To think they could make room for a pedestrian walking on the pavement?

[jellyfishinatent]

Walking down the road this morning, 4 adults and 3 children were gathered on the pavement, chatting away, completely blocking it. There is also a large tree built into the pavement, which they were standing next to so blocking the thinnest part of the pavement. On the other side of the tree was 2 parked cars, and one of the adult's in the group's cars pulled up on the other side of the parked cars.

As I approached the group, I politely smiled and said 'excuse me' in the hope that they would bunch in slightly to allow me to pass.

Instead, the man of the group looked at me incredulously and said 'er well we have children...we can't get them to move...you can go around us...?' I didn't see why I should walk out around 3 cars into the middle of the road to pass them, so quietly and politely weaved through the gaps in their group.

I carried on down the road and could here the man bitching at me from behind me, saying in a raised voice 'oh wow....you're just going to push through....wow some people, we've got children, so rude to push through when they can just go round, etc etc, unbelievable '

Said children were I would guess between the ages of 4-7. So more than old enough to be told, 'this lady needs to get past, let's step to the side for a second to let her through'

I was :O :O

If I had had my DD with me, what would have happened? A complete stalemate as we both have children?

Because other people have children, this gives them the right to block walkways and be rude to strangers?!

AIBU to have NOT walked out into the middle of a busy road to walk around this group?!

Thank fuck I'm not married to a man like that, would be mortified if DH behaved that way!

Definitely not being unreasonable I would have been fuming !!

I am fuming was so so close to turning round and confronting him but didn't want to get into a fight!

The other 2 adults in the group were women, but they had their backs to me so didn't see me coming. They did slightly move to make room, but the man didnt at all. If only the man moved, I would have had enough space to get through without anyone else moving!

What a wanker!

what a plonker

They sound like a bunch of pricks. Of course they could have moved across a bit, even with children. They’re setting a terrible example to those children too.

Some people are idiots aren't they?

I'm glad you didn't back down and walk in the road OP!

Good to see IANBU!

Was feeling a little paranoid (is it me who is the one who doesn't understand how a basic civilised human society works?) but seems I've done nothing wrong!

Had a similar incident a couple of years ago where I overtook a man walking down the street, passed him with plenty of space, and he chased me down the street shouting 'OI!!! Stop! Get back here!!' I obviously kept walking (!!) and he eventually caught up with me, 'what the hell do you think you're doing, you're a YOB! who do you think you are, etc etc'. I told him he was unhinged

Quite enjoyed being called a yob though

The weird thing is, these are both seemingly normal men in their 30s.

Now wondering if it was the same guy!

As soon as a child stops being pushed in a pram they can start to be taught to be polite and move to one side, this is perfectly acceptable for a 4 year old to understand.

Agreed. Even with a smaller child in a pram, I would say 'let's try and let these people past' to the child so they can start to understand how to be polite and consider others' needs (thinking a 2-3 Yr old, not a small baby!)

This happens to me all the time. Apparently I, my dog and my bloody huge mobility scooter are invisible. I have found that driving a huge weight of moving metal etc directly at them induces a will to move though.

I just knew it’d be a man behaving like a twat in that situation. A pompous, entitled twat of a man.

I’m also seeing loads of groups of people chatting on pavements lately, making it hard to pass them without getting well within the 2m guideline. They’re all standing 1m apart, shouting at each other, not realising that nobody else can get past.

We should all just start coughing loudly as we approach these groups. Coughing, mopping our brow, saying, “Is it really hot today or is it me?” etc.

Clearly he was a prat. I have a nearly three year old who understands she needs to move out of the way. I imagine the women were mortified. Or, sadly, scared of standing up to him.

@Moondust001

This happens to me all the time. Apparently I, my dog and my bloody huge mobility scooter are invisible. I have found that driving a huge weight of moving metal etc directly at them induces a will to move though.

You're meant to give pedestrians priority though.

He is a turd and you shouldn't waste your energy thinking about him. I don't think the women were any better to be honest, this is how kids grow up to be entitled, a normal parent would have told them to move to the side.

I’m on mat leave so I’ve been walking a lot more than usual and I’ve realised just how selfish people can be. I’m forced to walk in the road every single day on my street because someone 10 doors away always parks their car on the pavement. They have an empty driveway which is the most annoying thing, I just can’t quite fathom it. Then there’s teenagers riding their bicycles on the pavement in groups of 5 or 6, people who walk incredibly slowly but don’t seem to have the self awareness to let me go around them and yes, I’ve experienced similar to you too. Usually at the school gates tbh, they all congregate in big groups (they’re obviously immune to covid) and don’t budge to let me past with the pram... People are twats.

Sure it's selfish, but to be left fuming is I think a waste of emotion. On my walk this morning I had a child, mother and other similarly aged adult blocking a wide path and I stepped out into the road to go around them - never any acknowledgement from them of my presence. Later I stepped again into the road to go around a quite elderly, hunched over, cane-using, woman. I stepped out early to signal that she didn't need to worry. She gave me the sweetest smile and it really gave me a boost to my morning. Both categories of people exist. Always have, always will. By focusing my attention on this person instead of the previous I have set myself up for a much nicer day.

I HATE this - people set themselves up in the middle of the path chatting away.

Even though you know they have seen you coming they just carry on and expect you to levitate over them or something.

I do exactly what a previous poster said and start to cough - REALLY loudly as I am coming though - I find it incredibly effective!

@dudsville I wasn't just ignored. That wouldn't bother me at all. This was a man raising his voice at me

Unless this took place on the deck of the titanic I don't really understand the wailing of "but we have children in our group" . How was that relevant?

@jellyfishinatent

Good to see IANBU!

Was feeling a little paranoid (is it me who is the one who doesn't understand how a basic civilised human society works?) but seems I've done nothing wrong!

Had a similar incident a couple of years ago where I overtook a man walking down the street, passed him with plenty of space, and he chased me down the street shouting 'OI!!! Stop! Get back here!!' I obviously kept walking (!!) and he eventually caught up with me, 'what the hell do you think you're doing, you're a YOB! who do you think you are, etc etc'. I told him he was unhinged

Quite enjoyed being called a yob though

The weird thing is, these are both seemingly normal men in their 30s.

Now wondering if it was the same guy!

Sounds like Mr Morris from Friday Night Dinner 😂

This is one of my pet hates, especially when I’m taking an elderly relative round the block to make sure she doesn’t go off her legs completely. The ignorance of a lot of parents who think it’s their God given right to complete block a pavement with prams, bikes, scooters, multiple children and parents and think I should step into the road around parked cars with a nearly 80 year old clinging on to me. We’ve taken to going in single file with me supporting her from behind and always move if we are the obstruction, but why is it that some people have complete inability to push a pram and talk at the same time? And are downright rude and entitled when other people are trying to use the pavement in the manner it was intended to be used.

Same in the supermarket or corner shops aisles (please can we ban scooters, hoverboards and heelies in supermarkets?). A recent example in a small corner Coop. 3 Mums, seven kids, every kid either on a scooter, skate board or pushing a dolls pram, all stood round having a good catch up while the kids aged 2-9 are zooming up and down the aisles. Occasionally a mum would say “be careful, come and stand with me!” So you’d then get three mums, seven kids and all their accessories blocking the aisles. No, just have your conversation somewhere else. If you want to bring your kids shopping with you, don’t let them bring scooters, bikes, boards, prams. And don’t mouth off when the kids scoot right into a frail elderly person who is just trying to buy some milk while you gossip and turn a blind eye to your 8 year olds playing races in the next aisle.

@Plumbear2

As soon as a child stops being pushed in a pram they can start to be taught to be polite and move to one side, this is perfectly acceptable for a 4 year old to understand.

This was my thought. I let my 15 month old go for walks. Obviously hes slow and gets in the way but I say were letting the lady past as I hold him to my leg while somone goes by. He doesnt fully understand yet but I'm laying the foundation.

I would be livid, absolutely not on. I thought we were all meant to be social distancing anyway.

So rude of them

@jellyfishinatent

Walking down the road this morning, 4 adults and 3 children were gathered on the pavement, chatting away, completely blocking it. There is also a large tree built into the pavement, which they were standing next to so blocking the thinnest part of the pavement. On the other side of the tree was 2 parked cars, and one of the adult's in the group's cars pulled up on the other side of the parked cars.

As I approached the group, I politely smiled and said 'excuse me' in the hope that they would bunch in slightly to allow me to pass.

Instead, the man of the group looked at me incredulously and said 'er well we have children...we can't get them to move...you can go around us...?' I didn't see why I should walk out around 3 cars into the middle of the road to pass them, so quietly and politely weaved through the gaps in their group.

I carried on down the road and could here the man bitching at me from behind me, saying in a raised voice 'oh wow....you're just going to push through....wow some people, we've got children, so rude to push through when they can just go round, etc etc, unbelievable '

Said children were I would guess between the ages of 4-7. So more than old enough to be told, 'this lady needs to get past, let's step to the side for a second to let her through'

I was :O :O

If I had had my DD with me, what would have happened? A complete stalemate as we both have children?

Because other people have children, this gives them the right to block walkways and be rude to strangers?!

AIBU to have NOT walked out into the middle of a busy road to walk around this group?!

Thank fuck I'm not married to a man like that, would be mortified if DH behaved that way!

Having children doesn't mean you can't move to one side ...some people are crazy! ...on our walk home from nursery we have to walk across a narrow bridge ... whenever there are people coming towards us (or up behind us but faster) ...I tell my toddler keep to the side ...she does and now knows to do this often telling me keep to the side mummy if she sees someone oncoming !

@DreamingofGinoclock ahh she sounds sweet