AIBU to stop always moving aside for people in public?

I once did a "time trial" 10k run with 6ft DH pacing me just ahead. I was absolutely mind-blown that people moved out of his way and I could just run in a straight line without having to constantly assess what people were likely to do/ not do and weave around them. It was mentally so much easier without that constant thought and planning. On my own, even in hi-viz clothes, I am invisible and people just carry on bimbling around formation walking across the path as though I don't exist.

I got to the point in winter 2020 when I decided that I was no longer stepping off paths into roads or mud to facilitate packs of people oblivious to the fact that they are not the only people on the planet. I will just stop and wait for them to actually pay attention to their surroundings and make space.

If it's genuinely too tight for two people to pass or someone at a clear disadvantage then I'll still happily make space, but I'm tired of being expected to constantly inconvenience myself to accomodate multiple people who can rearrange their group to make sufficient space for everyone to pass safely. This is normally most issue on wide paths in parks that you could get a maintainence vehicle down. All I want is my fair share of 80cm space to pass, I don't need the whole path.

I move a reasonable amount or use my common sense (I'm not a dick) but when there are 4 men people walking abreast I now categorically refuse to walk on the verge/road to accomodate them. Even if I have to stop and make them walk around me, I do. Never aggressively or making a big deal. The amount of men people who try to intimidate or even call me a bitch just for daring to take up space is... shocking and yet sadly not surprising.

I'm not saying this common but last month I was walking up a path near my home. The path is tarmacked and wide enough for a vehicle to drive along. It has grass verges on either side. Approaching me were a group of five young people aged around 20. They were walking five abreast and filling the whole width of the path. I moved to the right on the edge of the tarmac thinking they would bunch up slightly to the left but they didn't - at all. I could have stepped onto the verge but I didn't because I thought they were being ridiculous.. When they were about a metre away and there was no sign of any bunching by them I decided I would stand still thinking they would have to make some adjustment to walk round me. The young man opposite me looked me in the face and walked directly into me and then sort of bounced to the side as if he was in a pinball machine, grunted and then continued on his way. I was left wondering how he copes with day to day life.

If you are larger/stronger, just run through them.

This is bollocks. The point is that each person adjusts their path to some extent but noone should be forced into the road on a pavement that is wide enough for two people to pass one abreast.

I’m fed up of it.i always move for people and never get a thank you,only the odd time.if I try and not move I am literally a invisible person and they just walk in to me.i absolutely hate it.

I've found women do this just as much as men of not more in recent years. With a smirk. I've come to assume that it's because of how i look - middle aged woman, not that good looking or slim, not accompanied by a man to protect/stand up for me. They'll walk 'at' me and pretty much force me to step aside and look quite smug about it. They know what they're doing. Whereas when the men do it I tend to think it's not as deliberately done. But in a general sense everyone is getting to act like everyone else should just get out of their way and it's wearing. But that could just be my perception.

I mean - SOMEONES got to move. Otherwise you’d just bang into people.

If someone is looking at items in an aisle (and they’re not standing in the middle of the aisle) then you do need to manoeuvre around them. You can’t use your trolley like a battering ran just because you have grey hair.

This is the article mentioned upthread. Great reading.

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2019/02/how-play-patriarchy-chicken-why-i-refuse-move-out-way-men

Or
https://archive.ph/sfVXl

I've got grey hair and if I'm towing a heavy trolley I just keep walking straight on. People shouldn't expect me to manoeuvre around them. However, I will give way to wheelchairs, pushchairs and families with young children.

I’m in two minds about this.

People are rude these days. And I do think we should normalise the person who would come off BETTER in the event of a collision stepping aside. If it’s possible to tell.

I have generally been someone who likes to “hold my line” and not be made to step aside, but recently I’ve started to feel that life’s too short and not been bothering. It’s quite empowering to think “well I could hold my line but I cba” and being a bit smug 😄

My mother does this as well. It is quite astounding how many people expect an 80
year old petite lady to step aside for them. So very rude. Gen Z are all on their phones.

I will not move into the road for anyone and the ‘human shield’ of teenagers will def get me barging into them!

I do know what the OP is getting at. And often, people each move a little bit to avoid a clash. But it is less and less now. And one person has to move.
The worse is people in a row on a pavement. Chances of anyone moving there is low.

The people I am very upset for are blind people. I have never seen so many people these days who do not get out of the way of a blind person, with a stick or who have an assistance dog. No idea what they teach at school these days but it isn’t kindness or respect for others.

Obviously that’s not what she meant 😂😂😂

I will move out of the way for women, children, the elderly or disabled people. Fully capable men can move for me and I don’t care if that unreasonable 😂

Again, I’ve taken to walking on the inside of the pavement, as I was finding they expected to walk double and me to disappear ( step onto the road) I’ve found they don’t step onto the road but single file and I carry onwards

I was at the airport yesterday and had two other peoples large suitcases I was moving for them, plus a small back pack for me.

i walked at the edge to be out of the way, man walking towards me empty handed walked right towards me. I just stopped and he eventually worked out how to get around me - took him a while 🤣 I just stopped and waited.

I will always step aside for anyone who has young children or who is disabled but I will not step aside for people who walk double file coming the other way when the pavement is only big enough for people to pass in single file. Yes I have walked straight into people. I can’t get over the number of people male and female who would expect someone to step aside do they can carry on walking double file.s

I get what you're saying and those that don't clearly don't move out of the way as a general thing. A friend once said to me, you really do need to stop always moving out of the way for other people. I might give your experiment a go and see what happens. The worst thing is you wait for people to come through a tight gap or whatever and they just ignore you. I think the rules of civility are changing and not for the better.

I push a big wheelchair and have been pleasantly surprised by people not just moving over but creating the easiest path for us, and cars stopping to allow you across the road where they don't have to, people generally being accommodating, but I do find some people seem to think I can shrink it like the Knight bus on Harry Potter 🤣 they just keep coming and I literally have nowhere to go so just stop and they look mildly surprised we haven't just bounced down the curb onto the road out of their way, or onto grass verges etc which are bumpy as hell for the occupant and difficult for the pusher!