PATRIARCHY CHICKEN

[BettyTips]

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!

I'll have to give this a go. When I'm not out with my kids I just tend to zone out and mostly don't even take much notice of other people. Usually I assume they'll move out of my way and tbh get slightly annoyed if they don't. I hope I'm not coming across as a patriarchal walker though.

I'm gonna give this a go today! I'll buy some plasters and pain killers for the inevitable bruising

I love this thread but on reading it I have just realised that I do this kind of thing regularly walking in and out of work every day - I just didn't know there was a name for it

Has anyone ever been walked into by someone coming out of a shop? Happened to me once. I was walking along a pavement and some bloke came out of the door and straight into me without looking. He was terribly apologetic, which was the only thing stopping me saying 'I hope you don't do that when you're driving.'

I play the reverse of this game in rush hour crowds. I'm 5ft 3 so I line my shoulders up and put my head down and weave my way to the front of the crowd without anyone noticing.

outcome have you tried walking in front of him a bit instead?
I was walking last night next to a tall male colleague...I usually do the drop back behind to let people past thing, but last night I decided to step slightly in front for a change. It was a vast improvement and I will be doing this from now on.

I tried it! In Asda, I was pushing a trolley, man coming the other way. I was already to one side so stopped dead. Looked right at him, he had to avoid, and he muttered something as he went past LOL Dick!

I walk everywhere at speed and I've usually got a trolley/suitcase so people will often move. I'm quite tall and usually have a determined expression. I don't make a conscious effort to move out of the way or risk assault/foul language from people taking up the whole space up either. I do find that just standing still people will just walk around me. However some people are just in their own oblivious little bubble so I try not to let their actions get under my skin.

But what I don’t understand is, someone’s got to move. So is it the patriarchy or is it just size.
I live in London and I weave in and out of people all the time. That’s because I know where I am going and I am walking very fast.

I have properly shoulder barged people who are attempting to get on a tube when others are still getting off. And I deliberately move to the middle of the pavement if there is someone on a bike.

meandwinealone

Yes someone has to move. So you’d assume that men would move for women half the time and vice versa. Assuming no complicating factors of visible disability or extreme age.

So try it and see if half the men move for you ( assuming you’re a woman ). Come back and tell us.

M3lon now you ask, it's made me realise that I never have. I always drop back despite 7 years of it not working. I'll try stepping in front instead!

@IM0GEN
Right ok, I need to walk down oxford street tomorrow.
Now if there is anywhere that the experiment will work it’s there

See ya tomorrow!!

Played it today. Two youngish blokes were walking abreast and neither looked like they were going to shift (like fuck am I walking in the road.) So I stopped and they had to go around me. One shouted 'SORRY' in a really sarcastic voice. Well you better be sorry, you nobber! Score!

outcome first day of the rest of your life!

I played this again at Brussels airport last night. I got a Dad and his three teenage lads to move aside for me. Result!! I'm 5'3", 53 and grey haired.

I’m disabled & more likely to fall when walking slowly (it’s also more painful) so I tend to just weave (especially because I’ve a bleeding disorder so the bruising from even minor collisions is... pretty spectacular). I do occasionally play & entitled white men are indeed The Actual Worst. As is their wont. Using their privilege like a sodding battering ram.

Worst experience I ever had was with a woman though - I was using my wheelchair & she stood in front of me in a narrow aisle, positioning herself so she blocked the space completely. And she started screaming abuse in my face when I said “excuse me”. Nobody intervened. And she was going a few minutes, while staff & customers stood & watched. Then watched me leave after she stormed out. (Someone did ask if I was ok on the train & my shaking turned into crying. Between that, the general “self-propelling even a bit kills my joints” & the train then pulling into the wrong platform & my father [who I’m lucky could meet me] having to carry me over the footbridge - other option being my bumshuffling - I was really put off going out for even a limited time alone in my wheelchair. Dread to think how patriarchy chicken would end, even with tip-wheels - suspect it would be like playing wheelchair rugby but worse...)

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.
Thanks op for this. This year as my new year resolution is to not give way to anyone one. I have decided to claim my space. I walk through a busy London station Monday to Friday.i have decided not to give way. If they decided to not give way I purposefully stop and let them decide what they want to do. It has been fun and challenging especially for the tall men who assume they don't see you. Every one should reclaim their space.

I have thought about this for years! I have a hidden disability which causes hip and back pains. If I twist or turn suddenly it can cause problems for a month or so. So I always walk carefully. However to look at me you wouldn't know that I take strong painkillers and nerve blockers. I am also 5ft 1inch. I constantly find that in busy city streets I have to adjust my path and silently question why I put myself through that pain when the bugger who is marching fast straight at me should be the one to alter direction - usually they are Male and tall. I told my family about this thread but tried it out on my husband beforehand. He came walking down our hallway without moving to the side! I stopped in front of him. He looked down at me, ruffled my hair and gave me a hug! I'm hoping that this doesn't happen to me when I try it out in the street!

I told my family about this thread but tried it out on my husband beforehand. He came walking down our hallway without moving to the side! I stopped in front of him. He looked down at me, ruffled my hair and gave me a hug! I'm hoping that this doesn't happen to me when I try it out in the street!

Hah! I'd bloody well hope that's not the usual reaction! I mentioned this thread to my tall, white, male husband and asked if he's aware of this (I sure am!), and does he move in these situations. He looked a bit puzzled, said he doesn't really pay attention, and he's hardly ever in situations where one person has to move, as far as he knows. I'm interpreting that as "yes, people have to move from my way, because the street is mine and I'm not looking..."

I am disabled and walk with a stick. I always walk next to the buildings in the town centre in case I need to grab the wall for balance. (stick in opposite hand to wall) The number of times that people walk along the street using their mobiles, not even looking up, just staying next to the wall and walk straight into me unless I say excuse me. Some even stand still, expecting me to walk round them. Please people, if you see someone walking with a stick leaning on the wall, it's not always easy to go in a circle around you. Thank you

Im loving this thread, ive never noticed, ut then i tend not to go out to busy areas anx i shop online....

However if the opportunity arises im standing firm

I was thinking about this thread yesterday at work. A client screamed at me for not having done a job properly. I listened to what he was saying and then suggested he;d not turned on track changes which showed up the work I'd done. He emailed to tell me he had turned it on and found the work. No apology.

But I did wonder: would he have reacted that way if he'd been working with another man? Do men think it's OK to just bully women and expect us to placate them (which is what I did for a couple of hours on my own time.) Two peole have separately told me not to complete the contract with him and just stop midway. That hadn't occurred to me, i was working out how to sweeten him up again, but I'm now thinking I won't bother.

First and last time I ever assaulted somebody was when very pregnant and a young lad tried shoving me down the bus stairs to enable him to get off quicker. I was actually waiting for the tiny, wobbly old lady in front of me to get off first and had already said when he swore at me to get out his fucking way that there was somebody in front of me - the shove triggered an automatic defence mechanism as I felt the shock of his impact go through my bump (and it fucking hurt my already sore back). Apparently, a swinging back fist as per Rafiki in the Lion King is incredibly effective at temporarily disabling a would be assailant from behind, when delivered square onto the nose.

When it comes to pavements, I don't move so fast these days - but a lot of time sent on the Hockey pitch means I can appear rather like a short brick wall if somebody wishes to try to walk through me.

Except for when the Pavement Panzer Brigade were on the after school run. Those things were lethal, especially when approaching three abreast as though they were advancing upon Ypres, rather than the local Costa.

The only thing to do was ensure all children on foot were swept up/held still whilst balancing on the edge of the kerb to keep them from being battered into the main road. (Are huge buggies still a thing?).

The only time a Pavement Panzer owner wasn't like that was generally when bumping their 4x4s up the pavement at 20mph to tip the older ones out of the back a whole 100 yards closer to the school gate in the morning, as us plebs were walking our children along said pavement at the time.

You don't try to stand up to those people. They will hurt you.

I never realised this was a thing. I had an older man try to run through me as he was getting on a train on Wednesday as I was trying to get back to my seat. I was at the end of my tether any way so I said 'please just give me a second, you can't walk through me!'. He carried on, other passengers looked up and his wife apologised.

Good for you, Runkle. I've been known to say, "I actually exist" to people trying to plough through me.

MitziK I get really pissed off with people on buses who shove me from behind,or say 'Excuse me' in what can only be described as a stroppy voice,when I'm waiting for someone in front of me to move! Another thing that winds me up,is people standing in front of the handrail by the exit doors on buses. Being disabled,I need to hold onto this as I step off a bus,but end up having to ask them to move so I can hold on. They invariably look put out. I sometimes wonder what is wrong with some members of the human race,that they have such little empathy for less able bodied people than themselves.