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?

And me when I have my rollator or sticks, or if they see said rollator/sticks, they then roll their eyes and huff and walk directly into DP.
I keep saying that I need to get a sign saying "You can move out of my way faster than I can move out of yours, so MOVE!", but then I remember people don't read.
I will however, gladly move to the side and wait for someone with a pram, wheelchair, and older people with their own mobility devices on narrow paths, women thank me, men just ignore me.

or just a sign of the times?
If it were a sign of the times, wouldn't it be the young men who were doing it?

I knew patriarchy chicken was a thing, but have also notice (along with some female colleagues and friends) men on their own in supermarkets gently nudging their trolley into your arse at the checkout and keep doing it to see how long you notice. Anyone else?

I often walk in the countryside but at the start of the walk it is generally roads. When I go out for a walk, I always take a walking pole with me mostly to aid me going up hills and also because I don’t like random dogs jumping up at me.
At the start of one walk, a man cycled really fast straight at me. He was expecting me to jump off the narrow pavement on to the road except I pointed my pole, with its metal point at the end, straight at him and he came to a screeching halt.
There then followed a stand off where he refused to go into the road and so did I. He eventually moved. There were no cars in this road but his excuse for using the pavement was that it was easier to get to the path he wanted to cycle on from the pavement. This was a path that said no cycling!

Can't say I've had this problem. I mean, you can't just walk into people whilst complaining about other people doing the exact same thing. 🤣

You don't ever move out of the way? You are in their way just as much they are in yours.

What I notice is that men tend to do the thing of "OK, I'm taking this line" so the other person knows their trajectory - usually whoever makes it clear first continues on that line and the other bloke directs himself accordingly. It's like the first guy says "I'm going left" and the other says "OK, I'll go right then".

Some women do this too but a lot seem to dither along in their own little world if I'm honest and you end up doing the old line dance where you both step to the left and then to the right before one of you stops and let's the other walk around you with an awkward smile. The matriarchy line dance. 🤣

If you look hard at where you want to go, people instinctively move out of your way (unless they are self-absorbed teens) Even if they are male.

Eh?! Thankfully, I’ve never experienced this.

I guess part of the problem is that men don’t feel as useful anymore. They used to step out of our way, hold doors open for us and generally make space for us. But we have told them we don’t want to be patronised and they feel redundant, poor souls. And now that they don’t automatically get to feel all useful and manly and superior, it’s OUR fault and they’re saying ‘well, if that’s how you want to play it …’

If men want you to have something they think you need, you better bloody well take it and smile while you’re doing it, or suffer the consequences.

Yes and the older the man the more entitled they are. I am speaking as an older woman btw

Genius! I’m going to borrow this

patriarchy chicken for the win. I think of it as a public service for the next generation.

I just turned 30 but have noticed this my whole adulthood. One man physically picked me up once and put me in the road! That was extra shocking.

I had the passive aggressive 'YOU'RE WELCOME' when I didn't say thank you to a woman who completely unnecessarily moved aside when I was riding my bike up a very steep track that was only about as wide as the M1 once. Baffling.

If she'd had half a brain she'd have realised that I was barely able to speak anyway but I don't know why she didn't just carry on her way seeing as there was more than enough room for us to pass unimpeded.

But I have 2 memorable incidences of patriarchy chicken. Once I was walking through the main walkway part of an airport shop when a man appeared from between the displays at the side and was intent on crossing the walkway to another display on the other side so obviously I should have anticipated his path and priority over me, a mere middle aged woman, and paused so he could pass but no, I just carried on going and my trolley case ran over his foot.

But sadly I lost when I didn't step aside walking along a not busy central London pavement once and the man coming the other way pretty much barged me into the gutter, clearly expecting me to jump in there anyway so he could continue striding along full of his own importance.

I think if somebody indicates the line they're taking then this is your cue to mutually work with each other to pass safely and without collision. Deliberately walking into them is kinda doing it wrong. It's no wonder that they'd look surprised!

Is this in cars or on foot? As I believe I encountered one the day before yesterday in a car. Utter dickhead who then stuck his finger up at me when he was the one trying to squeeze through behind a van and getting annoyed that he couldn't quite fit.

I like to just stand still, it freaks them out while they go round.

I’ve got an extra theory to this, after years of ‘playing’ patriarchy chicken and refusing to give way to suited commuters.

I notice taller men are more likely than shorter men to barge into you and assume you will move, and similarly taller women.

I’m pretty short, so most of the time they tower over me, but if they’re closer to my height they’re less likely to steam roll through.

There is no ‘right of way’ on a pavement.

So, if two people collide, they are equally at fault and equally obstinate.

And if you see that as patriarchal, it is a great example of confirmation bias.

I haven't noticed it, I'm old. The most ignorant are the couples of any age that take up the whole path

I was a keen patriarchy chicken player but then I moved to Germany and the German Menz just move out of my way well in advance, like actual decent humans. No more chicken. Booooooo

Yes, me too! In fact, it happened yesterday in the supermarket………..there was loads of space around me but this jerk just kept on walking and barrelled straight into me 🤬🤬. My mobility is so poor that I cannot dodge out of the way as quickly as I’d like.

I was walking down a corridor in a sports centre recently, 2 older men were stood right in the middle having a chat. The moved aside so I walked between them then heard comments after I passed because I hadn’t thanked them. Possibly I should have but if they hadn’t been standing right in the middle they wouldn’t have had to move…

YANBU
i also now hold my ground.