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

[SuperFlyHigh]

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.

Is it deliberate or are they paying more attention to their mobile phones? I generally get out of the way of these people but am increasingly wondering why I should (other than to avoid a collision and unnecessary conflict).

I am dyspraxic and will often walk into them if I haven't got enough time to process I need to move then I have the issue of getting past them which takes another minute as I seem to always go the same way

Are you over 50? If so, you might just have 'disappeared'.

Oh shit I passed 50 can you see me?
Today at Boots I was looking at Shampoo and this teen about 16 was jabbering away to her Mum I assume who was following her, she stopped dead between me and the shampoos I was looking I had one in my hand and was about to put it back, she stood there, blocking me, talking, looking at the shampoos, then at other things then walked off, her Mum looked embarrassed and said sorry as she scurried after her. Met them again in next isle, Mum dragged her from in front of me as she was about to repeat it all.

I've always had this, and i'm 5ft 11, so it's not height related.

While walking down a very wide, relatively empty pavement in my 20s, i saw a man heading towards me directly in my line, so i looked him in the eye, and thought no way mate, i'm not swerving anymore.. We actually collided! Killed my shoulder. So i continue to adjust my path to this day.

Gawd knows why there's a definite swerve and non swerve division!

I can see you Squinkies (but so have I )

So what happens when two people who refuse to move out of the way for others meet each other coming the other way?
You bump into each other. Can't you see the you are as bad as the people who walk into you?

It's when there are 2 or 3 of them in a group and I end up walking on the road rather than them move to single file and they don't even look at or acknowledge you. Rude!

Exactly Oysterbabe.

Patter killer - I feel your pain, literally. If people paid attention they may notice I walk a bit funny as I'm stiff and in pain, plus the back supports I sometimes where. I wonder if they would notice more if I had a walking stick. Stopping, starting and swerving is painful, with a pushchair more so.

Kids and even older teens seem to struggle with this, my five year old is the worst as she lacks awareness of others and her own physicality, I tried to steer her so she doesn't get in the way. Kids on bikes and scooters are even more of a pain and the parents never say anything if there's a near miss.

The worst I had
I stopped for a cigarette in an area set back off the (very wide) pavement. A woman walking along the pavement swerved into the set back area, walked so close she stood on my foot and then tutted at me when the smoke went in her face!
She had about 8ft to walk around me

I am generally really concious of people around me, I look people in the eyes and move out of the way appropriately. HOWEVER, now that I am heavily pregnant I find that people expect me to move when it's clearly hard for me to walk at all, I find that I am doing triple the journey because of the amount of dodging I do. I have also found this when pushing my BF's wheelchair, or a buggy or if someone has obvious mobility issues.

I hate when you are walking along and someone directly cuts across your path to go into a shop and bumps into you, I view it like pulling into a junction when driving. Wait for a gap!

My DF is notorious in shops for not realising that people are looking at displays, shopping and reaching for items. I get quite embarrassed, he is elderly so people don't say anything but it's not too hard to be aware of people behind you.

I dont understand it. We have a narrow two person path leading into school, two schools with slightly staggered starts so people going both ways at the same time.

I always get DS to walk in front of me or behind...so do most people. But there are always a few twats that walk side by side, see others coming toward them and dont think to move into single file.

It stumps me

As for the people who cannot leave each others side, I walk right next to the buildings so they have to walk in the road.

OP as others have pointed out, by not changing your path so you don't walk into them you're doing exactly the same as they are.

I live near a touristy city centre and you could spend all day weaving in and out of people who seem to have no spatial awareness . I occasionally have a little game of 'chicken' on the way to shops at lunch and see how many people will step aside for me.

I just stop, I am 5 ft 3 but 17st they tend to stop when they hit me or my shoulder, I prefer to walk on the inside so tend not to have anywhere to dive off to and refuse to walk around such self important twats that can't be arsed to look where they are going, pay attention or catch your eye as you both dozedo. I have been known to be rude if I get muttered at.

I walk about the double the speed of most people and they tend not to get in my way. I'm usually carrying a heavy wheelie work bag too so they tend to steer well clear. I don't find people walk into me and I manage to avoid them - in fact when safe to do so in London I try to walk on the kerb or on the road.

I experience this mainly from older people making a point that I am on my phone and should be looking where I'm going. They walk directly in to me on purpose then look at my phone in my hand and tut when I was quite aware of them and had no intention of walking in to them

I know what you mean, OP. Some days I walk down our school path with 2 or 3 parents walking towards me leaving me nowhere to go. I'm to move aside for people but when they are taking up the whole path it becomes very difficult. I honestly wonder whether I'm see-through sometimes.

Other days I know I'm striding more purposefully and not as hunched over. Those are the days they move.

The worst are the gangs of parents with kids on scooters who take up the width of the path while the scooter riders head straight at you. I know kids can be wierd about being aware of where they're headed but it's up to their parents to say "mind you don't go into that lady, go round or wait till she has gone past."

Is there no "keep to the left" rule anymore?

I can just imagine two people from this thread striding down the pavement muttering about how people don't move over when for them and ending up in a Mexican Standoff.

Unstoppable force and an immovable object.

It's because they're all fuckwits, OP, they're all fuckwits

Is it the same thing that makes them veer towards wherever you happen to be browsing in an otherwise empty shop and you then end up awkwardly bumping hangers and apologising.
Because that gives me the rage too.