to assume dog walkers will give way to me and my pram when passing on a narrow pavement

[thebirthlyhallows]

I try to get out with DD for a walk everyday. I'm amazed at how often dog walkers will not give way to me and my pram and let me walk on the safe side of the pavement away from the road when passing.

Aibu to expect this?

Isn't there a song about the safe side of the road?

Sorry - it's 'bright side of the street.'

Could have sworn I heard one about safe side of the road.

Yes! kelly whatsername. 'I always walk on the safe side so I don't get hurt.'

Or something like that.

Whether walking alone, with small child or back when I had the pram I always avoid getting between a dog's nose and the very interesting smelling wall, if possible. It would be like standing in front of the telly!

Thank you everyone for your replies.

The original OP was written from my DH's point of view. Before today I had given no thought to there being a 'safe side' of the pavement. It is wide enough for both to pass.

After he raised the subject I was of the opinion that my baby was less likely to jump into oncoming traffic than a dog. I therefore agree that dogs should be given the newly discovered 'safe side'.

Thank you all for helping to settle this disagreement, it seems DH is just being a bit precious first born.

I guess it depends on how wide the road and pavement is. If both are very narrow then it can be quite dangerous to be near the edge of it.

Minshu

thread after thread of sheer madness today.
Did I miss the full moon?

YABU, OP.

It really wouldn't occur to me which side to move to. I do hold the dog back and wait for a person, with pram or not, to pass of there's only room for one, but I've never given any thought to which side to.move to. I've obviously been unwittingly infuriating pram pushers all over the place.

To the poster who only walks her German shepards when there's no-one else around. Um, what? If they are well behaved surely you'd just keep them on a short lead when passing potentially nervous people? If they're so badly behaved they are terrorising everyone they pass then they need to be properly trained.

The OP's latest makes it a lot clearer - a man pushing a pram obviously needs Looking After. Bless.

Sorry to dog lovers but I put the safety of people before animals and when I am walking with a child they are always furthest from the road.

When walking with more than one child the more responsible/older child walks nearer the road than the younger.

Dogs do not have any priority over people so I expect the dog to be nearest the road, then older people then younger people in that order.

My DH runs regularly and has been hit by a car door being opened on him. He has also had dog owners walking on one side of the path with an expandable lead stretching across the full width of a path.

The amount of entitled dog owners we come across who think that their pooch is exempt from all the signs saying all dogs must be on a lead is ridiculous. So I am at least a little bit grateful if dogs are on a lead at all.

charley ... the dog walker is a person too, you know.

Boggling at the pavement hierarchy.

How ever do you cope if there is a big puddle or a wonky paving stone or a great big bush in the way?

You throw yourself over it so that PFB and Mummy can wheel over your back, of course.

Still chuckling at havant's links. Would love to know what the search field said

Ah, but person with baby is elevated by the greatness of baby and person with dog is brought down by the not babyness of dog.
So yes, person with baby gets the safe side, because they have contributed to society.

It seems.

You are one of those pram pushers that think its a battering ram aren't you - i get pissed of with people with prams who don't bloody well wait when i am walking down a narrow path and expect me to go back (dog or no dog), like they have some sort of priority - oh and don't even get me started about the ones down the beach (generally a tourist) who think they can just barge through with their phil and teds (designed to part the crowds im sure) while people have to jump out of the way.

It is utterly ridiculous to expect a dog to be nearest the road - i keep my dog on the inside - because that way i know it wont step out in front of a car, i don't want my dog to get run over but more imporatantly, i do not want my dog to cause an accident by stepping out onto the road. I always ensure that pram pushers (even the ones who think they own the pavement) or people with toddlers don't have to walk out of my way with my dog (s) and will often step in between parked cars or cross the road etc to make way. I just wish pram pushers would afford other people with the same consideration.

YABU, you should be appreciative they gave way not whinge about which side of the pavement they so happened to move to. You can whinge when they make you walk on the road.

do you inhabit Vice City?

I have in my mind that drivers are crashing into pavements and punching prostitutes grand theft auto style in rural Berkshire.

Think if a driver is about to spin off the road it won't really matter if you're standing 6 inches to the left

oh, didn't read your last post - i bet you are one of those pram pushers who waits nicely for folk to get past and say thankyou and smile if someone waits for you

Ah, bless Mr Hallows and his PFBishness

If it's any consolation to him, when I had a PFB I was firmly of the opinion that cars should be banned, or at least not allowed to travel at any more than 10 mph. If it had occurred to me that there was a safe side of the pavement I'd probably have rattled on about that too

Actually, on residential streets I'm not at all sure that the inside of the pavement is safer than the outside anyway - people reverse out of driveways more often than randomly mounting pavements.