Walking - the various social tendencies
 

Usually when you walk on the sidewalk or a narrow pathway, you will pick a side to walk on. However, other people (from experience) always tend to conflict with your choice, and you conflict with theirs apparently. The unwritten social norms are very muddled here as people seem to walk wherever they like.


Right Side Walkers: I always walk on the right side, since I thought that was what everyone tends to do. You're close to the "inside" when you are walking on the right side of a street, which trades off with being closer to the road if you are walking on the left side of a street.

Left Side Walkers: Many people seem to like walking on the left, which forces you to walk to the left. Most obviously, the tradeoffs are reversed here.

Adjusters: Maybe you don't see yourself as a chooser, and you adjust according to whichever side the incoming person is walking on. Path of least resistance...that is until two adjusters meet...

ZigZaggers: These people can't seem to make up their mind. They usually come from the horizon and will try to shift slowly to avoid your walking line. Problematically, they shift so slowly that you can't tell which side they will pick (if not the middle) and you have to consciously shift yourself appropriately until you can safely cross each other. The worst case scenario: both parties walk directly into each other and attempt to shift left or right simultaneously clashing, leading to an awkward left-right-left-right chain which ends when one person is polite or stops moving.

Median Strips: People that choose to walk in the middle of the walkway, which makes it disadvantageous for everybody, regardless of intended direction. These people definitely get dirty looks, but maybe not if they are older/disadvantaged.


Subcategories

Adamants: So the most annoying things happen when both people are stubborn and continue to walk until they clash into each other. Not exactly clash, but one person will be "weaker" and move to the other line of walking at the last second, due to the other person's total stubborness and determination.

Peacemakers: Will go out of their way to make sure the other person has no conflict in their path of walking. These people usually step off the sidewalk onto grass, the street, lawns, etc. They may also decide that they might as well cross the street earlier than later.

Slouchers: When walking with 1+ friends, this person will fall behind the others when the sidewalk accomodates two lanes and a person is coming from the opposite direction.

Leaders: The reverse of slouchers, basically the one(s) in the front of your mini single file line.

"Clueless girls": walk terribly slow, often forcing people behind to speed up the pace and curb around the "Clueless girl" at a faster rate.

Stoppers: The kind of people that immediately stop when they realize that they're going the wrong way or forgot something. May lead to irritated reactions and frustration to traffic from the rear of the stopper, especially bad in two lane walkways.

Headphoners: Not necessarily listening to music or headphones, these people pretend to be busy, perhaps looking at something to the side or picking at their fingernails. They like to see what other people will be forced to do in this situation. Passive and effective, but not foolproof if you run into an Adamant/Headphoner.

Racers: This kind of person likes to walk at such a brisk pace that it's almost like they are racing with other pedestrians. Walking on support beams, going twice the speed of other walkers, and other methods are utilized to get to this person's destination with speed. May or may not be mindful of others.

Tempo Walkers: A subdivision of headphoners. Although they do not have a direct effect on the flow of walking, they themselves like to walk at the speed of whatever music they are listening to. May garner strange looks when the current song is slow, or incredibly fast. This possibly has an effect on traffic, if the person is truely mindless.

Tailgaters: Unfortunately, these kinds of people seem to be walking at exactly the same pace, or just a quarter step faster than the person in front of them. This is frustrating because it becomes hard to overtake, and will either force the tailgater to slow down or speed up drastically. This is especially bothersome if the person in front is a smoker, and the tailgater is a non-smoker.


So which kind(s) are you and are there any more categories you can picture?

I am usually a right side walker, meaning I walk on the right side of a hallway, sideway, or roadway. Perhaps this pattern of walking stems from driving on the right side of the road in North America. Problems arise when I'm turning around a corner to meet a left side walker and then we "do the tango" of trying to pass each other by, which usually results in us shuffling around like players on a basketball court, just less dramatic, but much more embarrassing. When walking with a group, I tend to be either a sloucher when I'm following them and don't want to converse too much. Rarely do I walk side by side in a group of 3 or more. But I walk abreast when its only two.

I tend to walk on the right side of the sidewalk. Especially at school, people entering any area are always on the right side, while people exiting do so on the left. It resembles a two-way street. I've encountered people who liked to stop in the middle of a path, and it can be irritating especially if the area is crowded.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but at least once every single day of school, walking around campus, there will always be a black person in my way. Examples include going up steps, then just stopping in the middle, blocking both sides of traffic (roughly twice a week). Some will also stop cars and bikes. Some will also complete clog up hallways or other paths and you'd be better off finding another path around the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Anyway, I'm usually a peacemaker. I'll stay to the right side usually. When a conflict is about to occur, I try to make the other person figure out what to do. I'm usually walking with my PMP and Ultimate Ears earphones, so I can't hear anything but my music. So I'm always aware, but I just try to act like I'm not.

My other friend has a tendency to always play defense when he's walking. He's always boxing out, forcing people into walls and the grass of sidewalks... and the roads...

I usually walk on the right, unless forced onto the left by some obstacle, which happens quite frequently as school. I also seem to fall into that "Stoppers" subcategory. Usually, I only stop because I'm unsure if I've actually forgotten something.

When I walk, I pretty much take up the whole path, and everyone who has a problem with that earns a kick in the face.

I'm an adamant zig-zagger with some adjuster tendencies. I tend to make my own paths in most situations and end up making others move out of the way.

I walk on the right side. :) It seems to work better for me, and I run into others less often. When someone's coming my way, I usually step aside, and when I'm in a group, I fall back. However, I end up doing a little sidestep thing a lot of the time. I head to the right, and the other person heads in the same direction. I really hate it when that happens.

I can't stand walking behind them, especially if I'm running late. I guess it isn't as bad as those cluters of people who think it's perfectly fine for them to make a giant circle in the middle of the hallway, thus obstructing everyone's path.

Well, I always listen music, so if anyone tries to yell me something, I don't hear it. :D And I'm adamant too, I'll go that way, others may jump out of the way if they want. But when I see someone who doesn't step out of my way, like someone in a wheelchair, then I start the zig-zagging. Usually I'll end up hopping out of the way, because I can't make up my mind which way I turn.

But walking with one of my friends, I usually end up walking in the grass or something, she just goes side to side, so changind the side won't help. I'll constantly remind him that she's pushing me again to the grass, and she's always like "Oops, didn't notice that one." :annoyed:

I walk on the right hand side. Why? Because that's how you fucking drive. Drive on the right, walk on the right. I suppose in Britian everyone walks on the left hand side, but then the whole street is flip-flopped anyways.

I'm more of an adjuster. It really doesn't matter to me who walks where, just as long as we don't run into each other. I have met up with people before that seemed to have been copying my pattern. When we actually get close enough to each other, it's almost like we're playing a dancing game--neither on of us can get out of the other person's way.

I'm more of a peacemaker, that is, until someone looks like they're about to run into me. That's when I turn into an adamant. I can't stand it when people have a blatant disregard for other people around them, mainly the noisy high school kids.

You need to add a "Racewalka" subcategory. "Peacemaker" is part of it, as far as avoiding obstacles goes, but it doesn't quite cover my styles.

I rarely speed while driving, but man, don't get in my way on the sidewalk. It's entertaining dodging in and out of the slowbies, speeding between people, jumping on a low wall to get past a crowd, passing on the wrong side of the flow. I can see why people like to drive like maniacs.

Oh, and double doors, I open both of them. For the "cool dude" effect. Unless they happen to have a deceptive support beam between them. Then it's the "laughing with me, right?" effect.

EDIT: A "Walk to the Music" subcategory would be good too. I'm sure quite a few of my fellow mp3 player owners do this as well.

Im a zig zagger. Im constantly walking into whoever Im with. Its really irritating. I try to pick out a point far in front of me and walk directly twoard it but it doesnt work sometimes.

I agree with doodle--people who fall under the subcategories are abundant here and so I tend to just step on the road and overtake them all.

What I really hate and try to avoid at all costs is playing footsie with other people. Equivalent of that is doing a Stevie Wonder when you're trying to kiss your friends on the cheek; you choose the right cheek, they choose left, so you change to the left cheek and they go right. With walking, you go one way, nearly colliding with the person in front and then both of your step aside but unfortunately in the same direction and nearly collide again.

I'd have to say that most of the time, I'm a peacemaker, but only because I don't usually walk on the sidewalk. I feel constricted when I walk on the sidewalk and the grass seems like a better alternative. If I am stuck on sidewalk, I usually walk on the side closest to the curb for some reason.

Oh, though different from walking, you could consider these terms with how people walk (or I guess stand) on escalators; cause some people stand/walk only on the right or only on the left, or smack dab in the middle (grr...).

I'm definitely a zig zagger. I can't make up my mind atal and my parents are always complaning about me walking into them. I find it impossible to walk in a straight line..ever.

God, i HATE these people. Whenever i'm in town, i'll always get behind these people who walk at like 1Mph and they also tend to stop really randomly. Why can't these people just walk at a normal pace?

I can't make up my mind. I zig zag+racer most of the time.

Occasionally I become an adjuster.

Hmm, I am an adjuster and a sloucher, I just walk on whatever side I feel like until I encounter others, then I usually stick to the right. I never walk in the middle. I'm also a peacemaking tempo-walker, though I typically seem to walk fast regardless, a habit of wanting to make sure I make it to school with time to spare. Headphones are a distraction to keep my pace up (and a ruse to make sure people don't try to stop me and chat...what can I say? I've got places to be. I want to be there. Not standing on the sidewalk in the blazing sun talking to strangers), but I pay attention to my surroundings, always moving out of the way for others.

But unlike other people I've encountered, I don't tail the equally fast-walkers in front of me at an uncomfortable distance just to attempt to pass and "be first." I've had several people walking so close to me that I just wanted to stick my foot out, trip 'em and teach them not to tail me like that. I usually end up just slowing down and letting them go so I don't have to deal with them being...near me.

And of course, I can't stand people who walk slow and take up the sidewalk with no consideration for others. But damn it I hate when I move to the side ahead of time to let someone pass by only to have them, for some stupid reason, move to the exact same side as me as they get closer, forcing me to once again move out of their way.

Adjuster - Racer.
After all, it's speed what counts.

What is this? All I know was that some american bitch at uni was complainging to me about how Australians overtake on the right on footpaths because we also drive on the left so I punched her in the gob for even mentioning such a weak subject.

All why hasn't any feminist bitch come in here and whined about the lack of chivalry yet?

...Funny thing that some women think than "chivalry" is something that can be applied while driving.

Hehe after reading all the replies, I started to realize just how many sub-categories there are involving walking. As mentioned before too, the first set of rules can apply to escalators as well.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who walks on the right. It actually confuses me why people walk on the left so much and then shoot looks at me if I try to walk on the right side.