Sidewalks

[Ben]

When you walk on the sidewalk, do you use it the same as a road, where you walk on the right? I have always done so. Don't know where I picked it up, but I just do, because it makes sense.

I ask because I have noticed lately that some people will do the opposite, and as we approach each other, I always expect them to wake up and see they're on the wrong side and move to their right. A lot of the time they never do, and neither do I, and it's a game of chicken. I end up veering off if it's a woman, but if it's a man I don't. It has lately led to some nasty glares. :)

I've just noticed it a lot more ever since my office moved to the local university, and am starting to wonder if it's a cultural thing. There are a lot of foreign students here, and when this happened this morning, it kind of hit me that it may happen more with foreign appearing people, though it's happened a lot with clueless frat boys here as well.

Am I out of line on this, or do you guys agree that it's "walk on the right"?

[TechMan]

I always walk on the right as well.  I say take them down! 

[Nick1911]

The biggest problem I note is people walking down the sidewalk are too intently staring at their cell phone to even notice they are approaching others.

I tend to walk on the right side of corridors, hallways, sidewalks, etc.  Don't know when I started doing it.

[AZRedhawk44]

I think it's a male ego thing.

Frankly, men just don't seem to want to move for other men.  I don't get it... I have no problem using the right-hand side of the sidewalk when facing oncoming pedestrian traffic.  But a guy walking in the center of the sidewalk will not yield a freaking 6-12" additional expanse for us to not collide shoulders.

I'll admit that a good portion of my congested sidewalk travel happens on Mill Avenue here in Tempe, which is a college district.  So alcohol and ego may be reinforcing each other.  But I yield sufficient space for oncoming walkers if they move in return.

[tokugawa]

Depends- usually.  but  - if I walk with my wife, she is always on my weak side.

 Traditionally the man would walk on the street side, to shelter the woman from the road splash.
 Sometimes I will move over to shelter my wife from others approaching. And I will let go of her hand and leave a space between us for maneuver room.  
 
 Anymore, I think most people are simply oblivious idiots about this sort of thing. And I do think some people will deliberately try to intimidate by moving into your body space.

[makattak]

Eh. I probably walk on the right.

However, as I'm usually pushing a stroller anytime I'm on a sidewalk anymore, I'm talking up most of the sidewalk, anyway. If someone is coming I may attempt to make room for them to pass.

Never seen the "refuse to move", likely because I was brought up to be polite and have no issues with giving deference to others.

(Of course, my wife would tell the pre-children time that we had to walk against the herd in Chicago when the ENTIRETY of the sidewalk was walking towards us. I just walked right down the middle and held her close behind in my wake. People moved, though I did jostle a few of those "big shoulders".)

[Brad Johnson]

Ben, I noticed that when I started work here.  I think it's less an ego thing than it is a clueless-to-human-interaction thing.  That, plus a big dollop of entitlement mentality, and you get a lot of sidewalk hogs.  I have noticed that kids who grew up in rural areas tend to be more treat-the-sidewalk-like-roads variety, and also more likely to show a little courtesy.  Interestingly enough, I see the same thing in grocery stores and in the mall.  Most people are walking the aisle using the same conventions they would on the road.  But there is always that one clueless idiot clogging up the works with their cart parked in the middle of the aisle, or actively walking against traffic and giving everyone else the stinkeye.

Also, you mention foreign countries and possible other driving norms.  It'll surprise you to learn that most of the world drives on the right, and those that do drive on the left are so intertwined, both geographically and socially, with right-driving countries that they likely have no problems with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic

Brad

[Ben]

Depends- usually.  but  - if I walk with my wife, she is always on my weak side.

 Traditionally the man would walk on the street side, to shelter the woman from the road splash.
 Sometimes I will move over to shelter my wife from others approaching. And I will let go of her hand and leave a space between us for maneuver room.  
 
 Anymore, I think most people are simply oblivious idiots about this sort of thing. And I do think some people will deliberately try to intimidate by moving into your body space.

Not that it makes any sense, but  Itend to give a lot more leeway to people walking side by side, regardless of gender combination. I guess I figure they're having a conversation, which is hard to do single file. I should expect them to go single file before they get to me, but I generally just shrug and sidestep. The single walkers bother me a whole lot more.

Also, yes, the "fixated on the smartphone" is a whole nother deal. :)

[HankB]

When walking down a sidewalk alone, I tend to either keep to the middle or whichever side gives me more distance from cover/concealment - bushes, doorways, whatever - alongside.

When there are other people, I just naturally gravitate to the right side, and 99% of the time, so does everyone else. Some of the RUDEST folks are oncoming herds of women (womyn?) who walk 3 or 4 abreast, taking up the entire width of the sidewalk . . . and who glare nastily at me when I don't step off into the dirt to allow Their Highnesses to continue as is their wont.

[Brad Johnson]

Also, yes, the "fixated on the smartphone" is a whole nother deal. :)

Remind me sometime and I'll tell you about the kids we've had walk into a stopped bus...

Brad

[Ben]

Remind me sometime and I'll tell you about the kids we've had walk into a stopped bus...

Brad

Do you ever think to yourself, "If only they'd walked into a moving bus"? 

[AJ Dual]

I think it's a male ego thing.

Frankly, men just don't seem to want to move for other men.  I don't get it... I have no problem using the right-hand side of the sidewalk when facing oncoming pedestrian traffic.  But a guy walking in the center of the sidewalk will not yield a freaking 6-12" additional expanse for us to not collide shoulders.

I'll admit that a good portion of my congested sidewalk travel happens on Mill Avenue here in Tempe, which is a college district.  So alcohol and ego may be reinforcing each other.  But I yield sufficient space for oncoming walkers if they move in return.

Ben, I noticed that when I started work here.  I think it's less an ego thing than it is a clueless-to-human-interaction thing.  That, plus a big dollop of entitlement mentality, and you get a lot of sidewalk hogs.  I have noticed that kids who grew up in rural areas tend to be more treat-the-sidewalk-like-roads variety, and also more likely to show a little courtesy.  Interestingly enough, I see the same thing in grocery stores and in the mall.  Most people are walking the aisle using the same conventions they would on the road.  But there is always that one clueless idiot clogging up the works with their cart parked in the middle of the aisle, or actively walking against traffic and giving everyone else the stinkeye.

Also, you mention foreign countries and possible other driving norms.  It'll surprise you to learn that most of the world drives on the right, and those that do drive on the left are so intertwined, both geographically and socially, with right-driving countries that they likely have no problems with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic

Brad

Whenever I've witnessed this behavior, it's always been the occasional teenaged male, or young minority/urban male trying to assert some sense of dominance.

If it's just a hormonal display by some otherwise suburban whitebread kid, I call their bluff. Otherwise, I'll just yield without pretending to notice.

The fact I'm carrying and could ventilate all of them makes it easy on the ego.

[fifth_column]

I think it's less an ego thing than it is a clueless-to-human-interaction thing.  That, plus a big dollop of entitlement mentality, and you get a lot of sidewalk hogs.

This mirrors my thinking on the subject.  I see it more often in stores than sidewalks, since aisles have less space and so are more easily blocked.  

Just keep in mind that when walking on Chicago sidewalks taxi cabs always have the right of way . . .

[Fly320s]

I use road rules for sidewalk or hallway walking.

In any place where lots of clueless people gather, such as airports and universities, I see walkway hogs everywhere.  The worst offenders are the ones who cut corners in hallways.  They hug their left wall around a corner, which is the right wall for the opposite direction traffic.  I've been run into numerous times because I have no where I can go in that situation.

I have a large desire to take a can of white paint and a can of yellow paint with me to the airport and paint road markings on the floor to keep the traffic separated. 

[AZRedhawk44]

I have a large desire to take a can of white paint and a can of yellow paint with me to the airport and paint road markings on the floor to keep the traffic separated. 

Terrorist.

[Ben]

I use road rules for sidewalk or hallway walking.

In any place where lots of clueless people gather, such as airports and universities, I see walkway hogs everywhere.  The worst offenders are the ones who cut corners in hallways.  They hug their left wall around a corner, which is the right wall for the opposite direction traffic.  I've been run into numerous times because I have no where I can go in that situation.

I have a large desire to take a can of white paint and a can of yellow paint with me to the airport and paint road markings on the floor to keep the traffic separated.  

I think airports are a bajillion times worse than universities. It seems like every other person is late for their flight, so "road rules" go out the window.

[Fly320s]

Terrorist.

Yes, but I'm a good terrorist.

[vaskidmark]

Wrong-side walking seems to be rampant along the corridors at the VA.  It gets very interesting as I powerchair along to the right and some goober comes strolling along dead straight towards me (their left).  I am sorely tempted to not slow down/come to a stop, but the ER seems full enough without me breaking ankles//shins with the foot pad.

I've tried saying "excuse me" and "watch out" to little avail.  I've mounted a bicycle bell to have it totally ignored.  I'm wondering if anybody will notice it was me who let off the canned air horn, but moreso wondering if anybody will pay any attention.

There were reasons why the Brits started and to this day drive on the wrong side of the road.  Something about jousting.  Allegedly Americans moved to the proper side of the roadway to allow a better shot at the oncoming person (45* cross-body as opposed to slightly off your strong side).

All that aside, my real peeve is the freaking idjits that want to stop dead in their tracks in the middle of the corridor and hold extended negotiations on lunch or the saving of the whales or whatever is so important.  Guess they never thought of pulling off to the side.  Them I will roll right up to and say "Move over, please" loud enough to get the attention of both the group and passersby.  Lots of startled looks when that happens.

All hail curmudgeons!

stay safe.

[Ben]

All that aside, my real peeve is the freaking idjits that want to stop dead in their tracks in the middle of the corridor and hold extended negotiations on lunch or the saving of the whales or whatever is so important.  Guess they never thought of pulling off to the side. 

This is the modas operandi of the Birkenstock wearing, middle aged, hippie-yuppie women shopping at the Trader Joe's.

[230RN]

I started to notice this with Oriental people when I used to take a stroll every day on the 16th St mall in Denver.  I figured it was because a lot of their countries drove on the left, so it was "natural" for them.  Once "alerted" to this, I started to notice it on other sidewalks, too.  I guess the Occidentals who do it are either clueless or from England or Australia or other places of English dominion.

No racism involved, just something I started to notice and generated a theory about it.  Right or wrong, it satisfied my curiosity.

I also noticed that folks from the Continent had a closer "social distance" than we do... sort of like the "close talker" character from Seinfeld.  I did a little research on that and found my observations was correct, and that this was the reason Americans were often considered "cold" in social interactions.  If you're not paying attention, they can move you across a room with their constant closing of that social distance.

So when we hired a foreign born person, I made sure I confirmed his social distance by allowing him to get closer in conversations.  Later on, he as much as told me I was his favorite American.  I assume it was because of this, rather than my consummate charm, good manners, sense of humor, and extraordinary physical attractiveness.

Terry

[tokugawa]

^^^^^^
"No racism involved,"--   everything is racist now, didn't you get the memo?

[Azrael256]

^^^^^^
"No racism involved,"--   everything is racist now, didn't you get the memo?

Yup.  I can tell how long my Indian coworkers have been here.  And one limey who has been here like a decade and still doesn't get it.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm constantly annoyed by people walking on the sidewalk that don't want to get out of the way of my truck. I think it would be rude to drive off the pavment and put tire tracks in peoples yards.

[Hawkmoon]

Am I out of line on this, or do you guys agree that it's "walk on the right"?

I agree with you completely.

And, now that you mention it, I would say that in the past few years I have encountered more and more people who don't seem to comprehend this. I also encounter more groups who seem to think it's okay for them to walk abreast and use up the FULL width of the sidewalk, forcing oncoming "traffic" to step off the walk and allow them to pass.

I no longer step off the walk ...

[coppertales]

I usually walk down the right side of the sidewalk.  A lot of times I have to stop and let some dufus working his/her phone run into me.  I refuse to get out of the way of those people.  Foreigners in a mall expect you to move aside for them.  I don't......chris3