Men DO NOT have right of way!

[CalmDownCats]

Has anyone else noticed this?

Since around my mid-40s I've noticed that, in particular older men my age or above, just barge straight towards me and expect me to get out of their way.

Since realising this seemed to actually be a thing, I now just hold my ground and keep going. I sometimes even get silly, smirky looks from them as they go around me, as if they know exactly what they are doing.

It's usually older guys, never really younger ones.

Is this just me or does it happen to others too? Is it something that's always happened to middle aged ladies or just a sign of the times?

It's called Patriarchy Chicken - when you, a mere woman, refuse to continue to get out of the way of men on pavements.

yy patriarchy chicken.

I can't play any more, I am too feeble and tottery but I used to square up to oncoming blokes and give them a rictus grin at their shock.

This is actually a game?? I am definitely not a willing participant but just so fed up of being barged out the way.

Whatever happened to basic manners? I think it's also a reflection of how men's behaviour has changed too. It's not a particularly gentlemanly way of doing things.

I haven’t had this with older men. But have had younger men and women try and barge past me. So as a rule I just stand my ground and run over any fucker that gets in my way, children, old people, disabled people, pets the pope. No one is discriminated against 👊🏾

I have all sorts of people do it to me, shock horror even women

I noticed this about 10 years ago when I was about 50.
I often play patriarchy chicken, although I didn't know it had a name!
I just keep to the line that I'm walking, not in a rude way, and when a bloke realises I'm not going to give way the look of confusion on their face is amazing!

London Victoria is a top venue for patriarchy chicken at commuter time. I can take a barge to the side, have sharp elbows and they look so confused.

They even play it with me when I am in my wheelchair/ using my stick

I’ve been known to say deadpan to brusque, pushy men ‘no-no, you go ahead, you look very important.’

I was playing patriarchy chicken at work one day, and Dave eventually stopped, right in front of me, and said, "oh, I thought you were going to hug me." Why would you think that? Especially in the middle if the main, busy corridor at work? I was just walking on the left, because that was the rule at school.

That's appalling. I hope you've clocked some of them with the stick if possible while remaining safe.

It's not a new thing OP but our awareness of it is quite new. You tend to notice it more as you get older because you come to realise that some lots of men were nicer/helpful to you when you were younger because,well ...and it's only when you reach middle-age that the truly good men were always going to be helpful and polite and will step aside.

Definitely not exclusive to men. Just ignorant, entitled people who think they’re more important than others.

When I was living in London and Manchester and walked around a lot, I found I was regularly having to walk on the road to pass oncoming groups of people.

In the end I got fed up of being the one to put myself in an unsafe place, or squeeze out of the way while others walked two or more abreast along pavements. So I started to go as far as I could to the side of the pavement, but not step into the road or squeeze myself out of the way, I’d just walk normally, leaving more than enough room for people to pass on the other side.

The amount of people I walked into is staggering. They had enough room, they just expected me to either step into the road or use less space than one person needs to walk through. Just so they can stay two or more abreast!

The funniest was actually a woman. Massive wide pavement, I was on the shop side of the pavement, there was a homeless man on the floor so I couldn’t physically stay against the wall else I’d have stood on him, so I was just away from the wall. Still loads of room for people to pass me two or more abreast.

group of women walking towards me about four abreast. I kept my path and the one coming towards me didn’t move. I was braced for impact, she thought she was more important than me and assumed I’d stop or something?! Anyway, I didn’t. Walked right into her and she nearly fell backward. She was ASTOUNDED and had the audacity to turn to me and say “excuuuseee ME” so I just yelled “well how much space do you want?!”

ignorant cow.

I do like a bit of patriarchy chicken. I tend to look forward into the distance and find if they don’t think you’ve seen them then they are more likely to move aside. If they don’t move aside, I won’t either.

It’s not just men, though they are the worst, but I’ve had it happen with young women. I stand my ground on the whole. Sometimes I just stop and they are forced to go round me.

I only notice this in the UK, where pavements are stupidly narrow. It brings out the worst in everyone. Men often won’t move at all to make space for anyone, women often flatten themselves against walls or fling themselves into incoming traffic and say ‘YOU’RE WELCOME’ really passive aggressively even when you’ve moved over and there is ample space for you to pass one another.

I just hate walking amongst other people in this country.

I didn't know it was called Patriarchy chicken.
I've always called it human Jenga!

I'm only 5 ft 4 and I've noticed people expect me to move. Nope. I'm menopausal and pissed off most of the time. I don't move for anyone!

I've always noticed this, but as I've "developed" into what older men call "a babe" (sorry but I get called that), I've realised that I can use that to my advantage and plough straight through them. They'll happily make way because they think (incorrectly) that they can therefore smile at me, look at me, even hit on me.
WHICH I KNOW ISN'T HOW IT SHOULD BE but I have to use what I've got and if I can use it to make men look stupid, so be it!!

Actually now that I think about it, hand-holding couples are the fucking worst

Tell me about it. I get this all the time. I can guarantee that if I'm walking on a narrow stretch of pavement and a man of a certain age is walking towards me,not only will he expect me (as a disabled person with walking sticks) to move out of his way,he will often deliberately move onto the same side that I am on. Then if I move to the other side,they move back again! I think it's some sort of power game. Which I refuse to partake in any more. I just stay where I am,and if they don't eventually move over,realising that I'M not going to (99% of them do move!) I just stop dead and they go round me! I've had it up to here with men and their shit.

And don't get me started on cyclists on the pavement who expect you to jump out of their bastarding way. I had some twat effing and blinding at me because I wouldn't move into the (busy) road so he could get past. Fucking arsehole. I'm not walking on the road for ANY cyclist.

That’s where a mobile comes in handy. If I think someone isn’t going to give way I stop in my tracks and pull my phone out and stare at it as if I’ve just received a message then continue to gaze at my phone and chuckle to myself at the sound of them huffing as they are the ones forced to step aside.
A man of around 35 was bombing toward me last week expecting me to get out the way. I did the phone thing and the aggression emanating from him was tangible. I’m glad there was people around.
Who do they think they are to expect us to make way for them.
Entitled much!!!

I saw another thread about this on MN not so long ago where the OP was theorising that men are angry about the fact that we aren’t willing to put up with their sh*t anymore.

Even worse when they come up behind you and expect you not to be in their way by mere telepathy.

Haha - love it 🤣