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Original poster

PATRIARCHY CHICKEN

177 replies

BettyTips · 27/02/2019 08:43

I read this sociological research where the researchers observed a busy high street and noted which sex was more likely to move out of the way to avoid colliding in the street. It was overwhelmingly the women who moved and the men who kept walking on straight.

I was a bit bemused and naively presumed that in a real life situation the men would actually move when it came to the crunch. So for the last two days i've been playing patriarchy chicken.

Basic premise is that you just dont move. Keep your head up and keep on walking. I've been shoulder barged twice. Once by a man who looked entirely shocked and bewildered to see a woman blocking his path.

If you're feeling a bit bored today, go and play and come back with your results tonight!

OP posts:
Pengling · 27/02/2019 10:03

I was standing at the end of a queue recently when a man wanted to get past. Rather than go around the back of me (there was plenty of room) he walked right up and waited expectantly for me to move out of his way, just so he didn’t have to deviate from his course Hmm

Tortadellanonna · 27/02/2019 10:05

What do men do to each other, how do they decide when to give way?

Magicstar1 · 27/02/2019 10:11

I've always done this, and never been shouted at. I'm not in the UK though, so maybe it's not as bad here

Original poster
BettyTips · 27/02/2019 10:15

I’m not sure how men decide? Maybe they weigh each other up alpha/beta man style?

OP posts:
Enb76 · 27/02/2019 10:24

This is anecdotal but this is what I noticed when I play this game - and it's not about the patriarchy in my experience.

People who are shorter than me nearly always move out of the way and this includes men (I'm tall for a female).

Taller people than me are less likely to move out of the way but will if they think you haven't seen them (i.e. you're looking elsewhere).

Wide/larger people also tend not to move out of the way (cruelly, I sometimes think it's because they are not naturally inclined to make the extra effort).

People in groups talking will take up the whole pavement and actually make the effort not to move (strength in numbers?).

Young people seem to be mixed into those who have probably been taught to move for older women (i.e. some boys/young men will physically make the effort to move out of your way to be polite, young women do not do this) and those who make the effort not to move (i.e. determined not to move for others, particularly younger, teenaged women)

And after all that, I walk very quickly compared to most and so just for ease of movement I tend to move around people if I'm in a hurry rather than wait for them to move and I'll move for men, women, children etc... because I'm going somewhere and they are ambling like idiots. I hate pedestrians.

HennyPennyHorror · 27/02/2019 10:43

I always remember a fucking bastard in a suit deliberately barging into me on Charing Cross Road. He barged me so hard I had a bruise on my chest. I was so shocked. He did it on purpose...I wasn't doing anything other than walking and he veered in order to do it. If I could see him now, I'd barge his fucking bollocks with my boot.

PonyoPonyo · 27/02/2019 10:58

I'm a fast walker in a crowded tourist town. I play this a lot. I do end up weaving mainly because I need to overtake people on narrow paths, but yes, on the whole, men don't think to move unless forced into it by my not deviating. Other women, and more considerate men, will generally make eye contact and we'll both adjust, and maybe even smile at each other as we accommodate each other's journey. That's my favourite scenario.

amusedbush · 27/02/2019 11:28

Wide/larger people also tend not to move out of the way (cruelly, I sometimes think it's because they are not naturally inclined to make the extra effort).

I'm pretty fat (size 18 at 5' 5). See my above post.

Birdsgottafly · 27/02/2019 11:29

I've also been deliberately barged into. One Man went out of his way to do so, perhaps I look a little too confident (I was actually told that once, by a man).

Remember when the Woman got pushed, nearly under the bus? The amount of Men that immediately jumped in to say why it was her fault was staggering.

The times I've been barged into, it's always been well dressed Men. I still get 'tit brushed' (were they are passing quickly, but slow down and have good contact with a breast), which shows its about power, because I look like shit.

I didn't know that it was a thing, until at work a few Men admitted they'd have a challenge with each other, when they were younger. When I asked when out in pubs, I found out lots of Men do it!

Enb76 · 27/02/2019 11:47

amusedbush it was a generality not an attack. This is only my experience, other people's experience may differ.

EstrellaDamn · 27/02/2019 11:48

I just played this on the way to the hairdresser. I won 2-0 and one was a skateboarder Grin

DarlingNikita · 27/02/2019 12:00

I recently refused to step off the pavement into the road for a small group of yoots who were walking abreast and taking up the whole space. One of them collided with me quite hard as we passed each other. He shouted after me and I said 'What? You walked into me.' One of his mates was holding him back. Maybe he'd have come after me if the mate hadn't done that. It was quite scary but at the same time I was determined not to give way.

TBH the biggest culprit for this in my neighbourhood is people with buggies (women and men both). They walk two abreast on our narrow pavements chatting, and seem to assume that a person on their own is just delighted to step into the road so they needn't interrupt their conversation for twenty seconds.

Whether it's men, yoots or women with buggies, I find that ploughing a straight path and avoiding eye contact works and they will generally concede to me. It takes a bit of steeling myself, though, and I always feel a bit shaky afterwards; I think that's an indication of how ingrained in me the idea of giving way is.

CabbageHippy · 27/02/2019 12:00

ever occurred anyone that gets bashed into the other may be playing the game as well and they are being judged as being just as rude?

Disfordarkchocolate · 27/02/2019 12:05

I've never noticed this but I will try playing next time I'm out. I have noticed that my husband is incapable of weaving through a crowd, I weave through and he's left miles behind.

Fortheloveofscience · 27/02/2019 12:07

I thought this would be a recipe (or 5!) based on a Mumsnet chicken with a FWR twist Blush.

I particularly enjoy the look of shock on some men’s faces when they realize you’re not going to scuttle out the way.

DonaldTwain · 27/02/2019 12:11

Yes it genuinely amazes them. The notion that I might think I’ve as much right to be there as them has never penetrated their tiny brains.

Onesmallstepforaman · 27/02/2019 12:31

Bloke here. I try not to walk into anyone. I weave to maintain progress. The exception to this is people staring at a screen. Then I stand still and wait for them to realize there's an obstacle, or walk into me. I usually say in response to any verbal, " either look where you're going, or go where you're looking". Not big, clever or very mature, but I don't like the assumption that the world owes them fee passage.

BlueCornishPixie · 27/02/2019 12:32

I love this game. It is 95% men, I love the surprised look they give.

I used to have an ex who would just not move out the way for anyone. He would plough through people and I would end up doing some weird dance as I had to weave around everyone that he had displaced. I would be running after him and I wouldn't even notice that I was miles away from him for ages

I also find that multiple buggies are a culprit, people who walk 3 abreast all with a double buggy, they just seem to forget others exist

eurochick · 27/02/2019 12:48

Yep. This is a thing. I've had some pretty brutal shoulder barges from arseholes refusing to give an inch.

ShowMeTheKittens · 27/02/2019 12:50

I was walking along the SIDE of an aisle in Boots, plenty of room to my left... a man came in the shop doors ahead of me and instead of traversing to the clear pathway walked straight up to me, so I stopped and looked up into his face. I was smiling because I do tend to, I thought he wanted to ask me something... but no, he wanted to aggress me as I could tell from his horrible expression.
I quickly sidestepped to avoid confrontation and said 'You're Welcome!'
This was replied 'You're welcome? Welcome to what? Welcome to whaaaat?'
To which I replied 'to being an arsehole' as I left the shop
I heard him screaming 'whaaaat?' after me.
If he had listened closely he would have heard lots more like you fucking bloody pillocking cunt as I muttered my way to the car.
I have to say I am disabled in my left hip and it caused me pain to sidestep.
I notice it is not just men who are effing rude.
On the whole people are ok where I live, with exceptions.

Original poster
BettyTips · 27/02/2019 12:55

I’m going to play in a minute. I work in a hospital and the walk to the canteen is lots of fun. Consultants actually tend to give way, doctors not so much!

OP posts:
Not2BBs · 27/02/2019 13:00

I play a more passive aggressive version of this. If I think someone looks as if they are going to march straight into me - I just stop dead in my tracks and either look down at my phone or look in my bag. Then they have to go around me. It's a small victory in my head. I only do it with people I get a stroppy vibe from though. I'm normally very happy to dodge around most people.

MassDebate · 27/02/2019 13:02

I’ve played this a few times. 5’3” petite me nearly took down a large man coming up the stairs in the train station while I was coming down (I had momentum on my side). He swore loudly at me as he recovered his balance while I just Hmm at him and carried on my way. Dickhead will think more carefully about trying to women in future hopefully!

MassDebate · 27/02/2019 13:03

Trying to bodyblock women that should say (when will MN add an edit button?!)

PatrickMerricksGoshawk · 27/02/2019 13:08

I googled Patriarchy Chicken (hadn't heard it called that before, what an excellent term!) and the second result was a blog entry from a bloke whining that the phenomenon doesn't exist, just completely dismissing the article author's experience, because apparently he has been brought up to be considerate of women's feelings, so naturally this is true of all the other men as well Hmm