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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that 20 minutes is not a long walk?

42 replies

superstarheartbreaker · 29/10/2013 19:03

When I visit the city and get a bit lost I often ask for directions. I was in Bristol today and asked a passer by for directions to which he replied..'I will tell you but it is a very long way.' 20 minutes to be exact. I get this a lot when I ask directions....'ooo but you'd be better off taking the bus' etc.
I live in the country (I want to move back to the city) and I don't go on huge long country walks but aibu to think that 30 minutes is not a vast distance to walk and that it is a good way of keeping fit.

OP posts:

hettienne · 29/10/2013 20:52

Generally though, people ask for directions when they are pretty near where they want to be rather than a mile away - so letting the person know that it is a long walk is reasonable. Where I live the main train station is a fair walk from the city centre, so if someone asked me there how to get to the shopping centre I would tell them it's a 20 minute walk but there are buses.

DrCoconut · 29/10/2013 21:51

I walk 30 minutes to work. There are people who can't believe I don't have a car, they truly believe I live outside walking distance from the place.

mrsjay · 29/10/2013 22:07

tbh 20 minutes is quite a long way when you are lost or don't know where you are going, I personally would find it a long walk if i was somewhere i didnt know

eurochick · 29/10/2013 22:09

20 mins is a lot of directions in a city (usually). But I agree that it is not a long walk (with the usual MN proviso of "for the able bodied" which shouldn't need saying but always seems to).

mrsjay · 29/10/2013 22:11

i was in a city last week we asked for directions I was so jumped in a taxi

DoItTooJulia · 29/10/2013 22:19

I don't understand valiumredheads comment.

Iaintdunnuffink · 29/10/2013 23:04

I can happily walk 15 plus miles but would describe 20 mins as a long walk if giving directions. Then again people do comment at work because I try to walk a couple of miles at lunchtime, if the weather is good enough. Walking, or other gently exercise of your choice, for 30 to 40 mins a day isn't going mad.

Lazysuzanne · 29/10/2013 23:30

long is a relative term, obviously, depends how much walking you do and whether you like walking.
I'd call it a short walk, a long walk is 5-6 miles plus, in my book

lottiegarbanzo · 30/10/2013 00:12

So I infer that people expect anyone asking for directions to be 'practically there' just because they don't expect them to be walking far in the first place.

The points in my journey when I might need directions are right at the beginning (mostly about orientation, to make sure I start going the right way) and perhaps at the end, to locate a building, though that's usually quite easy if you're close, (or maybe in the middle only if I've got lost or my map is unclear).

BackforGood · 30/10/2013 00:42

Agree with most - 20mins is a nice length for a walk if it's not in a howling gale and you are fully mobile and have the time, but people generally ask for directions when they are near to the place they are going to, so if someone asked me for directions to somewhere, I'd expect to be able to say "Oh yes, it's just the next left" or something. It's quite difficult to direct someone to somewhere a good mile away.

Lazysuzanne · 30/10/2013 01:13

20 minutes is a walk with a lot of potential to take a wrong turn and get lost!

Rollermum · 30/10/2013 03:06

In the context of directions it is nice to be clear!

I can't drive and am happy to walk further than most day to day which I think is related to this. My health visitor thought I was weird for walking 40 mins to a children's centre each way but this is the price of having fear of driving! Also, I quite enjoy it.

hellokittymania · 30/10/2013 03:15

No 20 is not a long walk and it is good for you.

singaporeswing · 30/10/2013 04:09

I think it's relative. I would be happy to walk 20-30 minutes no problem, in decent weather, and frequently do so.

Since moving to Singapore, I find that locals don't like to even walk 5 minutes across the road.

Possible to do with the heat, good public transport, loads of cheap taxis or sheer laziness, but I do find myself rolling my eyes at colleagues frequently who moan about walking 500m.

Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 30/10/2013 04:47

YABU As others have said, 20 mins in Bristol can involve a lot of hills!

Also, if I was giving directions I would be worried about them going wrong over that length of walk. I walk miles each day but would still say the same to someone.

ThePost · 30/10/2013 05:06

20 minutes is a long walk if you're only use your legs to get from your front door to your car. Which is a worrying number of people nowadays (not including the elderly, very young, and disabled.)

ThePost · 30/10/2013 05:07

if you're only using

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