05 Nov The Convenience of Waiting Shelters
In the UK we can expect inclement weather throughout the year, even, and some might say, definitely, in summer, when we hope at least for blue skies and sunny, warm weather. This is why so many public places need waiting shelters. They are there to protect those waiting, for whatever reason, from the rain, sleet or even snow. They are designed to make the wait a more pleasurable, or at least more bearable, experience. In a way they are a bit like bus shelters that are designed to make the inevitable wait for the right bus a reasonably dry experience. Waiting shelters serve a very similar purpose. They are convenient and they help to keep tempers in check.
Waiting shelters can commonly be found at schools where parents, often mothers, can be found waiting for their offspring at the time they are due to leave school for the day. In the case of young children especially, it is important that a parent is there to collect them when they come out of school. This means that the parent should be at the school at least a short time before the child is let out of the school. Some parents may spend the short wait in their car, but this relies on the unreliable fact of being able to park the car close to the school gates. While this is often not possible, or cannot be relied on every time, it is easier and better to wait in one of the properly designated waiting shelters provided.
Waiting shelters usually take the form of a canopy made from clear plastic supported on legs that leave the sides open to the elements. In this respect they can be very much like bus shelters, and they can often have seating provided as well. The seating is usually built-in and quite basic, but as it is designed for short waiting time, it is usually quite adequate as well. Waiting shelters can be stand alone units, or they may be large canopies that extend out form the main door of a public building, such as a school. In this respect they may resemble the similar looking canopies seen in front of some hotels that are designed to allow guests some comfort from the elements as they leave the establishment.
Waiting shelters are erected purely as a convenient area for those who have to wait outside for whatever reason. Most commonly this will be parents waiting for their small children to leave school, but it can be for many other reasons too.
