Was I wrong to push past or were they wrong to block me?

[IceMap]

Trying to get across a busy train station to make a connecting service. A few others rushing, most meandering very slowly.

In London there seems to be an unspoken rule that you stand/walk to one side so people in a hurry can get past- perfect! Everywhere else people seem oblivious to others in a rush. Almost as though it's not done to hurry. At this station I got stuck behind numerous people drifting slowly while chatting, daydreaming/playing with phones, lugging suitcases 3-abreast etc. I had 4 minutes to get to my platform so called out 'excuse me can I squeeze past' repeatedly as I nudged forward into gaps. Some made way but many just glared and one woman deliberately blocked me, moving in front of me with her wheely-suitcase every time I tried to dodge round She then took forever to find her ticket at the barrier while I was stuck behind her!

What's the etiquette here? Do people think you're queue jumping if you don't stick to the pace of the majority?

I get escalater rage. Manchester Piccadilly is just as bad. If you're on an escalater, just stand to the right like the voice and the signs say! You can let go of your bf/gf's had for the 20 seconds it takes to go up or down it, or look up from your frigging phone. If you've got 3 suitcases, then use the bloody lift like you're supposed to and as for taking a pushchair on the escalater, that's just fucking dangerous and stupid.

See we're close to Glasgow and at Central Station people do keep to the right on escalators, etc. to allow people past and there are signs up everywhere telling you to have your tickets ready. If you don't, you stand at the side until you find them so that you aren't blocking people. In my experience, this is enforced by the men and women manning the barriers. It's common courtesy. But it cuts both ways. If you're going to be an arsehole, people will react. I'm not saying you were an arse, OP. Your behaviour sounds perfectly polite.

We were in Manchester airport a couple of years ago having just flown home from holiday. We were in a lift trying to find our way to the train station when the foulest family on the planet stormed into it. They were all screaming at each other about missing their flight - shouting and balling and generally carrying on. The 'dad' in the family shoved DD (8 at the time) out of the way to get to the lift buttons, making her crash into my suitcase and telling her to "get out my way!" I got a mouthful of abuse when I asked him what the hell he was doing - she was only little and I didn't care what the circumstances were, he couldn't manhandle a child like that. So he starts roaring at me about how they were going to miss their flight, and I start roaring back with my Glaswegian accent getting heavier the angrier I got. I then got a mouthful for being 'Scottish scum'. I was born in England

Meanwhile, DD's pondering the injustice in all of this quite quietly as we stand and argue, and the next thing I know, she looks right at the man, smiles and pulls an Elf. Runs both hands down every single button in the lift making it light up like a damn Christmas tree. He becomes apoplectic with rage, everyone else in the lift is struggling not to laugh and DD's looking vair, vair proud of herself.

I nearly fucking died trying to keep a straight face.

Moral of the story? Don't be an arsehole

Vino Your DD is brilliant

I'm finding it hilarious that you shouted at him in a heavy Glaswegian accent and then when he called you "Scottish scum" you didn't think
how rude, being Scottish is not scummy
you thought
I was born in ENGLAND
:o

YWNBU. THey were being bloody-minded. It's standard big city, buy street etiquette:

You can walk slowly, but do it single file

If you want to walk two or 3 abreast, you need to be going quickly.

Walk Narrow or Walk Nimble

Tips for crowded streets

I think in a big city, or a crowded place, it is good manners - and actually, an adult responsibility - to be aware of one's surroundings.

So, if you're uncertain of where you need to be going, don't just stop. Step out of the flow of foot traffic and consult your map, or read a sign eg like standing on the right of the Tube escalator - signs are everywhere. I live in the depths of the country, but even I know how to get about in a big city.

And I despise those couples of families who just have to walk 2 or 3 abreast. I remember once having to dodge into traffic when a family of 5, all holding hands, were coming towards me on a zebra crossing. Taking up the entire width of the crossing.

Because of course my safety was of no consequence to their need to hold each other's hands. Or they'd melt or explode or something.

It's everyone for themselves. I've barged past people when I'm in a rush, I've deliberately blocked rude people when I'm not in a rush (the knack is to make it look like you genuinely aren't doing it deliberately, so the woman at the gate failed massively there).

Learning how to block effectively is an important stepping stone in learning how to scythe through a crowd quickly yourself. You need to learn about how crowds flow and how people move.

As a rule, if you charge directly at someone and you make it obvious that you aren't afraid of a bit of contact, they'll cede position to you. It sounds a bit harsh, but it is important to make quick judgements about people; don't charge that intimidating man but aim to work your way through easier and weaker targets.

The process is the same in any crowded place - a shop, in the street, at the bar. Be persistent, take every inch and concede none. Ask yourself, would you rather look pushy and rude, or miss your train and have to freeze your arse off on the station platform for a couple of hours while you wait for the next one?

You were stood on the left? Didn't you notice that EVERYONE else was stood on the right?

No I didn't notice, my mind was on other things at the time, like whether I was on the right escalator and where I needed to go next. As I said earlier, I was very stressed. I made a mistake. An etiquette mistake. Not a crime. If some people in London think it's ok to push people out of the way if they make a mistake, then I'm glad I live somewhere where we're generally a bit kinder to each other.

Op said excuse me, and people just stood there or deliberately blocked her path. I always say 'excuse me' in in loud tone, and people normally pull to one side.

The woman blocking you was definitely rude.

This wasn't a queue jumping situation, and quite honestly I've been stuck in a long queue at security and someone has called out 'please can I go ahead? My flight leaves in 20 minutes' and they've been hustled through to the front, because most people are nice, and know how that goes.

When you are in a crowded place and you have to get through, pushing against people can't be avoided, and as you were taking the trouble to say 'Excuse me' I suspect you were not knocking people flying, but just rubbing against them as you slithered through.

As it was London I suspect many of the people were tourists and might not have known about the 'slow moving people on the right' etiquette. They may not have been able to translate 'Excuse Me' quickly enough to move aside to let you through, hence not moving and the glares when you did. They probably realized a few seconds later.

I think blocking woman was the only truly rude person in this situation.