Slip-Sliding Away

The floors in this country are very slippery. I mean polished to a super-fine sheen slippery. Coated with a thin layer of water in the middle of the day because there is no concern for students' tripping slippery. No conception of sand in the outdoor paint slippery. Slippery.

I find myself sliding along our school corridors all the time. My Dansko clogs are no match for the floor. I can slide down the hall like a professional skater. I thought it was just me, and then I looked around. I noticed that all the teachers slide down the halls. Then I realized that everyone, students and teacher, taking a running slide in the first-floor foyer. It's a wide-open space (opening into a row of glass doors followed by rather unforgiving pavement and some stairs) of super-slippery floor. It's toot tempting. A nice running start... and sliiiiiiiiiiiide to the doors.

The thing is, it's not just the school. The subway floors are exactly the same, except, well, it's a subway platform. I'm not too worried about going over the edge into an oncoming train, but I am worried about tripping down the stairs and taking the mass of humanity out like a bowling ball crashing into the pins. Imagine what it's like when it rains.