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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask why some people walk directly into my path?

69 replies

SuperFlyHigh · 21/11/2015 16:21

Have recently noticed this phenomenon and wanted to ask AIBU about people who when you're out walking walk deliberately towards you into your path of walking causing you to swerve. Diagonally seems a favourite tactic and i almost have to leap out of the road!

An ex colleague of mine said this happened to him too so it can't be a one off.

Why do they do it?! Mostly people by themselves.

OP posts:
TaliZorah · 21/11/2015 16:23

I have no sense of direction and can't walk in a straight line. I accidentally hit someone with an umbrella last week. Oops.

OP it's because we're clumsy

Oysterbabe · 21/11/2015 16:24

I know what you mean. I feel sometimes like on paths that are too narrow it's always, always me who gives way and if I didn't people would just barge into me.

ChameleonCircuit · 21/11/2015 16:27

If I see it coming I stop and develop an interest in my phone. I'm a bit too solid to be shoved out of the way, so they tend to go round me.

SquinkiesRule · 21/11/2015 16:29

When someone seems to be about to walk into me, I stop dead. It confuses the heck out of them. They look at me as if they want me to step aside. Weird.

foragogo · 21/11/2015 16:29

I get this a lot too and assume its because im short and look like an easy target and they assume i will get out of their way (i dont)

patterkiller · 21/11/2015 16:29

I have a chronic bad back and people swerving, stopping abruptly or just crashing into me for no other reason than they weren't looking, can kick my back out of alignment and gave weeks of pain.

Christmas is the worst, bloody amateur shoppers. Thank god for online shopping.

As a side there was talk at our local mall to introduce a slow/browsing lane and a fast lane.

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/11/2015 16:32

Tali no they aren't clumsy and they can walk into a straight line (eg into me) I've seen people walk towards me in a straight line but they refuse to move over or 'give way'!

In fact I think some people are more considerate when driving including me!

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/11/2015 16:34

foragogo yeah I'm 5 ft 5 but that's not that short! My colleague was 5 ft 7 and male.

I never noticed it until recently though Confused

OP posts:
TaliZorah · 21/11/2015 16:34

Oh, I thought you meant people zig zagging by going diagonal.

I have no idea if they're just walking at you

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/11/2015 16:35

Tali if they zigzagged I'd presume they were drunk or just trying to get out of my way!

OP posts:
Sirzy · 21/11/2015 16:35

I think a lot of people just don't look where they are going.

Yet again today pushing Ds in his special needs buggy (so not small and hard to notice) I have had lots of people walk straight in front, of try to squeeze past where there isn't room to, or walk straight into us. I seemed to spend most of the day dodging people!

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/11/2015 16:40

Sirzy these people seem to be looking at me! It's almost like I won't move like the Dr Zeuss cartoon with the cartoon characters they build the flyover around!

OP posts:
TeenAndTween · 21/11/2015 16:43

My DD probably does that when I'm not around.

She has dyspraxia.

She regularly walks into bollards, doorframes etc. She seems to have limited perception as to whether her trajectory will coincide with anyone. Even if she does notice people/things she doesn't seem to be able to take avoidance action early enough.

I spend a lot of time when walking saying things like 'step to the left so you don't hit that gentleman with the white cane'.

mileend2bermondsey · 21/11/2015 16:44

I do the same as Squinkies especially if they are on their phones.

OP IKWYM sometimes it is deliberate, not an 'oh, I wasnt looking where I was going!' thing. I think its a power thing, like assertiveness or something?

Ive noticed this kind of walking obliviousness is much worse outside of London (excluding tourists ofc).

TurnWifiOn · 21/11/2015 16:57

I am struggling with a bit dizziness so sorry to everyone if it's me, I veer in one direction sometime.

roundandroundthehouses · 21/11/2015 16:58

I'm short and find that in crowds people head for me, thinking I'm an empty space. It's particularly annoying at gigs, etc., when the space in front of me inevitably turns into a thoroughfare of people shoving past.

In the street, if someone's barging towards me, I've had some amount of success by making eye contact. Bizarrely, this often seems to make people move aside. No idea why, but maybe it's worth a try.

CuppaSarah · 21/11/2015 17:00

Yes! I know exactly what you mean. I've decided not to give way anymore, I just make eye contact and refuse to break it with my head held high. It is entirely a power thing IMO as I find the more confident I seem the more people move aside.

If its a case of they find avoiding others difficult this makes it very obvious and I can take the initiative to avoid them, which is fair enough. I do always move out the way for buggies, the elderly and anyone else who obviously has priority though!

ApocalypseNowt · 21/11/2015 17:03

This is why i take a cattle prod out with me when i go shopping.

celtictoast · 21/11/2015 17:03

Not to mention the people walking in twos or threes, taking up the whole pavement, who don't move over at all so you have to either stop or walk in the road!

FindoGask · 21/11/2015 17:10

Presumably to these people, you're in their way too. I doubt they're doing it deliberately to annoy you, or to do some sort of mexican stand off, but more because when lots of people are walking around in the same area, sometimes some of them need to adjust their paths to avoid bumping in to each other.

There's a lot of persecution complexes on this thread.

Muskey · 21/11/2015 17:14

I have noticed this but (awaits flaming) especially with teenagers. I think it's a kind of game (albeit not very funny). I used to give way but now I just stand my ground and watch them bounce off me which I do find hilariously funny.

Another good trick that I developed after many moons of commuting into London. Whilst waiting for my train at Waterloo if anybody walked to close to me I would deliberately change the way I was standing so one foot would be in front of the other.the number of people (I don't do this to everyone just the ones who do it on purpose and trust me after 10 years of computing you can tell) that have tripped as a result is amazing. The funny thing is they never can really tell who did it unless the station is really empty in which case they should be looking where they are going. One particular night when there was serious problems with the trains I awarded people marks out of. 10 to see how well they recovered. My favourite type of people are the ones who pretend nothing has happened. I love them

Pipbin · 21/11/2015 17:18

I've seen people walk towards me in a straight line but they refuse to move over or 'give way'!

But equally you are walking straight towards them refusing to move over or 'give way'. Why should they move when you refuse to.

FindoGask · 21/11/2015 17:23

exactly, Pipbin.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 21/11/2015 17:27

It happens to me all the bloody time!

Also, if I'm stood looking at a display people will stand in front of me.. I'm like WTF! Or saying excuse me, so you step aside to let them pass but no.. they actually just want to stand precisely where you stand.

Pipbin · 21/11/2015 17:28

People who walk two or three abreast or don't acknowledge when you stand aside for them piss me off, but pavements are a two way street and you need to both give way to each other.