Why are you walking on the left side of the sidewalk?

tzhu07 · May 3, 2015

Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

adnbek · May 3, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

Your rules are wrong. For safety reasons in zones without dedicated sidewalks separate from traffic, pedestrians are always suggested to walk against traffic so that they can see what's coming towards them and react accordingly.

ardchoille50 · May 3, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

By what extension? You cannot compare driving a vehicle to walking on a sidewalk, there are no tests nor training for walking on a sidewalk. If someone won't yield, simply move out of their way - it's not going to rob you of resources or shorten your life.

DeltaMac · May 3, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

Yes, very wrong. Pedestrian traffic does not mirror vehicular traffic.
You use common sense, along with courtesy.
Exp: I am walking with my friend beside me. I, as the safeguard of another life, take it upon myself to walk in a position that keeps my friend out of harm's way, which would mean that my walking path will be closer to the edge, or closer to the vehicle lanes, or nearer to a construction area, etc - could be on the right, or left, my choice.
Also, what will you do if you are walking, approaching my position, but I am standing still? Being on a sidewalk does not suggest continuous movement. I can just as easily stand and watch the people move past. Try not to run me over, if you can avoid it at your high walking rate.

MatthewLTL · May 4, 2015

I never gave this second thought BUT there is some points on both sides. Some places they actually HAVE solid yellow lines painted on foot paths or bike paths, some places have signs that state "Walk on the right" or "Keep right" i have seen (and do have) both examples in areas around where I live. Although, unlike vehicle traffic, sidewalks are not enforced, so even though its common courtesy to walk on the right half (or bike on the right half) of the sidewalk its never done people walk down the center and RARELY ever move over for a person coming in the other direction. I think this could be due to how narrow sidewalks are.

I DO however agree with this logic while inside a store, you don't drive your car in the wrong direction or park your car in the middle of the road, dont do that while pushing a cart either!

EDIT: you are actually only advised to walk AGAINST traffic IF there is no sidewalk. if you are on a sidewalk it doesn't matter which direction you walk versus which side of the street you are on.

Mousse · May 4, 2015

tzhu07 said:
If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

If the other guy is a lot bigger than you, YOU need to move aside, not him. Who would fair better in a collision?

None of these stupid rules matter to me anyhow.

I'm the bigger man and will step a side and yield right of way to the people going the other way. It's better to be nice than right, IMO.

iLog.Genius · May 4, 2015

YES! SUCH A HUGE ANNOYANCE! The worst is when you stop or stay on the right side and the person walking towards you gives you the ugliest look. There is no need to think, stay to your right and there is no problem!

puma1552 · May 4, 2015

adnbek said:
Your rules are wrong. For safety reasons in zones without dedicated sidewalks separate from traffic, pedestrians are always suggested to walk against traffic so that they can see what's coming towards them and react accordingly.

You and the three people who up-voted didn't understand the original post.

What the OP was saying had absolutely nothing to do with respect to which side of the road a sidewalk was on or walking with/against traffic, it was for any given random sidewalk anywhere, and he was referencing the left/right side as being the left/right side of a given sidewalk.

He's saying if you are walking on a sidewalk (through a park where there's no road nearby, for example), you should be walking on the right side of the sidewalk.

Had nothing to do with directionality of traffic.

Mr. McMac · May 4, 2015

I don't care what the so called rules are, I always walk against traffic whether it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists . It's important so see what's coming at you so you can get out of the way if the worst happens. Trust me, I've been at it my whole adult life and I'm still here. BTW, I'm 63 years old it's worked for me..

ardchoille50 · May 4, 2015

Mr. McMac said:
I don't care what the so called rules are, I always walk against traffic weather it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists . It's important so see what's coming at you so you can get out of the way if the worst happens. Trust me, I've been at it my whole adult life and I'm still here. BTW, I'm 63 years old it's worked for me..

Did you happen to read the post above yours?

Mr. McMac · May 4, 2015

ardchoille50 said:
Did you happen to read the post above yours?

yes

z31fanatic · May 4, 2015

Mr. McMac said:
I don't care what the so called rules are, I always walk against traffic whether it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists . It's important so see what's coming at you so you can get out of the way if the worst happens. Trust me, I've been at it my whole adult life and I'm still here. BTW, I'm 63 years old it's worked for me..

If you stay on the right of the sidewalk, you'll still be walking against the car traffic no matter which side of the road the sidewalk is on.

Agree with the OP. Stay on the right even on the sidewalk.

mscriv · May 4, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

Please note, if this kind of thing frustrates you then avoid large crowds of walking people. Stay away from parks, fairs, malls, conventions, big sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc. All the people breaking your "unofficial rules" at these kinds of places might make your head explode.

Scepticalscribe · May 4, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

mscriv said:
Please note, if this kind of thing frustrates you then avoid large crowds of walking people. Stay away from parks, fairs, malls, conventions, big sporting events, concerts, festivals, etc. All the people breaking your "unofficial rules" at these kinds of places might make your head explode.

Agree with mscriv.

I suspect that it is modern urban life that the OP finds problematic.

For Heaven's wake - dictating how to walk on a footpath instead of using a bit of courtesy and a modicum of common sense.

Given that there is so much wrong with the world, to pick a fight on the basis of where one walks on a footpath - when one could easily step aside - strikes me as being manifestly absurd.

For that matter, I would also argue that it seems an unusually belligerent - not to mention slightly ludicrous and extraordinarily emotionally exhausting - attitude to take to……..contesting ownership of - or disputing passage on - the humble footpath.

citizenzen · May 4, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

So by extension, if you were in your car and came upon someone driving towards you on the wrong side of the road, would you still say, "it is YOU who needs to move, not me"?

Because both cases involve a potential collision. And I do what I can to avoid those.

bradl · May 4, 2015

z31fanatic said:
If you stay on the right of the sidewalk, you'll still be walking against the car traffic no matter which side of the road the sidewalk is on.

Agree with the OP. Stay on the right even on the sidewalk.

Yet on escalators and movers, there are distinct signs that state "Stand to the right, walkers to the left."

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23444086

Otherwise, you'd violate yet another rule of etiquette: Slow traffic keep right.

Which one do you want, because you can't have both.

BL.

Gutwrench · May 4, 2015

citizenzen said:
So by extension, if you were in your car and came upon someone driving towards you on the wrong side of the road, would you still say, "it is YOU who needs to move, not me"?

Because both cases involve a potential collision. And I do what I can to avoid those.

In a car, boat, or as a pedestrian I abide by the law of gross tonnage.

MacDavey · May 5, 2015

I find it best to always walk on the side away from the road when I can - whether that is the left or the right is not important to me.

If someone is walking towards me, I move to the side next to the road so the person coming towards me can keep away from the road. Its just polite to not force other people to walk next to the road.

Arran · May 5, 2015

Control issues.

Scepticalscribe · May 5, 2015

Arran said:
Control issues.

Indeed. The same (unworthy) thought has also crossed my mind.

Can one imagine such an attitude acted upon enthusiastically in the domestic sphere? Negotiated passage on the stairs? Right of way disputes in the living room? Contested access to the bathroom?

lowendlinux · May 5, 2015

Gutwrench said:
In a car, boat, or as a pedestrian I abide by the law of gross tonnage.

My dad called that right of weight

dannyyankou · May 5, 2015

bradl said:
Yet on escalators and movers, there are distinct signs that state "Stand to the right, walkers to the left."

Image

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23444086

Otherwise, you'd violate yet another rule of etiquette: Slow traffic keep right.

Which one do you want, because you can't have both.

BL.

I hate being stuck behind someone standing in the middle.

Scepticalscribe · May 5, 2015

dannyyankou said:
I hate being stuck behind someone standing in the middle.

'Hate'?? Good grief.

That is such a strong and powerful verb to use for what is essentially a pretty minor - if slightly annoying - temporary inconvenience.

Personally, I reserve the exhaustion and power of the verb 'to hate' for things that really matter in life, things that are a lot more important than mere - and temporary - inconvenience.

G4er? · May 5, 2015

tzhu07 said:
Unofficial rules.

In the US, you drive on the right side. By extension, when walking on the sidewalk, you walk along the right half. If you're coming straight at me and about to collide with me, and you're on the wrong side, it is YOU who needs to move, not me.

After a lifetime of observation (52 years old) there seems to be a sliding scale based on age and pigmentation as to who moves over.

TheAppleFairy · May 5, 2015

Mr. McMac said:
I don't care what the so called rules are, I always walk against traffic whether it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists . It's important so see what's coming at you so you can get out of the way if the worst happens. Trust me, I've been at it my whole adult life and I'm still here. BTW, I'm 63 years old it's worked for me..

I don't think you understood what the OP was talking about. He isn't talking about walking on the wrong sidewalk....Assuming there is one on both sides of the road.

See attached picture. He is saying same rules apply on the sidewalk as the road. I would agree with the OP and say it goes for hallways as well....at least in the USA. It is just proper etiquette.

Why are you walking on the left side of the sidewalk?

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