Outward opening doors: a serious safety issue

Editor's note: Though it deals with a serious topic, this article was written as humor, and should not be taken too seriously.

When walking through the halls between classes, attempting to avoid collision with my schoolmates is usually my biggest concern. I should not, in addition to this defensive walking, have to be concerned about colliding with doors. Maneuvering my way between classmates and around high-speed swinging doors that open out into the hallways turns my days into a race through an obstacle course that is, frankly, wearing me out. If misused, an outward swinging door can be a very dangerous object.

The excuse? Inward doors are a fire hazard. Apparently, in the mad rush to leave the room, an inward door could cause a problem. Why this only applies to some classrooms and not others is anyone's guess. Is there a reason that the chorus room is more dangerous then the computer lab? And whom, might I ask, gets to make these decisions? Surely it is too serious of a problem to let just anyone solve, and should be thoroughly thought out.

Although Montgomery Blair High School has decided that some outward doors are completely necessary, I ask you, what are we accomplishing? By avoiding a potential fire hazard inside the classroom, the lives of the students on the opposite side of the door are at risk. Get an inconsiderate kid leaving his class too fast, and that door could go directly into my head. Now where is the safety in that?

Honestly, shouldn't we confiscate all of these doors on the basis that they can be considered a weapon? Along with guns and knives, I believe outward swinging doors should be outlawed in school. Otherwise, who knows when we might end up with an angry student and an unconscious victim?