Non movers when walking on the pavement

[TheHumblePotato]

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?

I live next to a giant shopping centre, which apparently has the power to strike blind anyone entering, as I've never seen anyone look where they're going.

When I was nine months pregnant with a 9lbs 6oz baby I nearly fell over trying to avoid a woman walking directly towards me and swerving into my path every time I changed direction. She did this because she was staring fixedly into a shop window instead of looking where she was going. She even said sorry, and still didn't look and still didn't stop weaving!

I then spent six years using a buggy, which people would walk in front of despite it being double and fire engine red. Fortunately it was easy to steer, which came in handy when my toddler and 90 year old aunt were hanging on to the sides and I still had to get all of us out of the way of people who refused to walk round us.

Now my ambition is to go there with a flamethrower. I'd make the world a better place, or at least a politer one

I go though clapham Junction everyday. Crowds of people emerge onto the bridge at the end of the platforms and everyone is crisscrossing, rushing to find their next train.

My tactic is to stride quickly in a straight line and when I come upon someone who is potentially on a collision course with me I will turn my head and look to the side. I'm still looking at where I'm going in my peripheral vision but it makes the other person make their choice cos they think I'm not paying attention. This avoids the dance in my experience.

I was crossing Putney bridge last summer and a twentyish year old man decided to shout aggressively at me "Wot? r u just gonna walk in to me then b?" when we were still about 5 metres away from crossing paths. I thought that was kinda weird.

I read somewhere that if you look for example to your left, the other person will go the other way. It works most of the time!

I've never understood in places like London why they don't have a slow and fast lane on pavements. What to amble along, looking at the sights etc. great, get in the right lane. Got somewhere to be - get in the other lane.

My town is a massive attraction for foreign students. All summer, groups of about 50 or 60 will walk along taking up a whole pedestrianised high street. Bad enough if you're going their way, if you're going the opposite way, god help you. None of the buggers move or separate to let you through.

Yanbu.
It was worst when dd was a baby. I had a massive blue ancient silver cross pram. People STILL didn't get out of my way. I had one guy walk straight into the pram, woke dd up in a screaming newborn rage and said 'oh sorry, didn't see you there'
He got a sleep deprived new mum onslaught, and looked surprised by it!

I've noticed this a lot going to/from DS's school. There are two schools on the same site and one of the entrances is a narrow (probably two people wide only) path. Its busy and there are always people going both ways.

Now I fall in behind or get DS to go in front of me when I see someone coming.... as do most people. But there is always at least one set of people everyday who just dont seem to be able to figure this bit of etiquette out, and seem to get flustered as though they just dont know what to do

I had a massive blue ancient silver cross pram. People STILL didn't get out of my way

OTOH, I find it very annoying that people wheeling "massive" prams feel that they have right of way.

2 days in a row (twice in one day) I've nearly been run over by prams or by kids on scooters accompanying women with prams. On one occasion it was two women with prams yapping away and striding side by side. I was with DD going the opposite direction and they would not go single file so DD had to squeeze past on the edge of the pavement whilst I had to step into the road. They didn't even flinch the entitled cowbags.

Today a woman practically mowed me and another guy down from behind as the gap was narrow and we weren't walking fast enough for her (although I saw her stop and chat to a friend further down so she couldn't have been in that much of a hurry).

A lot of people just don't get that I can't magically make my buggy suddenly narrower and if the gap isn't big enough then it simply isn't big enough. I make ds1 hold onto the side and I do make sure I move him out of the way if there's not a lot of room.
Most of the time I meet with courteous people but every now and again....
I will say 'excuse me' a maximum of three times. After that - if I end up bumping you then you can't say you weren't warned.

I try to be polite but get sick of constantly dodging. Other women seem to be the worst offenders, striding purposefully straight at me and expecting me to shift, so I've got that I wont move either. Worst is coming out of the train station at rush hour, its like being part of a huge migratory herd.

Apparently you need to look at a point in the distance and people will move-I've tried it and a five foot person and it's works.j think the oncoming people read it as 'she's not looking where she's going so I'd best get out of the way'

I must look like I'm not going to move but I always do, which means I'm constantly doing the little dance.