Walking: It’s Just Like Driving (The Proper Way To Use Sidewalks And Walkways)

Let’s talk about something that really matters in this country: people who don’t know how to walk.

The disabled and the legless. I mean the functional bipeds who, either by lack of spatial awareness or simple sheer stupidity, fail to navigate moving in public spaces and thus really screw up nature’s flow. And it’s not solely a matter of speed. It’s about etiquette, safety, and, most crucially, efficiency.

I live a happy life. Every second of each day is important to me. What I don’t want to spend any of that time doing is wasting it because too many people can’t maneuver a sidewalk or walkway.

Setting slow walkers aside — that they haven’t been weeded out by natural selection is the theory of evolution’s greatest gap — there’s a lot more to commuting by foot that too many people ignore, interrupting my day and the days of countless others. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can make walking smoother and more enjoyable by following these four simple rules.

First, walking in public can be done using the same principles of driving. When crossing, be sure to look both ways. Before you turn left or right, make sure to look over your shoulder. For extended idle, pull off to the side. In the event that someone else makes an unplanned maneuver or stall, leave your space.

Similar to highways, sidewalks or public walkways in shopping malls or airports can be shared. These spaces are shared by many people, especially in big cities or during business hours. They are similar to highways in that they require drivers to be aware of each other so they can avoid collisions and maintain a steady flow of traffic.

A sidewalk or walkway is not the same thing as merging onto major roads. It is rude and dangerous to suddenly swing out, with your face in your phone screen and without regard for other people. Runners also use sidewalks and can run into distracted people who step out of line without checking. And after merging, it’s just as bad to obstruct oncoming walkers by either standing in the way or moving at a slower pace than those who were already in motion.

Third, walkers traveling in pairs or groups aren’t entitled to more space or consideration. Footing it with a partner or several friends shouldn’t mean fanning out so all parties can comfortably see and hear each other while commuting.

Remember, others unaffiliated with a potential group will still need a path to walk themselves, and it shouldn’t be incumbent upon them to maneuver around a row of people spanning the width of the walkway. You can file in a straight line and let others pass you. If you do not, you run the risk of rubbing shoulders and causing trouble for strangers.

Fourth, pets, children and other belongings should all be kept close at hand and placed so that other walkers can see them.

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