First of all, if anyone has not seen The Oatmeal's Minor Differences comic about motorists cutting each other off versus pedestrians cutting each other off, you need to go check it out here:
While I'm not prone to road rage, I do get some sidewalk rage. Especially working in a busy downtown core, people sauntering completely oblivious to the flow of traffic can really grind my gears. Here's my shortlist:
- Ping-Ponging: These people meander back and forth looking anywhere except straight ahead. They are impossible to pass without bumping into because just when you think they are far enough away on a diagonal trajectory to get by them, they suddenly swing back the other way inevitably cutting you off. (You'd think since they are looking around they would notice that you would like to get by, but nope, they don't.)
- Sidewalk Hogging: These people like to all walk side by side, even if there are three, four or five of them in a group (two large people is more common and just as bad). They also typically move very slowly - maybe you have to walk that slowly to stay synchronized. Also very difficult to pass. You may even have to detour slighty to get around them. (Or start singing the Red Rover song then burst through the line - I have not tried this.)
- Sudden Stopping: These people have been walking along together having a conversation and realize they are about to part ways, or reach their destination, before the conversation is over. So, they stop. Suddenly. Right where they were walking. No moving to the side to make room for everybody else walking directly behind them who would like to continue on. It doesn't seem to matter that they are at the bottom of an escalator, or in a doorway, or right in the middle of the sidewalk/path/hallway etc.
- Tail-Gaiting: This one might just be me, so I put it at the bottom. But I have a significant personal space bubble and nothing creeps me out more than someone walking right behind me. If they are passing me that is fine, but its when someone parks right on my heels and I can feel my hair move when they cough on the back of my neck... gives me the heebe-geebes. Plus I get really self-conscious that they are staring at my bum. There's lots of sidewalk - go find your own.
Is there anything I missed?
**There may have been one or two incidents when I was practically climbing out of my car window to shout vulgarities at a fellow motorist, totally his fault, but typically I find that level of road rage just plain ridiculous. When I see people honking and screaming and ramming each other during morning rush hour I wonder - how can you be that angry already?? Its 7 a.m! There will be plenty of stuff to piss you off in the next 12 hours. Relax and drink your coffee. One time I cut somebody off, totally my fault, and he drove by me, for real no kidding, shaking his fist in the air at me. ("Shake harder, boy!") And then looked completely dumb-founded when I burst out laughing. It makes me think of this:
Missed two. The first is the "oh look we have arrived at the top of the escalator. I certainly wasn't expecting that. Now where do you suppose we ought to go now. What do you think, Mohammed? And you, Siti? What a lot of rude people pushing... by from that escalator we just stopped at the top of. Some people!"
ReplyDeleteThe other is the line up at the ATM. I have a fair bit of a personal space bubble myself, but in Asia there is none. This is particularly annoying at the ATM as whoever is behind you is close enough not just to read your pin number, but to punch it in for you!