I was reading that “Why are American tourists so disliked” thread and someone asked how you can identify an American if they’re not wearing sneakers, baseball t-shirt, etc… I think I got it: Americans (and Canadians too) always have to stand in other people’s way. They stand in a big group in the middle of a crowded hallway and don’t seem to notice that they’re blocking traffic.
This is something I notice because I can’t stand it when people are in my way. It really annoys me. I have to go through an underground tunnel to get to my train and there’s always people standing there blocking it. It’s narrow enough as it is, why can’t they just move to the side?! When I’m late for my train there’s teeny-boppers and old men deflecting off me like pebbles. This tunnel’s made for walking and I’m not gonna take any crap from a bunch of people who have apparently rediscovered the beauty of life at that exact moment and have decided to stand in awe at that exact spot. That the fuck are they doing? They can’t just walk, they have to frolick! They’ll frolick along at .07 km/h side-by-side with their friends and then abruptly stop to examine a deceivingly flat spot in the floor. That’s the moment where I have to decide whether it quicker to just go around them or trample them underfoot.
Maybe in Europe it’s crowded enough that if people did that the whole place would come to a standstill. I don’t notice as much of that kind of crap from Europeans. But Americans still seem to think that they’re living out in the wilderness, among the wolves. It’s like they have the mentatlity that they couldn’t possibly do anything that would hinder anyone else because their nearest neighbour is 3 days walk away.
You want an example? I’ve been to both Polish churches and English churches in Montreal. In the Polish church, which is roughly the same size, the entire congregation manages to get out the doors (only one of which is open) without any bloodshed. In the English church, as soon as someone goes outside, what do they do? They stand right in front of the doors and chat with their friends!! They have these huge double doors, both of which are open, and no one can leave! There’s chaos and looting and fires and people dying of old age in the line up! It’s like a fucking trek through death valley! You fall by the wayside and you’re as good as dead! They won’t find your body because vultures swoop down and devour it! You just have stand there in line for the entire 18 hours (rounding down) it takes to get out of the damned place!
Maybe what I need is one of those cool jungle-explorer hats and a machete.
When I worked retail at the local mall, I had the same type of experience…
I would be hauling ass to the bank/restroom/where ever, and lo and behold, a group stops in the middle of the walkway to gab…blah, blah, blah!
I used to fantasise about walking around with a chainsaw…they would move then!
Last night was the winter dance here at my dorm. I get back from dinner, 2 hours before teh dance, people are already taking pictures. Not a problem, for posterity, blah, blah.
But coming in the door there is one thing alway adjoining on either side to GIANT study lounges. The hallway and the entrances & exits to teh lounges were packed; the main body both lounges were deserted. I had to jump a table and then a couch just to get back to my room.
I used to have problems with people in the hallways at my school. In the senior hall, people just seem to congeal in groups. One day I just started yelling at the top of my lungs, “Get out of the way! People need to get through, not hear about your used condoms! I swear I will bring in a shotgun one day and kill every one of you!”
Ironically, that same day was the Columbine incident. People just seem to get out of my way now. Perhaps it’s the black trenchcoat.
Remember that respect is won through love or fear. Fear is easier to impose on people…
I travel on the London Underground every day and also have to walk past one one of the city’s major tourist attractions on my way to work.
I think the problem is not confined to Americans, but tourists in general (as has been argued in the other thread). I think it happens for 2 reasons:
Toursits,unlike locals, don’t know their way around so have to keep stopping to get their bearings/look at a mp/read a sign; and
Tourists seem to come in larger groups. At rush hour, most of the people are on their way to or from work alone, but tourists tend to be in twos, threes and fours. The worst-case scenario is, of course, the coach party/school trip of a dozen or more people.
But you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that if two of you are walking slowly down an 8’ wide tunnel, side-by-side, holding hands, you’re holding up all the people behind you.
Likewise, there is no law against stepping to the side of the pavement (trans: sidewalk) to read your map.
And those signs on the escalators at 2’ intervals saying “Stand on the Right” aren’t just there for you to stick your chewing gum on.
My goodness you people are all polite. I push my way through any ignorant bastard who doesn’t realize that he’s stopped in the middle of a walkway. It just works better. (Lets be honest here, people who are going to block everyone else because they want to stand somewhere that everyone else is passing through probably aren’t going to be too convinced by someone saying “excuse me”)
A-fucking-men to all! The ones that crumble my cookies are the people where I work who find that the only really good place to hold a conversation is in the goddam doorway!
And I agree totally with the person who advocated just shoving them aside; anyone that mindlessly inconsiderate and inattentive to what’s going on around them doesn’t deserve common courtesy. Common courtesy is what you owe to total strangers who extend to you in turn.
One good answer to almost any question is a better question.
I get annoyed at people who inconsiderately clog tight places or lallygag along without moving to one side. But usually a firm, “excuse me” and a smile moves them along. If it doesn’t then a more frigid and forceful request does it.
My least favorite: small gaggles (and 2 can be a gaggle in tight enough quarters) who take root and have to exchange life histories. It’s just plain rude and inconsiderate.
But that said, shoving people is never acceptable. As TomH said, some of them may be unsure of where they’re going or none too spry. Keep in mind most of us are TAB’s: temporarily able bodied. Infirmities don’t always show, and folks may be walking just as fast as they can.
Sorry for the Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm moment. This is aggravating, but in the grand scale of things, it’s a nuisance, not a tragedy.
On a similar note - Those who block the grocery isles with their carts and then just look at you with a puzzled look when you are trying to squish past. Don’t do anything logical like MOVING YOUR ASS! Hell no.
I give them one courtesy bump and if they still don’t move I yank their cart to the side.
>^,^<
KITTEN
Fluff yer hair Beula, I’s feelin frisky - M.S.
Clearly, none of you have spent time in Israel. People in the way used to bug me. Then I moved to Israel and I learned that some things, like crowds of people in the way and lines are simply nuisances to be plowed through. Israelis do have a reputation for bad manners, but life is just that much easier if you don’t mind using your elbows a little.
I’ve travelled a bit and I can testify that Americans are the most orderly people in the world. I think the reason we understand what a line means is out of fear of being shot for breaking into it.
Particularly in Asia a line more resembles a fan. Perhaps Western linear thinking has its moments after all.
Three times yesterday, at the supermarket, the same woman was standing looking at the shelves, with her basket behind her, the combination blocking the isle. Twice I said excuse me, after realizing that her concentration on comparison shopping was evidently Zen like. The second time I had to repeat myself fairly loudly. On our third meeting, which took place near the checkout lines, with far more witnesses I said in a very loud voice:
“Darling, we can’t go on meeting like this! People are getting suspicious!”
She moved.
<P ALIGN=“CENTER”>Tris</P>
Of all things, good sense is the most fairly distributed: everyone thinks he is so well supplied with it that even those who are the hardest to satisfy in every other respect never desire more of it than they already have.
– **René Descartes, ** (1596-1650)
The needless bottleneck that always gets to me is the one created in airports by loved ones at the gate opening. So we have a coupla hundred people trying to pop out of the tunnel, but come to a crashing halt while various spouses, kidlets, aunts, uncles, gfs, bfs come forward to grab the object of their affection the second they see them.
Unfortunately, regardless of my explanation that I think it’s rude to block the egress, my wife tends to regard my meeting her further down the hall as displaying a lack of ardor.
Black motorcycle leathers will clear a path like magic in most places. Nobody really acknowledges your presence or anything, it’s just that they sort of melt away. Fun. Of course, I go out of my way to be friendly when I actually interact with people, the “Bad Biker image” doesn’t really make me comfortable - but I have to admit I like the effects, sometimes. Of course, my leathers have so much crash protection built in, I look like I’ve been pumping iron for years. This rule does not work at biker conventions, of course.
And the couple of times I’ve sported a black eye (or two) worked even better, although on reflection I’d not really recommend this as a general approach to the problem - but boy, does it work!
So how about people that clog up the works by being too polite and considerate?
There’s a little market, just down the highway from my where I live.
I stopped there a few minutes ago and arrived at the front doors at the same time as another guy.
There were already three people there, each trying to talk the other two into going in first.
There was plenty of room to get by because they were holding both doors wide-open while they argued like a bunch of Gomer fucking Pyle clones, “go ahead” … “no, you were here first”… “that’s okay, go ahead” … " no, I insist, please"
…“well I’m not going to get very much” … “well I’m not in a hurry, go ahead” …anon anon anon…
I was still trying to decide whether to break hick-protocol, by walking on by, bust out laughing, or smack somebody in the head, when Miss Sara (the clerk lady) solved the whole thing.
She yelled, “well I wish all you proper sumbiches would make up yer minds, ya’ll are freezin’ my ass off”
At that point it was every man for himself.