h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This applies to the U.S., and I'd be interested to see if there's a solid rule across the pond to match it.

When walking, always walk on the right. The right side of the sidewalk, the right side of the hallway, the right side of the train. Cutting down an opening in the left usually causes confusion and bothers other pedestrians who have mastered this grade-school skill.

No, there's no such rule in the UK, except on escalators on the Underground where people overtake on the left. There was a proposal recently (I can't remember who proposed it) to introduce pedestrian traffic lanes on Oxford Street in London.

Does it apply all over the States - and does it work?

I've noticed that in the U.S. a lot more people stop to say hi to strangers, pat dogs etc. when walking, than in the UK, where people seem uncomfortable about this.

I go to MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston). Most of the main classroom/laboratory buildings are connected by corrirdors, and there's a corridor about a quarter-mile long called the "infinite corridor" that's sort of the backbone of this system.
The Infinite at class-changing time (roughly speaking, on the hour from about 10AM to 4PM) is where I first really recognized this rule of walking on the right. If you duck over to the side to get water from a water fountain or something, you seriously have to look to find an opening, to get back into the "traffic" as it were.

I think it might have something to do with which side of the road you drive on. I know back home(Holland) people drive and walk on the right as well, but down here in Ozzie they don't seem to do this at all. Appart from as said on escalators. Maybe it's just the fault of tourist who have a tendency to walk on the right istead the left and get confused by the cars going the wrong way etc...

Rod

A long time ago I was walking on the left side of a side-walk. A stranger coming towards me on a bicycle yelled at me and said to remember to walk on the right side!
Ever since then I try to follow that rule.

I always thought that the side of the road you drive on equates to the side of the footpath you walk on. I tend to walk on the left, living in England, and I presume that other people do to as my walking seems to be fairly free and easy. Escalators are, of course the only exception.

Someone mentioned the Oxford street fast walking lanes. This was an terrible idea to help busy buisness people get from their meeting to their coffee shop to their office to their Bistro without the irritation of being held up but strollers and tourists. A terrible idea. People who aggressively walk fast are obviously very stressed and far too self-important and we should keep them walking slowly for the sake of their hearts. And, can you imagine if someone accidentally wandered into the 'fast-walking' lane? All hell would break loose. Forget road rage, savage beatings with leather soled brogues would be the crime de jour. What would Mr. Blunket do then?

The main thing to remember is walking isn't like driving. When your walking, if you bump into someone, most of the time it can be cheerfully smiled off with an apology and a sheepish grin, but, if you swear at someone, then be prepared not to be walking for a while.

Forget all the silly rules about which side you should or shouldnt walk on, there is one rule that should always be followed in busy pedestrian areas......

KEEP WALKING!!!!

If you need to stop to answer your phone, light your ciggerette, find your ticket, or scratch you private parts, please please please DON'T do it in any of the following places:

The top or bottom of stairs or escalators
As you step off the bus/train
Just after you walk through a ticket barrier
any bottleneck where u will hold up everybody walking behind you
Anywhere immediately in front of me!

If you were travelleing down the motorway at 70 MPH and needed to stop, would you just pull up the handbrake in the fast lane?
Show a little consideration for other footpath users, take a second or two to move into a quiet spot, out of the flow of pedestrians and dawdle to your hearts content.

I tend to walk on the side furthest from the road, particularly if it is busy/fast, to get as far from the fumes and hurtling metal as possible.

When approaching somebody walking in the other direction there is always that funny bit where you both try to interpret where the other person will move to so as not to bump into each other, while AT THE SAME TIME not making eye contact and trying to pretend you don't see them. This leads to a subtle dance as you move left and right to avoid collision. I have noticed that some people don't give a stuff and will barge right through me or force me to step in the road, the latter is usually groups of people who are too inconsiderate to move to allow a gap on the path.

k