Men DO NOT have right of way!

I haven't noticed it particularly with men but I do it with my kids - we live in Cornwall so pavements can get very narrow at times and I always bark at my kids- no stay on the pavement the adult can go in the road... they usually give me a sheepish look and step into the road.

The advantage of keeping left is that it tends to put pedestrians facing oncoming traffic. If it is genuinely too tight, it makes it safer for a (mobile) pedestrian to step off into any suitable gaps in traffic.

I find about ⅔s of people do it by default.

When I'm using off-road mixed use cycle routes, I rarely have issues with cyclists by keeping left. (Cyclists defined as people on legal bikes, and dressed approprately for cycling rather than idiots who happened to be on a two-wheeled contraption and no idea of how to use it safely and legally)

This is also called pavement bagatelle. Have to be careful, but sometimes I say, "You are very welcome" if I stand aside. Like others, some days I just try to avoid people and then have an odd, sod it, I'm not playing day.

We say, "You make a better door than a window".

I can’t say I’ve noticed men expecting me to give way to them, I didn’t know that was a thing,

I do not give way to pavement cyclists at all. They can cycle where they want but they shouldn’t expect pedestrians to jump out of their way.

@Newbutoldfather "... the system of behaviour followed by knights in the medieval period of history, that puts a high value on honour ..." (Cambs Dict)

I don't see a contradiction. I am simply saying that women should be seen as equal to men. If that involves some adjustment to the playing field (ie not walking behind a person half your size late at night) that is not 'chivalry' (an honour system you can choose to participate in or not) but a basic human right.y

eg in my case, I appreciate it if people help me with big heavy doors. Not because I am a little lady who appreciates courtesy but because I'm a person on crutches that struggles to open the darn things. So, help, M or F is appreciated.

It is certainly not just men but men are (mostly) more intimidating due to size.

If everyone does it we end up with a situation where the entire human population is standing around and, eventually, engaged in chit chat, unable to move.
Peace at last.

I'm 5ft nothing, it seems everyone expects me to get out of their way, often they just straight up pretend not to notice me at all and barge into me and they've done it to my children too. I really, really hate it. I don't stand my ground because they absolutely will knock me flying. Even the horrible bloody teenagers do it when I'm walking on the path between secondary and primary schools doing the school run, I've taken to walking with my car keys sticking out sideways so they'll get a nice sharp jab when they barge through me.

I especially hate this with couples who HAVE to stay hand in hand even on a narrow pavement or a canal towpath. Sometimes I try to stand my ground and they somehow split and go round me, but I have been known to loudly mutter NO IT'S FINE, I'LL STAND IN THE BRAMBLES, YOU'RE WELCOME.

The worst offenders for this behaviour are women with buggies. Easily. Not a contest.

As a runner and a walker I've had a lot of time in my life to observe which people think they have an automatic entitlement to the whole of the path or pavement and refuse to even alter their course a tiny bit for someone coming towards them, and women with buggies outrank everyone else.

Groups of people are slightly different but those massive family groups who stretch out across the whole of the path and don't even give any sign that they're aware of anyone else are just awful.

Older men, especially those in "head of the household" mode, definitely like to throw their physical presence around too.

Hand-holding straight couples can be frustrating but I tend to think that's because they're oblivious rather than actively entitled.

I've never encountered this from younger men or women on their own. However interestingly a male friend (short, slightly built, gay) says he encounters this all the time from physically bigger men of all ages.

Yes, I was. Well, not specifically those also with a child and a dog; I don't see many of those. My bêtes noires are pairs of women with a big busy each walking side by side on my neighbourhood's quite narrow pavements. I've no desire for anyone to walk in the road, but they wouldn't have to; they could just go single file for a few seconds. But they seem to think I'm going to step into the road/flatten myself against the wall/hoarding/whatever so they don't have to stop chatting for a few seconds.

How does that work if everyone does it ?

People keep talking about this and I don't really find it. (Forties, not particularly hot, generally in jeans or gym gear). I have a suspicion there is some subtle signalling people are sending out about who is going to move and I must send out coming through vibes. Obviously sometimes men don't move, but sometimes I don't.

@pinkingshears ,

‘I don't expect men to be 'chivalrous' thank you.
You should be aware of me, as a female because men are usually larger and faster than women who are less able to escape a situation should they need to
I have a 6'2" son, gentle as a lamb. He is aware his size can intimidate smaller people (ie most women). He also would cross the road in the evening rather than walk behind a lone female (I explained this to him from age 12 onwards)’

I think you need to look up the definition of chivalry, because your above two paragraphs are pretty contradictory!

Here's a tip - walk slower than the person walking towards you. If you have to stop, then stop, but don't change your path. They will naturally move out of the way.

I think many of you are looking for problems here.

I’ve never encountered this and I’m older than you. Men always step aside and let me through.

I don't expect men to be 'chivalrous' thank you.
You should be aware of me, as a female because men are usually larger and faster than women who are less able to escape a situation should they need to
I have a 6'2" son, gentle as a lamb. He is aware his size can intimidate smaller people (ie most women). He also would cross the road in the evening rather than walk behind a lone female (I explained this to him from age 12 onwards)
I also have a female child (18) who is 5'5 but chooses to wear very loose mens clothes/boots, walks 'with an attitude' who to all intents and purposes appears a shorter man. She also thinks how close she walks to people particularly women.
This is because in general women are less safe around men than other women.

I do play but maybe I'll stop as there are going to a whole load of women who just walk into each other after this thread 🤣

Oh my god, I thought it was just me. They also like to lurk behind you in shops rather than wait or saying excuse me. I’m 52 and I’ve noticed it over the last couple of years. Some of them would rather you walked on the road than moving out of the way on pavements. 😡

I think it's more automatic for drivers. London is probably different because apparently most people don't drive, so won't live and breath the "keep left" rule that drivers abide by in other parts of the country where most people drive. I also think it's less relevant/possible in busy places like shopping streets, shopping centres, etc where people aren't in a straight line trajectory like they'd be on, say, a canal footpath, but instead are weaving around, left and right, between shops etc.

It's often men but it's not just men. Yesterday I had two women with their kids in tow walking spread out across a very wide pavement. I had to step into the rude. Some people just have no manners.

I've never heard of Patriarchy Chicken before. I am definitely going to start playing this 😂

That's terrible, @pinkingshears, how can they pretend not to notice?

it wasn't supposed to be a gotcha but it does change the meaning of your post.