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?

So you're part of the problem?

I did not know this had a name! I’ve been back and forward to London loads these last few weeks and really noticed I’m shrinking to make space for men 🤬 fuck that, patriarchy chicken it is!!

Well no, if two people are oncoming in a pavement, both can route around each other (unless you do that dance thing where you both move one way and then the other trying to get out the way).

Patriarchy chicken is where one male person doesn’t do the mutual moving out the way thing but just barges on through and expects the woman to move. He doesn’t see it as a game, he sees it as his right so far as he even thinks about it. The surprise comes when said man realises that you won’t move for him if he won’t move for you.

i have not been playing recently as I don’t have the energy to take on the patriarchy but they definitely expect you to move.

Are you male or female? It is a thing that men expect women, especially older women to move. I also had it yesterday with two youngish women. I was on the path first and they joined and just expected me to move out of the way. I didn’t. I think they were rather confused as we nearly collided.

Edit - to add, there’s a boy, who does a paper round on a bike. He expects you to jump out of his way. He absolutely zooms past. I’m disabled and it’s a fluctuating medical condition. I can walk well some of the time but there are other times, when I can barely move.

Their username suggests male

I'm old, female and taller than a lot of men, I haven't noticed it, as I said couples are the worst, also dog walkers of any sex and age.

Not only do they not move OP but they will also sometimes move into your way to force you to move aside. So many men when walking towards me on the opposite side of the pavement actually move onto my side.

A good trick is stopping to get something out your bag they have to go around you then or look down whilst fiddling in handbag.

Yes, I saw that @CherryVanillaPie …

Or dog owners who expect me and my grandchildren to step into the road so their precious fucking dog can walk on the pavement. I just stand absolutely still now when big groups, couples , men, dogs and their owners are nearly level with me, if they are clearly not going to move. They have to give way. If its a huge group of Italian/ French/ Spanish language school students ,moving as a pack, my husband will just aim for the middle and scatter them like skittles.

If there are 2 people walking towards each other on a pavement, then neither really has the right to expect the other to move out of the way but it does get annoying when men assume that the woman will move.

What I really object to is when there are 2 or 3 people walking abreast who expect me to move aside for them. I won't do that.

‘There’s no right of way on a pavement’.
I have been puzzling over this for ages. I am sure we were always taught to keep left back in the day?
I always keep left when walking but am amazed at how many people insist on keeping right when walking in the opposite direction and expect me to move over.
AIBU?

Come on, this isn't a thing! People's manners have gone downhill in general but when I think about my recent experiences it's actually been women

I experience this pretty much daily. I find it just as bad, if not worse, with male cyclists. They definitely expect you to get out of the way. They never ever slow down or make allowances of any kind if you have to pass by in a narrow space, whether you're on a bike yourself or walking.

I commute to Victoria and in my 60s and never had this from men, the odd teenage girl have done this to me .

This happens in swimming pools too. I used to go to a pool that was open swimming but for one lane at the end. In the day, the pool was always almost empty. I’d choose the lane as liked the rope guide. Even if the rest of the pool was empty, I’d find a man would get into the lane too and power down the middle. Meaning I had to stop or get out of the way. It was also a small lane, so two people in it, unless swimming carefully wasn’t comfortable - why join? One got in the lane was just to walk up and down. I was never joined by another woman. If I didn’t have the lane, they’d join the open area, even when the lane / rest of the pool was empty. It used to really wind me up.

It was always older men (time of day I guess). Couldn’t even enjoy use the jacuzzi after the swim as it was like an old man dumpling soup.

I've never seen this to be specific to men, in fact I've found it worse with women - particularly younger women walking with friends - who all think that spanning the whole width of the pavement is their God-given right.

And runners do this to me all the time. I don't see why their right to run trumps my right to be walking on the pavement (again, normally women in pairs who expect me to leap into the road)... I now continue to walk to one side and if they choose to run into me, so be it...

Never had this problem with men . I do find dog walkers to be quiet annoying though

Yes this infuriates me!

The worst being when they seem to expect my children to step into the road so they can stride past.

I do a very passive aggressive ‘DC don’t step into the road, it’s not safe, there’s PLENTY of room for everyone’ if it appears it’s about to happen. Or ‘if in doubt stop, but don’t step into the road’

Just what I was thinking! I've seen patriarchy chicken mentioned on here before. I must live in an excessively polite area because I've still never noticed it. Or maybe I just lack this weird determination to walk in a straight line so it doesn't bother me...

Same. They also like to quickly rush through doorways when someone else has been kind enough to open the door for me. So rude x

A your thug once tried to mug my very determined and frail late 92 year old MIL and she told him irritably to ‘buzz off’. He did!

I'll move aside for prams, wheelchairs, the elderly or people with young children (and I walk with a stick myself), but not for able bodied people, or people walking two or more abreast.

And while we're on the subject of pavements, when I grew up it was the done thing, when walking with children, for the adult to walk on the traffic side and keep the child protected on the inside. Nowadays I see a lot of people allowing the young child to be closest to the road. I thought it was common sense to keep them to the inside of the pavement?

Yes, it happens a lot.

They also expect you to give them way in the way they want you to. E.g. I moved left for one man at a supermarket, he then shoved my own trolley into me because he didn’t like that, he wanted me to move to the right. It made absolutely no difference, it was just his entitlement.

The other thing is I’m so used to weaving around people that I just automatically weave around these entitled men, which make them think I’m giving them way. I heed to stop this and just stand my ground.

I don’t notice this with men at all. They more often make a show of making space for me to pass. I am considered ‘attractive’ though (not bragging, just saying), so maybe that’s it? Although I still never get served quickly in bars 🤷‍♀️

I DEFINITELY notice it with groups of two or more people thoigh. They spread themselves across the pavement (usually walking very slowly) and just don’t even seem to notice other people trying to get past.

Oh it’s a thing- had a horrible experience last Sunday which I’m still angry about. Walking down a path high bushes on one side, busy main road on the other- 3 men walking towards me, a fair while ahead so we are all aware of each other, get closer and I think one of them will make way soon as I have literally nowhere to go- Nope all stayed 3 abreast and one on my side barged in to me, nearly knocking me over! Shouted just take up the whole fucking path why don’t you! Probably not the best idea as me on my own against 3 burly young men but was so angry and upset it just came out. Not a murmur, a sorry, nothing. It’s like I was actually invisible!