The people here on campus have no sidewalk etiquette. These motherfuckers with their popped collars walk two or three abreast down a sidewalk, leaving no room for someone (namely me) to walk the other direction. And when I move as far to the right of the sidewalk as possible, walk straight ahead, and consequently slam directly into one of them, they get all pissed. GET OUT OF MY WAY! There’s room for traffic both ways, fuckers. You aren’t more important than me, so I’m not walking in the grass just so that everyone can see that the three of you are wearing matching Alpha Beta Whatever T-shirts. If you were in a wheelchair, or on crutches, or a little old lady, or a tour group, or anything but complete assholes. I pit you all.
Lotta rude folks out there.
In years gone by I’ve lowered my shoulder and shivered an oncomer or two.
But I’ve become mellower in my dotage.
There’s just so damn much inconsiderateness and obliviousness out there - I came to the conclusion that whatever I might do on a case-by-case basis has no effect.
So I step aside/around/wait on the sidewalk, in the grocery aisle, at revolving doors, etc. ad infinitum.
I find it easier - less stressful - than even opening my mouth.
Found the alternative less pleasant - should you choose to politely assert your rights and point out others’ rudeness, don’t be surprised to be confronted and accused of various transgressions.
I tend to avoid confrontation over things as minor as this, and not allow them to intrude in my consciousness any more than the absolute minimum possible.
YMMV
I’ve been of the opinion for some time that women are worse about this sort of thing than men. It seems to me that it is rare to see three women walking with one of them staggered or leading the other two. Usually, they have to walk three abreast, whereas it seems that guys have less of a problem if one is in front or behind the others. It also seems that women have less time yielding an inch, even if I’m on the very edge and ready to have to step in the mud.
Geez…let’s not turn Fraternities into a coat rack on which you can hang your +2 Cloak of Martyrdom, OK?
I agree with Hentor…I find it much more common for women to ignore oncoming traffic, forcing others off the sidewalk. It’s just as bad in malls.
I always found it good to pretend interest in something off to your side. Then, the oncoming people are forced into a decision. If they don’t move after you appear oblivious, then…maybe they were oblivious, or looking to be assholes. Can’t cure that!
Hentor the Barbarian - I think your observation is a fair one and I would say that the attitude most women have regarding moving over stems from the fact that women rarely have to move. What I mean is: generally, guys move out of the way for women, so perhaps the thought just doesn’t enter the girl’s skull?
I encounter the same sort of thing when it comes to the opening of doors. I adore when people (it’s usually men, but sometimes women) open the door for me - it is such a nice, little gesture that just makes my day. Because I appreciate it so much, I try to do the same for others. Men ALWAYS say thank you and give me a big smile. Women will often push passed me without a word. What I hate more is when I am going to open the door for myself and some chick just pushes her way through, assuming I am holding the door for her (again, I’ve NEVER had a guy do this). Is it that these women are just total digbats? Na, they just are used to a certain routine and any change to that would probably make their widdle heads explode .
Here at my office, it’s Cubicle City, with very narrow rows and aisles. I’ve gotten cheap laughs by walking behind a pair of slow-walking gabbers in an exaggerratedly slow fashion – but the laughter soon fades, and I’m STILL stuck behind the Oblivious Twins. Sometimes saying “Sorry,” or “Pardon Me” will achieve a positive result. Sometimes. I find it very frustrating. I’m busy, sometimes I need to rush, I appreciate that others don’t – but be aware of your surroundings, people! You’re at work, not Moseyville!
My closest peeve is people not giving “the wave” in traffic. You know, you let someone in front of you in a jam and it is standard for them to give a little wave as an acknowledgement. I ALWAYS GIVE THE WAVE. Always. And it seems like fewer and fewer people are doing it. They just feel like the world owes them, so they should be able to squeeze in wherever they want in traffic. FUCK THOSE FUCKING FUCKS.
Do what I do- as you’re walking along, don’t look at people with your head up, and don’t look them in the face. Instead, look a few feet in front of your own feet- you’ll still be able to see oncoming traffic peripherally, but the effect is that the oncoming traffic will kind of subliminally assume that you’re not watching where you’re going, and they’ll automatically step out of the way.
I discovered this years ago while going to school in NYC- one semester I had an internship a few days a week in midtown, and my school was downtown. I used to make a game of trying to walk in a straight line from school to the office without moving out of the way, and letting others move out of my way. Of course, every now and then you’ll come across people who legitimately aren’t watching where they’re going so you’ll have to move, but the majority of the time, if it appears to them that they have to move or there will be a collision, they’ll move.
Death, pain, agony, destruction, apocalypse. The shattering of a million suns and all life in whole galaxies. Catastrophic tears in the fabric of the universe itself. The old gods searing the surface of reality with mind-blasting, gibbering insanity. Horror, darkness. Everlasting pain and eternal frozen torment.
These are just a few of the things I think about when some FUCKING SCUM fails to give me “the wave” in traffic.
There’s a simple solution. As you approach, if they haven’t moved over, just stop right where you are, still on the sidewalk, and make eye contact. I guarantee that they will walk around you.
I have the luxury of being a really big guy, so when I’m walking on a sidewalk all the way over on the right and some guy decides that I have to walk around him, I’ll just keep going straight. I’ve found that 9 times out of 10, they’ll walk around me. The few times that they haven’t, they were usually looking for a fight. Once they squint their drunken eyes and get a better look at me, they usually just keep going.
I’ve thought about posting this myself before actually. Happens all the time around my office. I take walks on my break and lunch and nearly daily come across a group of 3 to 4 people taking up the entire sidewalk and pulling this same crap. Irritates me to no end.
Yep. This happened to me just last weekend. My husband and I met a lady and two girls on a sidewalk, and they were taking up the whole thing. My husband, who was walking in front of me, got off the sidewalk so as to avoid walking into one of the girls (about 8-10 years old). I, on the other hand, held my ground, and stopped when she got close to me. She walked around. As I told my husband, I’m three times bigger than her. Let her run into me and see who regrets it. Then again, I’m a big old meanie that way.
Never underestimate the value of a stout briefcase (or for you students - backpack). You don’t even have to swing it - someone walking into it will do so with impressive force.
But, like I said, there’s more than enough assholes in the world. Not sure what is improved by adding yourself to their roster.
And my experience walking (and running) daily in downtown Chicago is that men as just as likely to be clueless and inconsiderate pedestrians as women.
I love it when someone is walking along, and just decides to abruptly stop without stepping aside or looking to see if someone is behind them.
Or the folks who can’t walk a straight line.
Or 2 people decide to just stand in the middle of the sidewalk to conduct their conversation.
Or the ones who just step out of a doorway perpindicular to pedestrian traffic and stroll across the sidewalk without looking side to side.
Why don’t we mention the stupid wheelie cases that make a person take up more of the sidewalk, yet they seem to be unaware as they blythely roll it over your toes.
Yes, there are countless ways folks find to be jerks.
I reccommend that you separate yourself from the herd and seek out ways to NOT be one yourself.
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