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What really grinds your gears?

3 lurkers | 185 watchers

Duchess Apr 2023 10:20pm, 27 Apr 2023 7,974 posts	Quote Pin Duchess (There’s a whole theory about “man slamming” and who is unconsciously expected to get out of the way every time - hint, it’s not white men… ) refinery29.com
JK chameleon Apr 2023 11:12pm, 27 Apr 2023 17,629 posts	Quote Pin JK chameleon Interesting. I mentioned this after a lunch walk where people seemed hellbound to walk into me - not by walking straight but the maddening meander. I walk swiftly, and as a shorter, blond chap, people - both male and female - often expect me to step aside, or at least not put up resistance. So they tend to be surprised when my momentum hurts them. If I'm approaching someone walking the opposite way I will normally seek to make eye contact so we can unconsciously both make an effort. Most don't. Memorable moment was the young chap who was staring so intently at his phone that he failed to see me, nor that I couldn't get out of his way other than stopping (why should I?) or crossing the entire pavement to get out of his and his friends' path. I walked full tilt into him and he and his phone went flying. Sucked to be him. I don't seek out these confrontations though - I abhor human contact and even minor brushes leave me stressed out.
LazyDaisy Apr 2023 8:11am, 28 Apr 2023 38,110 posts	Quote 1 pin LazyDaisy [I must be odd but I'm not bothered about getting out of people's way - life's too short for micro-aggressions about one's 'right' not to deviate. Even on Sunday, doing my virtual mara, when it must have been obvious that I was running or power-walking in some sort of event, I didn't automatically expect other pedestrians to move out of my way. ]
stilldreaming Apr 2023 8:46am, 28 Apr 2023 1,171 posts	Quote Pin stilldreaming [LazyDaisy Me too! It's like playing teenager jenga if I'm unlucky enough to be walking the dog at our local high school's turn out time! I just have "excuse me!" on repeat ].
DoricQuine Apr 2023 9:32am, 28 Apr 2023 8,744 posts	Quote Pin DoricQuine [I admit to giving a woman a mouthful as I was approaching the finishing straight of my race on Saturday! It was a crossing point and the marshalls had raised the ropes to stop people but this idiot just sauntered right in front of me!!]
ChrisHB Apr 2023 10:37am, 28 Apr 2023 22,425 posts	Quote Pin ChrisHB I work on the principle that steam gives way to sail, the seeing give way to the oblivious etc.
Eynsham Red Apr 2023 11:00am, 28 Apr 2023 9,630 posts	Quote Pin Eynsham Red I think that the gear grinder Chris is that there are many who have the sense of entitlement that the oncoming pedestrian will give way to them whether they are on a phone or not.
alpenrose Apr 2023 3:54pm, 28 Apr 2023 59,423 posts	Quote Pin alpenrose I used to always give way and suddenly thought "why is it always me that moves aside?", so then it's become almost a mission not to move aside most of the time and see what people do. I do often stand to one side and let people pass at narrow places and say thank-you as it's only common courtesy, even though that's mostly gone out of the window these days.
Hanneke Apr 2023 7:44pm, 28 Apr 2023 102,886 posts	Quote Pin Hanneke A friend, who started an affair with another friend's husband. Years later, long after this was resolved, she STILL takes the moral high ground. Grrrrrrrr!!!
Fragile Do Not Bend Apr 2023 7:49pm, 28 Apr 2023 11,058 posts	Quote Pin Fragile Do Not Bend I don’t mind giving way, but not if that’s going to mean stepping into the road because people are walking side by side and talking up the whole width of the path.