Ok, you know what I’m talking about. You’re walking down the sidewalk at your normal comfortible walking speed, right? So then this guy or woman steps out about 20 feet ahead of you but they walk just a tiny little bit slower than you do.
So now you are basically creeping up on them. About 5-10 feet away now things start getting uncomfortible. At the current speeds, it will take like 5 blocks to pass them. So do you spend the next 10 minutes shadowing them like a psycho? Do you dart ahead awkwardly only to have them right behind you for the next 20 minutes? Do you slow it down so they can pull furthur ahead?
Ok…admitedly a lame rant.
People are nice, interesting, pleasant. But pedestrians are the most irritating creature on earth!
People who walk at 90% of my speed, people who leave a gap that is 10% smaller than comfortable to walk through. People who stand at the stall where I want to stand for about 300% of the time it is necesary to decide whether they want anything from it. People who posess about 5% of a normal human capacity to get out of other people’s way when necesary. People who have 175% of the limit for the 10 items or less register. Clerks who have a 3% of the knowledge necesary to operate the till and 15% of the volume of voice necesary to get the attention of the person at another till for help. The girl at the bakery who microwaves my sausage rolls for 400% of the time necesary to heat them. The people who change their walking direction after I have judged it and chosen my own accordingly 98% of the time.
Percentages. This is going to be a fun new way to evaluate the 5 minute walk through town that sends me into a murderous rage every day.
Similarly, people who stop completely when you are riding your bike directly at them. If you had just kept walking, I wouldn’t have had to mow your down!
This happens to me all the time since I walk at a faster pace than most people. MlS, it’s not a problem when people are walking to one side of the hallway or sidewalk. It’s the people who walk right in the middle! You can’t get past them without squeezing into the wall or stepping into the street. “Excuse me” works fine once you’re close enough to pass them. It’s that awkward point when you’re 5 or so strides away thinking “am I close enough yet? how about now? what about now?”
The worst part about it is that even if you pass them, they will be right behind you for a long time. And what if they start walking faster and pass you? It’s crazy.
My solution is that I pretend like I am in a hurry, and start running while glancing at my watch. Once I am out of sight, I can walk normally again.
All I can say is, I really, really wish I had your problems. I will go along with the rant against people who walk right in the middle and don’t leave room for others to “pass” comfortably. OTOH, maybe y’all need to slow down a mite and enjoy the scenery.
sorry, after seriously and permanently frelling my back up 20 years ago, I am not in a wheel chair, and I probably do walk slower than you, so sod off. Not everybody is a speed walker. Say ‘excuse me’ and be polite, not a raving dickhead in a forum that isn’t walking in front of you. :mad:
I walk everyday to work, about 2 Km; and I´ve yet to find someone that walks faster than I*. However I´ve never thought bad about people for walking at their own pace, I just walk past them or do a little slalom, it´s actually quite fun. Sure, sometimes it´s mildly frustrating to have to make a pause while I wait for a place to sneak through the line of elderly, chit-chatting women that just came back from the grocery store. I don´t mind it, I walk fast so I can make up for the delay.
The worst part is when after you have decided which side has infintesimally more space, and position yourself to pass on that side, as soon as you say “excuse me” they invariably turn their head that direction, which makes them turn their whole body, so the swerve to that side, then you have to do an emergency slalom to the other side
There’s also the problem of the group of people walking line abreast, taking up the entire sidewalk/hallway/whatever. Invariably, they’re also moving at a pace best suited for watching snail races.
Sometimes I feel like just speeding up to a run and ramming my way through the inconsiderate cretins.
I know a few other people have chimed in already, but I for one have a physical problem that requires me to walk slower than most people. Not slow slow, but slower than almost every other college student apparently.
Not that you probably meant it towards those with physical ailments, but I just wanted to chime in my defense… I’m used to getting passed however
I also walk with a minor limp so hopefully that gets me off hook and I don’t have to be a ‘speeddemon’
But I KNOW I piss off so many people on the stairs. I am left handed, and can go down stairs at a NON-snail like pace if I am on the left side only. Since the world is all god damn right handed, everyone gets mad. I actually had someone mutter about me under the breath.
So either I take up the wrong side or I take the right side and go really fucking slow.
Gotta love it. And I do, because I am NOT in a wheelchair like most people with my condition are! (or walker, for that matter)
I have enough trouble coordinating fucking standing up. I’ve really got to hand it to the OP to be able to fuck people who are walking 90% of his speed.
Remember that his rant is not about people who walk slow, but people who walk 90% of your speed.
It is no problem passing slow people, but passing people who are almost as fast as you is a problem.
It’s very awkward to say “excuse me”, pass, and then have them right behind you for a long time as you walk.
I know exactly what you are talking about. I walk really fast. I mean really, really fast most of the time. I am serious when I say my wake has caused papers to fly out of peoples hands as I passed them. However, I will occasionally encounter some freak just like me (usually a girl oddly enough) that maintains just less than my pace ahead of me. I have a secret weapon. It is my passing gear and I am not afraid to use it. I just turn on the afterburners and let it ride past joggers, busses on the street next to me, whatever. It is a little disconcerting to other slow walkers ahead of you and those walking past you but it works. Maintain passing gear until you are at least 25 yards ahead of the person and you are golden.
