armloops, and keep it tight to your back it's not too bad. Most students in high school are stupid and do the one loop thing, which causes problems (like I did)
I had a 6 hour back surgery a little while ago, and I'm not going to carry 40 lbs of textbooks on my back. Sorry, but you're just going to have to live without that extra 2 feet of floor space.
Rolling backpacks cause the already congested hallways of the school to become even more crowded. It’s easy to see that the average rolling backpack and its driver/operator takes up at least two to three times the space of a normal student. If you’re unfortunate enough to find yourself stuck behind one of these rolling backpacks it’s nearly impossible to get around it because of the space it takes up. They cause a hazard to the students around them. Many students, myself included, have an incessant concern about getting their feet run over and shins bruised from careless maneuvering of these backpacks. MrsLisaP says, “My daughter’s school banned rolling backpacks last year; too many kids were getting hurt, if they hit a bump in the sidewalk or just got going too fast, they kind of twist away from you and turn (I had this problem with my carry on in the airport last time too) and hit the kids that were behind them. It was sort of a big domino effect with the kids falling down.”
Many schools, kindergartens and colleges alike, have already banned the use of rolling backpacks from their campuses arguing that they cause damage to school property. The wheels leave marks on floors and track dirt into the building. The backpacks and their handles ding up walls, furniture, doorways and baseboards. These seemingly small things add up and eventually repairs have to be made or items replaced. In regard to school damage from rolling backpacks, Timothy Miller says, “Repairing steps is also a maintenance issue. The constant action of backpacks rolling thud-thud-thud down the stairs wears out traction strips and chips concrete. These eroded stairs also become a safety issue.” –Timothy Miller “Should Rolling Backpacks be allowed in School?” The cost of repairing these damages often come right back to the students who end up paying with an increased tuition.
Some would argue that they have too many textbooks and that their overloaded backpacks cause strain on their backs. Rolling backpacks seem to be an answer to their problem. A study done by Dr. Bryan Lane of the Scott and White Memorial hospital in Temple, Texas states, “It would seem that an easy solution to lighten the load on children’s backs may be for them to use wheeled backpacks, but Lane found that children tended to pack even more items into their backpacks when they were on wheels. Even worse, children did not always wheel those backpacks around, but often carried them. This negated any advantage the wheeled model may have offered in the first place.”-Chamicia E. Huggins (2002) Reuters “ Most Parents Don’t Know the Weight of Childs’ Backpack.” When students approach stairs, they have to pick up their backpack and drag it up or down the stairs by awkwardly twisting their arm and putting extra strain on their wrists perhaps increasing the chance of injury. Because of these reasons, rolling backpacks aren’t very practical in schools with multiple stories.
There are simple ways to lighten your book bags that will make them less burdensome as you haul them from class to class. First, you can remove unnecessary items. Do you really need the extra 300 sheets of notebook paper in your 5-inch binder? You can put your papers into smaller, more compact folders. I have found that about half of my classes don’t require me to bring my textbooks to those specific classes; the books are used more for homework reading assignments. To avoid pointless hefting of those cumbersome books, it’s a good idea to plan and figure out what books are actually needed in your classes. I know that everyone’s situations are different and unique, but there are ways to cut down on the weight of your book bags. It’s surprising how much junk can collect in your bag in a week. I try to clean out my backpack once a week to help keep it light and clean.
UVU already has bans on other wheeled objects. In the UVU policies it states, “Skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, bicycles, motorcycles and like devices shall not be ridden upon any stairways, structures, landscaped areas, concourses and within any buildings.” I think rolling backpacks should fall under this category to help protect the school grounds and the students. I don’t think it is fair for skateboards to be banished from the school when there are rolling backpacks roaming free through the hallways causing equal or even more damage.
I believe that there are legitimate circumstances that should allow for some people to use rolling backpacks. Teachers often have mountains of papers to grade, books, notes on their lectures, and a slew of other things that they carry back and forth from their office and classroom. I think teachers should be privileged to use rolling backpacks because they have a sincere need for them. Also, when certain people have medical or back problems, I think a doctor’s note should allow them to use a rolling backpack. Other than these exceptions, I believe that a ban on these backpacks will save the school money and provide other students a safer schooling experience.