Are you someone who, when walking in a group, spreads across the whole pavement and when someone comes in the other direction just look blank and stupid like annoyed cattle that you have to move aside a bit

[CurdinHenry]

Is it because your brain switches off in a group environment or are you always like this?

Obviously the group spreads and you are part of it not you personally like paté

No. But this is as annoying as people eating apples in quiet spaces.

I used to go running around a local park but the two main reasons I stopped were groups exactly like this - they would see me coming and just blankly stare making no offer to move to one side whatsoever, and dog owners who would let their dogs run up to me and almost trip me up.

My route to work includes walking past a private girls' school. It has 2 or 3 sites in close proximity, and it seems that students must sometimes come out onto the public pathways to move to a different site. If I'm passing during a lesson changeover, I often encounter students walking 3 or 4 abreast, covering the entire pathway, chatting away and completely oblivious that someone is walking towards them. It's like they expect me to melt into the hedge. I now hold my line, and it's not until I collide with them that they notice I'm there. Herd mentality or plain rude?

I was running up a narrow path that is quite busy with walkers, dog walkers and runners, and a local history group with about 30 people had stopped to be told about some nearby historical thing. They could have moved about 10 yards onto a public playing field, but no, they blocked the entire path and had to shuffle awkwardly to let me squeeze through.

These are my programmed army of sleepy agents I've created to annoy perimenopausal women. You just need to use the activation code. It's normally 'excuse me'.

It is infuriating

You really are an utter delight of a human being.

Yes that annoys me too. I just keep going, they end up looking stupid as they have to move at last minute.

In the same category: people who have leisurely chats with people they’ve bumped into in the middle of supermarket aisles.

80% agree with her. It’s a small problem but annoying as fuck!

Best strategy is to just stop. They won’t walk into you if you’re standing still, and realise you’re stopped because you’ve nowhere else to move to

But they look genuinely surprised and sometimes downright angry that other people exist and have politely asked them to move aside.

Is that part of your programme? It's bloody working I tell ya

busy road, path just wide enough for 2
you go into single file and the pair keep coming straight at you waiting for you to leap in the road ?

and wider path but dog on one side and owner on the other an the tripping rope across the whole thing

fascinating lack of self awareness

They do my head in. Cattle is the right word.

Mwah ha ha

I like to loudly "coach" my young child... "when we have to pass people, what do we do? That's right, we MOVE OVER" [angelic smile]

This drives me potty. I feel like I am the only person that ever moves to make space. There have been times where I refuse to go in the road and there is a standoff. I make my move early to give time for those walking towards me to adjust their paths but they just don’t!
like a pp I used to be a runner and people were even worse then , as if I was riding a bike on the pavement or something!

I will walk right through the middle of such groups, and move trollies as well if I need to. Last time I did this, was a group of 4 adults who had stopped right at the intersection of the aisles and rows so blocking 4 "paths of travel".

You can usually bring them back to sentience with a cheerful excuse me please / <trolley move> / big smile.

I just let them bump into me, makes them realise

Maybe it annoys me more as I've done advanced driving. When I'm driving I'm watching the horizon and potential hazards long before I reach them. Same when I'm walking and running. I can see there's a buggy or road coming up and adjust accordingly.

Some people do exist in their own little dopey bubble.

A bit unfair to animals to make the comparison. Goats, for example, moving as a herd will always move to the side if someone approaches them head on and let them pass. It's only humans who have developed a complete lack of awareness of how they should spacially interact with other humans. Herd animals know how to act so they can all function properly. Humans are quickly losing this ability and this is just another example.

Excellent.👏👏👏

Curious heifers rather than cattle in general then ?

I honestly don't find this annoying. Just walk around. Takes seconds

That assumes you can just walk around. I often go for a stroll along the local canal towpaths and unless I want to go for a swim there often simply isn't room unless everyone cooperates.