Out walking

[Mountains91]

So out walking this morning, there is a tarmac path on the walk, thick grass to ether side.
Two ladies standing talking, both with dogs, one on the grass one in the middle of the path.
I’m approaching with my Pram, the lady on the path is looking at me, makes no indication of moving herself or the dog to the side.
So here’s me trying to push the Pram though this thick grass while they stand there and watch me.
Made me so mad! If she had stepped even a little bit onto the grass, I could of stayed on the path.
I’m not an arsehole, I don’t expect people to move for me just because I have a Pram, but would it not of been decent of her?
Grass and weeds all caught up in the underneath of the Pram, basically pulling the grass out of the ground as I was pushing.
I suppose I’m so mad because it seems to happen a lot here.

[Quackersandcheese3]

I think it was pretty rude of the dumb ass lady not to move out the way . However I would have said excuse me .

[nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut]

Just say Excuse me please, this pram doesn't do grass! Smile as you say it and 99% of the time, you will get a an Oh sorry! And they'll move. No confrontation, no struggling through the grass and everyone get on with their day.

[IntermittentParps]

You should never be expected to take a pram off the path - I've scraped dog poo off wheels far too often.
By that token I as a pedestrian should never be expected to take myself off the path because I've scraped dog poo off my shoes far too often.

[Bubblewings]

Not exactly the same but something quite similar this morning - walking with buggy and a man had just parked partially on pavement and asked if I could get round. I said yes and he just stood there...asked if he could move to the side and he said “why, has something happened”?? I looked a bit confused and mentioned the 2 metre distancing. he replied with “oh does that still apply in (village name)???

[bloodyhellsbellsx]

Just say ‘sorry can I get past’, surely it makes more sense for them to step to side for a moment than you manoeuvre a pram on the grassy verge,

[vanillandhoney]

So instead of just asking them to move, you pushed your pram through the long grass?

Why?

[Haggisfish]

Yes I would have just said ‘ could you move over please’

[FOJN]

Brefugee I like your style.

Common courtesy like common sense should be common but experience teaches us that unfortunately it's not so it's really in our own interests not to assume. I'm afraid OP you made your own life difficult by expecting people to move without saying excuse me please. You might think you shouldn't need to ask but apparently you did need to and chose not to and hence ended up trying to push a pram through the grass.

I always try to make space for people, you might think they would say thank you but many don't, it's just life.

[PickAChew]

You should have just kept walking and said excuse me.

[PickAChew]

@intermittentparps it's easier to watch where you're putting 2 feet than 2 feet and 4 wheels.

[IntermittentParps]

@intermittentparps it's easier to watch where you're putting 2 feet than 2 feet and 4 wheels.

Nonetheless, I object to the attitude that someone with a pram should 'never' be expected to accommodate anyone else.

[backinthebox]

If you feel stressed by situations like this though there are ways to minimise the stress. Politely asking someone to let you through seems as though it would be much less stressful to you than pushing your pram through the grass then coming here and replaying it over and over on an Internet forum. Just pick your battles and live an easier life. Unless you like a good old internet hoo-haa about inconsiderate people who should have noticed you coming but didn’t and therefore didn’t think to move. There’s no shame in saying you enjoy a good bit of argy-bargy and this is giving you a vicarious thrill.

[Hillarious]

Just wanted to have a little moan about it, - that sums up the post. Should've just said "excuse me".

[forsucksfake]

They should have moved. You are right.

I shared your frustration at the start of Lockdown when I expected people would socially distance and display common courtesy on walking routes. They didn't. I was coming home more tense than I left because of people's cluelessness, arrogance or selfishness.

For my own sanity and peace of mind, I soon learned to just assume everyone is a selfish ass and to therefore walk defensively: I automatically move to the long grass/off the path if I see groups of talkers, cyclists and runners or other walkers.

It's shit, and it's even more shit with a pram. Sorry OP.

[Musicaltheatremum]

My partner and I go single file when passing people out walking but the number who just stay 2 or 3 abreast and don't move 6 feet away is getting worse...like we don't exist. It really annoys me. The risk is probably very small it's the rules just now so follow them for goodness sake.

[ThePants999]

I would of said excuse me

What do you mean, you WOULD have? You had the opportunity. You didn't.

You're right that you shouldn't have NEEDED to, but when they didn't move without prompting, it was your decision to go through the long grass instead of saying "excuse me".

[ChristmasFluff]

I'd have said 'excuse me' without a second thought, and without assuming they were arseholes. Sometimes some people get engrossed in their conversation. Sometimes some people don't think things through. Not everyone is focussing on anticipating the needs of others all the time in the way some of us are.

Being assertive and not expecting people to do as you do yourself makes life a lot less stressful.

[SomewhereInbetween1]

I cannot believe you would rather push your pram through the grass and mud than simply ask the woman if she could move to the side to let you pass. She should have offered sure, but you needn't cut your nose to spite your face. If it keeps happening just get aggy! She was being a dick.

[Laaalaaaa]

Ive encountered so many ignorant people whilst out with the pram that I wouldn’t bother saying ‘excuse me’ to anybody anymore. Perhaps the original poster has also experienced this so no longer bothers. I’ve had people say to me that there was no need to take my pram onto the grass / asked where I was supposed to go as they made no effort to leave the path and responded ‘just walk past us’ eh no - it’s only a narrow path and I’d still quite like to distance.

[slartibarti]

Mumsnet seems to have a lot of posters who would rather inconvenience themselves than speak to a stranger.

[Ginfordinner]

It does indeed slarti

[Cherrysoup]

YANBU, I think they were very rude! I take one dog and my DH has the other on their leads and we will go single file or wait to let others go past. I’ll walk down the grass border to allow everyone to walk on the tarmac of the lane going to the park.

[BillysMyBunny]

It would have been courteous for them to move out of the way without asking, but it seems ridiculous to not even attempt to ask them to move, force yourself into the grass in a strange martyr-ish way and then start a thread about how annoyed you are about it. It definitely sounds like simply saying, ‘Excuse me please’ would have been a lot less effort for you and I think if you didn’t even alert them to your attention and your need to pass you are being unreasonable to be annoyed about it now.

[5foot5]

Mumsnet seems to have a lot of posters who would rather inconvenience themselves than speak to a stranger.

Yup.

A bit annoying the woman didn't have the common sense and courtesy to move without being asked but she might have just been caught up in her conversation and not thinking. It was a bit daft to try and plough through the grass verge when a simple "Excuse me" would probably have done the trick.

[RoLaren]

My elderly Mum told me the story of how she was forced to step into the round to get past a 'pack' of teenagers with their backs to her blocking the pavement. I asked her if she'd said 'Excuse me!' and she said, 'No point, they wouldn't have moved - they were teenagers (to rhyme with 'baddies')' The following week one of them offered to put out her wheelie bin.