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Original poster

Non movers when walking on the pavement

61 replies

TheHumblePotato · 27/05/2015 16:46

I'm not entirely sure that this has even occurred to others but it is something I've observed. Yesterday I went to dinner with my Dsis. The restaurant was walking distance but I noticed that while I was walking I was avoiding bumping into people, prams etc... it never occurred to me that others might be trying to do the same - I just thought it is basic instinct to avoid clashing with others. So the two of us decided to experiment and not move out of the way i.e. keep walking, the experiment resulted in me getting bumped into twice on the walk. Is this a thing? Is it a competition?

OP posts:
WhatALoadOfOldBollocks · 27/05/2015 16:48

Were the people who bumped you engrossed in their phones? I've found most people are and seem oblivious to everything around them.

ChuffinAda · 27/05/2015 16:51

I've conducted a similar experiment recently and came to the conclusion people are ignorant idiots in the main!

I also stopped saying sorry when people walked into me...nearly been hit with that one.

Daffodilliesanddaisies · 27/05/2015 16:53

Earlier on as I came out of work I was walking on a pavement. There were 3 people walking towards me in a line, none of them looked like they were going to move single file, I wasn't walking into the road full of traffic so I just carried on walking. Just as I almost got level with them one of them moved out of the way.

OhNoNotMyBaby · 27/05/2015 16:53

What a ridiculous post - what is the point of it?
Do you want to mow people down or just antagonise them?

Yes, it's instinct to avoid collisions. People who expect others to get out of their way are simply arrogant!

What is your point exactly?

ollieplimsoles · 27/05/2015 16:53

Me and Dh tried this in town!

I remember a teacher at school telling us that strangers walking towards each other on the street exchange a subtle one second hint to each other as they approach, deciding subconsciously who will go which way. If this signal is missed, they are at risk of bumping into one another. Don't know if its true though!

WorraLiberty · 27/05/2015 16:57

ollieplimsoles if the signal is missed, they also end up doing that embarrassing 'dance' where you both go to the same side and back and forth Grin

Original poster
TheHumblePotato · 27/05/2015 17:01

WhatALoadOfOldBollocks they weren't on their phones. That's partly my point as I know if they're engrossed in checking messages, twitter, fb or whatever they're not able to avoid a potential collision. I'm referring to those that expect you to move.

ChuffinAda it really nearly ended in violence for you!? WTF!

OhNoNotMyBaby I've made my point. If you don't get it then feel free to hide the thread.

OP posts:
NoIsNotACompleteSentence · 27/05/2015 17:02

You want to try using a wheelchair.

Worst is in shopping centres or supermarkets...the amount of people that stop dead in front of me with no warning. I do find that people walking towards me that cause a problem are usually on their phone. Also when people are clearly blocking my path ie looking at something or queuing, they could so easily just shift a couple of inches but it genuinely doesn't seem to occur to them even when they see me. Being low down I have had to cultivate a loud but polite voice to ask people to move.

I have been surprised by how nice a lot of the general public are, but there's a minority that seem to be unaware of anyone except themselves.

butterflyballs · 27/05/2015 17:04

Worra, that's hilarious. I've ended up saying "stand still, I will walk round you" before we end up getting strangers giving us money thinking we are some sort of street entertainment.

scribblegirl · 27/05/2015 17:06

Grin fantastic mental image of you walking along the street OP.

I live and work in central London and whilst I do step out of the way for people, I don't over accommodate - it'd take all day just to get out of the tube! I think it's fair to say that I will stop myself from walking into someone who is in my path, but if someone moves into it I don't go out of my way to make space....

mindthegap79 · 27/05/2015 17:08

My ability to weave when pushing my dd is greatly affected by whether she's in the nippy stroller or the tank of a travel system. If I can easily do so I will always weave and wiggle, but if I'm heaving a tank up a hill, and that tank requires extensive preparation and planning to move I'm looking at you Silver Cross, as you prance along unencumbered, then I think you should get wiggling.

ChuffinAda · 27/05/2015 17:12

Yup. I refused to apologise to them when they walked into me

ChuffinAda · 27/05/2015 17:13

I refused to apologise when they walked into me, they saw it as me being a rude arsehole, they started a row, I walked off

JoanHickson · 27/05/2015 17:14

Take note of those that don't move, they are arseholes in general. An ex used to not move and gave a look if he thought they were not going to budge, people just gave way to him. It was amazing to walk next to someone who parted crowds.

TeenAndTween · 27/05/2015 17:16

My DD age 15 has dyspraxia, she is completely unaware of where her body is in relation to others, and also to what will happen if she keeps moving in a straight line (which she often doesn't do anyway).
I have spent years saying - see that lady, move to the left, or saying walk in a straight line don't cut into me. But she just can't.

So maybe some of these people also just can't

Original poster
TheHumblePotato · 27/05/2015 17:16

I suppose an early warning red flag JoanHickson? Grin

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 27/05/2015 17:16

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74 Was this you, OP?] Grin

arethereanyleftatall · 27/05/2015 17:17

Yanbu.
And I've done the experiment too.
I think it's almost entirely a size hierarchy.
I'm not quite five foot and I move out of everyone's way.
My dh, 6 foot 5 and generally big, - it's like the parting of the Red Sea when he walks anywhere. Everyone moves around him.

JoanHickson · 27/05/2015 17:18

I know now. Grin

Otherd moving, really is a combination of misogyny and body language.

arethereanyleftatall · 27/05/2015 17:19

Whoops - bad cross post with jianhickson. He isn't a bad person.

lampygirl · 27/05/2015 17:23

I don't get path weavers either. Woman in front of me this morning with double buggy in looking at you. It is impossible to overtake them moving slowly if they are weaving at random (nobody else on the path, just not walking straight).

BakerStreetSaxRift · 27/05/2015 18:12

My DH has a tactic - when you're walking towards someone who has juststepped into your path, brace yourself and then look the other way, the person will always move as they think you haven't seen them. If they think you have seen them, they expect you to move for them.

AnulTheMagnificent · 27/05/2015 20:01

I also tried the experiment, in Oxford St. after always being aware of people and moving over, being shoved to the side. I'd had enough.

I straightened my shoulders, head straight and just walked purposefully, everyone moved out of the way. It was good.

TedAndLola · 27/05/2015 20:05

It really does depend on your signals and intention. It's my instinct to move out of the way, and people read that and let me, but sometimes I get tired of weaving in and out while everyone else just walks at me. On those days, when I'm fed up and determined not to move, people naturally give way to me.

I do purposely not move when someone's coming at me engrossed in their phone, not looking. They need to learn to watch where they're going.

CaTsMaMmA · 27/05/2015 20:10

I have a family reputation for being the person to be behind in a busy street...no messing, no weaving, setting a fair path and sticking right to it.

I think my late teens/early twenties in London was my training ground...pretty sure i am not a really bad person either.

I can daunder with the best of them but if I am done with it I am DONE with it.