I guess maybe I just don’t let those kinds of things get to me. If I have to slow down for a bit until it’s convenient for me to go around someone, so be it. If I have to wait behind someone in line who takes a few seconds to write out a check, whatever. Getting pissed off about it isn’t going to help the situation at all. If anything, a confrontation with a person I felt was inconveniencing me would probably set me back even more. Why cause myself undue stress? Admittedly, my world view might be skewed by the fact that I live in a very rural area. Fewer people seem to be in a hurry here. I’m also rarely in a hurry because I try to always give myself extra time to allow for unexpected stuff that comes up.
The only time I push is when I’m trying to exit a trolley or bus and people getting on won’t let me out. I’ll say “excuse me” and “coming out” a few times. Most people will step aside. But if they don’t, I exit anyway. I won’t physically push anyone, but I may get a little more elbowy than usual. Because that teaches a valuable lesson. 
Besides, it gives me a chance to be aggressive, while at the same time remaining passive. 
Sorry, sarcasm was uncalled for.
As much as you can’t comprehend slow drivers, I’m often confused when I’m a passenger and the driver gets up-in-arms (i.e., tailgating and gesticulating) because the car ahead of us is driven by a law-abiding citizen.
I do get annoyed by “slow-walkers”, though. I don’t honk in my car, but if I had a horn on my body I’d probably use it on the slow-walkers.
Everybody keeps assuming we are all having confrontations. How many confrontations have you seen, really? Is this really a frequent thing? I live in NY, and we are supposed to be bastards and I rarely see confrontations of this nature. Fact I cant’ remember when the last one I saw was.
Anaamika nailed it in one. Push by, not push. Also, while they will get a perfunctory “excuse me”, they’ve already labeled themself as “more important” by not queuing on the right, and they will generally not have room to move (that’s why there is a queue on the right). So, as much as I would love to pick the breathing obstacle up and bodysurf him/her to the bottom, I’ll wedge my shoulder in and move past, trying hard not to push those properly on the right, until I get to the empty steps in front.
The waiting and letting others get away with their inconsideration is more stressful. My stress points are different than yours. And, as others have done, I can turn it around - why is the human roadblock’s time more precious than mine?
Well, those people I don’t understand, either. It isn’t going to make the person go faster. It’s probably going to make them more nervous or irritated and thus go slower.
The only time you’ll hear me curse in such a fashion is when I’m tooling along happily at whatever speed and someone cuts me off abruptly. Otherwise it’s just a big…sigh. And it makes a difference if I have a passenger, too. At least I can chat with the passenger. When I’m alone, it’s all about my Zen time, and these people are interrupting my Zen time.,
What gets ME mad is the people who have to hit their brakes every three seconds, just to maintain speed or whatnot. I wanna say “You can just take your foot off the gas, and the car will slow down all by itself”.
Yes, but it’s on the Canadian side of NY. 
Haha, thank you, Mr. Long Islander. 
(I believe that is where you live, or do you actually live in NYC?) Either way, next time I come down I’m going to run your ass down.
That’s so romantic!
I was just wondering the same thing. I don’t really see any pushing going on. I live in Pittsburgh, so we’re not dealing with the same magnitude of people and potential conflicts, but the times I’ve been in Boston or New York or Chicago, I don’t recall a lot of problems. (I did notice, living in St. Louis, that a lot of people there felt compelled to play “shoulder chicken” (where you are walking towards one another, and will bump your shoulders if one person doesn’t move a bit to one side). I don’t know if that sort of thing is how Chicago got the nickname “City of Big Shoulders,” but they should have called St. Louis the “City of Assholes with Shoulders.”
I’ve notice a fascinating phenomenon where people facing the end of a walk signal will run or jog until they make it in front of your car, and then they slow to a walk. It’s as if they’ve established themselves in the lane, and are willing to let you take a charging penalty if you drive into them. Like you say, physics dictate that you ought to be running until you get out of my car’s way, not in it.
Exactly. It also works for those who think that it is proper to step just inside the subway / bus door and stop. I never cease to be amazed at how crowded a doorway can get, yet the space between the doorways is wide open on subways (well, wide open except for me and too few other brave souls).
Born and now back in Queens. Teens and very early 20s in LI.
It’s just a guess, but I think what’s going through their heads is “Gotta cross the intersection NOW! Now now now! Meh, I’m halfway across already. I’m in no hurry.”
Just the opposite actually. The people who think that their time is more important than other’s are the inconsiderate pin heads who get in the way. It’s nothing for them to push their shopping cart over several inches while they decide what kind of ice cream to buy. They won’t even notice me rolling by.
I make a point of standing to the side when I’m stopped or going slowly. I move out of the left lane when someone is on my tail. The times that I screw this up and I inconvenience someone, I apologize because I am in the wrong.
My time is exactly as precious as everyone else’s. If I can go through life using the basics of “stay to the right, step to the side, keep the aisles clear”, why can’t the Obliviots do the same?
And remember kids, barging through a group of idiots isn’t stressful, it’s fun!
Just this morning on my way to work, I got stuck behind a guy going 30 on a road where the speed limit is 45. I consider that just as dangerous as going 15 mph over the limit. I was afraid someone else was going to turn onto the road, heed the speed limit sign, accelerate to 45-- then have to slam on their brakes or swerve when they suddenly come up behind me and slowpoke. Predictability is the key to safe driving. Doing something other drivers won’t expect or anticipate, whether that’s driving unreasonably fast or unreasonably slow, is a great way to cause an accident.
Someone started a whole Pit thread about that phenomenon happening in Boston all the time. Since then I’ve observed what happens, and I don’t really see it. The entire car is usually filled. But I ride when approximately 27843788 people need to get moved in the space of an hour.
I do understand people wanting to avoid the middle, though. Who wants to wade through a sea of humanity just to get off the train?
Last night I was the last one to get on the train. My feet are bigger than the steps, so I had to twist them into an awkward position just to fit. I had to become a contortionist just to allow the doors to close. Even so, part of my coat ended up pinched in them. I had to press tightly up against a woman who I would describe as very attractive. I was so close that her pony tail was tickling my nose. I had to put my arm around her and over her chest to grab onto the rail.
It was very uncomfortable. I’d like to do it again.
My day could sometimes only be less stressful if I could run from point A to point B.
This is only at work, mind you. As soon as I punch the clock I slow down to less-than-superhuman speeds.
I think this sums it up perfectly. Actual examples of someone cursing someone else out are rather rare. This pitting is over something that was not being done by members of the board, just things we would like to do to the inconsiderate and oblivious of the world.
I will add other weird behaviors to the list.
There is a certain type of driver that will come up behind me on the highway while I am speeding along in the left lane and get on my tail. At the first opportunity, I always move over, assuming they want to pass like any other reasonable speeder. They do not pass me, they actually slow down to match my speed and then I get stuck behind the slower moving traffic in the middle lane and can have a hard time getting back to the fast lane. This happens maybe once a week, anyone have a clue what these drivers are thinking and doing? It seems like a particularly rude and stupid thing to do. They start by tailgating and then do not even take advantage of my being polite and actually end up holding me up.
Then the driver who moves over when you come up behind them and they are doing 66 in the fast lane, but inexplicably accelerate to 80 when they move over the lane. What is there major malfunction?
Jim
I’d agree, except that it really is when they are right in front of the cars, and generally they aren’t even a quarter of the way across yet. I think pedestrians in Pittsburgh feel a lot safer than they ought to, and are safer than pedestrians in a lot of other cities.
I’ve seen that as well. I think some people want to go as fast as you do, but don’t want to be naked out there speeding alone in front. They can also blame you for keeping them back as long as you are in front of them.
I also find it amusing when you pass someone on the highway, and they suddenly want to speed up. It usually takes about two car lengths of distance between you before they seem to want to drop back to the speed that they were going before you aroused them.