People who don't move out the way on the pavement

[EarwigO]

Is it just me or is this getting worse?
You're walking along, someone (or a group of people) come the other way, you both need to move slightly to pass without colliding. Only they don't.

It used to be a thing I noticed men doing - I got so annoyed with having to step into the gutter/press myself against a wall to avoid them, I stopped doing it and let them walk into me. At which point they invariably apologised!

But it seems to happen so much more frequently now, and not with men - usually a couple or a group of women.
Do they honestly not notice you? Not care? Just expect you to disappear out their way?

I do this too. Especially when it's a couple who couldn't possibly stop holding hands for a second and walk single file so I can walk past without going in the road. Luckily I am built like a tank.

I don't care. Pretty much everyone is moving far too slow for me on a pavement anyway so I have to go around them all. Seriously, the general public moves at a snail like pace, if I was waiting for them to step aside I would never get anywhere.

I have noticed this the more I go out. I regularly have people walk straight into my large 8 month pregnant bump or expect me to move for them in 0.001 second.
I cannot abide the 2/3 abreast people walking towards you who refuse to move. I often step into the road or move aside and I’m sick of feeling I have to when nobody ever does the same for me.
I see a lot of disabled people walked into often, an elderly lady was knocked off her feet by a large man in my local town and he didn’t even stop to apologise or help her.
The only people I have witnessed to be considerate when out and about is oddly teenagers, perhaps it’s dependent on where you live but I do notice teenage boys step aside for women with prams, elderly and disabled which is lovely to see, although rare.
If you don’t intend to move for anyone regardless of disabilities to just plain selfishness, then walk close to the wall/road side so there is plenty of space for others to walk past or overtake if necessary.
People have become very selfish and entitled, it doesn’t inconvenience anyone to move aside by a few steps for 2 seconds. The world has gone to shit.

When this happens, I just stop, stand still and wait, which usually means that the people coming towards me have to skirt round me. Doesn't always work, of course. I was recently 'shouldered' by a young man who obviously thought I should instantly evaporate because he couldn't bear to be a couple of feet away from his mates. I think people are generally much more rude these days. So consumed in their own importance that basic manners have gone down the drain. Although they expect politeness and 'respect' for themselves, of course.

I have consciously stopped moving aside for men. Not elderly men on mobility scooters etc, but men generally. Once you start noticing their utter entitlement and blithe assumption of primacy, you can't unsee it. I have been known to mutter "do I look like a fucking doorway?" at the most egregious offenders.

I can’t stand this entitled attitude. I was raised to step aside, and to make sure I stay to one side when using the pavement. I always ensure my young children do this for everyone - regardless of their age, gender or how able on their feet they may be.

It enrages me when people do not move over, especially when they can see I/my children and I have made an effort. They proceed to steamroller you, knocking hard into you with their bags - ignorant, rude bastards.

This made me laugh, although I’ve noticed the same thing and I find it infuriating! People and groups of people refusing to budge an inch, when it would be so much easier for them than for me - navigating a buggy and a walking preschooler. I’ve also noticed that a lot of the time it is younger people (late teens/ early 20s).

For balance, the other day a lovely young lad helped us all off the bus. He was probably 17/18. I keep thinking about him because he’s really not the norm around here!

I know what you mean OP. I found that if I stand still in a crowd or with a group coming towards me, then I don't get so jostled as when I am moving. I think it might be because people automatically move out of the way of a stationary object, but not moving objects. Its not 100% infallible, but it does work.

Where I live it's mothers with teenage daughters. 'Look at us, we're so ace, we get the whole pavement and you get the gutter, cheerio!'

Unbearable isn't it? I'm 4'11 with the shortest legs and still end up overtaking 6'+ men because they are trundling along at a snail's pace.

It's anmoying when it is group taking over pavement, but by myself, I stopped moving aside unless it's someone with mobility issues.
I just got fed up by being the nice idiot for nothing.
But I would make 4 people next to each other on pavement blocking it whole a criminal offence🙈 Same with prams

Yesterday a couple were walking towards me and I moved to the side closest to the road to give us all room to pass. But then a woman who was walking fast and pulling a wheeled suitcase behind the couple decided to overtake them just as they all met me. As a result she stepped into my path trajectory.

I'm annoyed at myself because I stepped out into the road without thinking so that she could pass. Really I should have stood my ground and made her either stop and move back behind the couple or step into the road herself.

People seem oblivious to the needs of others these days. I was also walked into the other day by a bloke glued to his phone. I tried to avoid him but he was weaving as he wasn't watching where he was going.

I actually find kids / teenagers are more likely to give me room to pass.

I move slightly over and stick my elbow out. Fuck 'em.

Walking three abreast down a narrow pavement is unacceptable.
I walk normally towards them until level then stand still and force them to go into single file to walk round me.
Being in company does not give you rights to the width of the pavement!
It is just ignorance!

I'm sure it's worse since Covid too, which is strange after the extreme taking turns in the early couple of months. It seemed to be the winter lockdown that it got daft, particularly as it was too muddy for people to spread out onto the grass of parks. There were some parks I stopped going to because they were heaving with formation walkers refusing to change formation to let people past. I took up walking/ running in the dead city centre instead!

The other variation is using a dog lead as a whole path width trip wire. Again, feels worse due to there being more dogs, but isn't a new phenomeon.

Bloody annoying. Last week I had hurt my foot and was visibly lumping.
Two women with pushchairs were walking beside each other on the path towards me, and as they got closer, made no attempt to let me pass. I just stopped walking and they reluctantly 'single filed ' past me and then complained about "some people who don't move ". Idiots.

I was always taught to veer to the left like we do on the road but a lot of people will go right and squeeze past you like you’re in the wrong.
Others just don’t move or are so glued to their phones that they are surprised when someone is there.

Don’t get me started on people that stand on the pavement talking and don’t move to let you pass.

It's not new. This annoys me a lot though.

A friend at uni was that person though. I remember walking somewhere with her and I tried to slow down to step in behind her, she slowed, I sped up to get in front, she sped up. I said people are coming we need to walk single file she said 'oh'

I also move to the side if I need to send a text. I hate people walking with their head down and ploughing into you! I had recently had to yell at someone 'look look look' as she was heading right for a verge. (Not a dangerous one but she most likely would have fallen)

Boomer women are the worst for it!!! You all seem to think the world owes you something. Madness. You are 50-odd, not 80-odd!

She would gen x, not boomer at 55 and it sounded like a light hearted quip, not a demand.

It amazes me how many people walk along staring at their phone so no chance of seeing you and moving aside.

Me too. I'll shoulder-charge people who invade my space when glued to their phones. It's always funny when they apologise and immediately realise they've been jostled or shoulder-charged.

You can't go around assaulting people because they aren't looking.

And I would not be apologising to you if you "shoulder charged" me. You'd be regretting it.

Yes. I shout ‘you’re welcome’ after them sometimes..

I'm so used to moving out the way that I tried to stop one day and it was so nerve wracking! Anyway. I can only assume more people are trying it. As a result no one will move for anyone