This is a bit of an etiquette question, I find that when you’re walking on the pavement passing people in pairs or groups (particularly on nights out).. they don’t really give way or move at all when you’re just one person, maybe shift one arm or almost walk directly into you. Almost like a sideways queue or human battering ram. It stresses me out a lot, I don’t particularly like brushing arms and feel that the people wouldn’t care if I lost my balance while trying to make way for them (also I was conditioned that walking close to someone is a good opportunity to get pickpocketed).

If I say something like, ‘can I just have a little space’, not give way, or ‘play chicken’ with them I’m perceived as the bad guy. Is the right of way to the pair or group, or person walking by alone?

What are you expected to do in this situation, to get out of their way? To not move at all? Or to also slightly move your arm or body?

38 comments

  1. This is a nuisance and it happens more and more. All I can suggest is as you approach, make sure you are walking alongside the wall (if there is one) at the edge of the pathway. That way it’s obvious that they have to give way to you.

  2. *stop*, turn 30° to the side, so you’re shoulder-on to them, and brace for impact

    They’ll usually go around when they notice, and if they don’t, they end up on the floor with their mates laughing at them

    n.b. You may also get knocked over the first few times

  3. “Excuse me…excuse me…can I just…sorry…excuse me…sorry can I just…hi…sorry…sorry can I get past please…excuse me” *walks into pavement*

  4. Stand completely still and let them walk straight into you.

    I’ve done it to people staring at their phones.

  5. You hold your ground, I was walking back from work the other day and had 2 guys, one walking a dog, so my natural action is to walk on the side closest to the road to keep the dog away, but I’m pretty sure his mate thought I was going to walk in the road until he had no choice but to get in single file.

    Now while these people are asses, they’re nothing compared to large groups of inconsiderate ass holes who stand outside a pub blocking the pavement completely, it’s as if they’re scared to lose sight of the door or something.

  8. You say “excuse me”, and hopefully they move out the way, then you thank them whether they moved or not, but much louder if they didn’t move.

  10. I walk right through the middle of them if it’s obvious they aren’t going to give me any room. Like another poster said this is happening more and more, people just don’t give a fuck these days.

  11. Draw your Claymore and swing it in a wide arc ahead of you. Those who do not evade this lethal weapon will be removed from the equation of life, and thus your problem is solved.

    /S (for those who couldn’t tell)

  12. Don’t move at all, let them walk into you and boop their noses.

    These sorts of ignoramuses need to learn eventually.

  13. “*Excuuuuuuuuuuse* meeeeeeee” in a very loud obvious voice. They usually part ways with each other in surprise because they think…well…I don’t know what they think, but I always cheerily throw a loud “Thank youuuu” over my shoulder.

  14. It’s taken time but I’ve landed on the ‘stop and stand’ method. You can’t let other people think they own the world. You have a small piece of it too

  16. I make sure I’m not on the curbside, aim for where two shoulders meet, and pick up speed.

  17. I tend to move out of the way for everyone, because people seem to be really stubborn about not being the one moving out of the way nowadays, I just find it easier to not be the AH and move unless I physically can’t.

    I also find a majority of large groups have at least 2-3 people that will move out of the way but their friends don’t budge so I have to squeeze through.

    For the groups that don’t move.. well I guess I’m part of the group now lads, where we going??

  22. You walk looking where you want to go, not looking at the people. Since I started doing that I found people just kind of naturally move out of the way. Just never make eye contact.

  24. I just stop still with a deadpan expression and let the other people figure out what to do.

    Last time this happened, it was a group walking on a narrow pavement and once they’d navigated around me (and put 50m between us, cowards) one of them had the audacity to shout “Wow, you really didn’t want to move did you?!” So I yelled back “I ain’t walking in the road so you cunts can stroll two abreast”.

  25. Keep an air horn in your bag or pocket. Scare the shit of out them. Would be like Moses and the parting of the Red Sea.

  26. Deploy elbows. Hands on hips style.

    The instinct can be to make yourself small to squeeze by them. But what you actually want to do is make yourself look bigger, so they will give way.

    And if they don’t, they encounter your elbow in their abdomen.

    So it’s win-win for you.

  27. I always use that old tumblr advice from a Winter Soldier cosplayer. Square your shoulders, wear comfortable shoes, and walk like you’ve been sent to murder Captain America. Sometimes paired with a firm “excuse me”. I’m 5’2 and a woman, so I’m admittedly not particularly bothered about being perceived as the bad guy (and also I live in London where it’s socially acceptable to be impatient with people slowing you down).

  30. It depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll stop walking and let them walk around me/walk into me. If they walk into me they only have themselves to blame. Other times I’ll just walk on the road because it’s not worth the risk of confrontation. However, if I’m in a bad mood or working I’ll plow straight through them. I work in central London and carry a lot of heavy items so there’s no way I’m stopping and losing my momentum, and there’s no way I’m walking into a bus to avoid confrontation. If it’s a group of children I’ll always walk on the road or wait at a ‘passing place’ because I don’t think they know any better

  31. A tip I learned years ago and I oftern use it in London is to look directly at the place you are planning on going while walking or even just choose a sign down the road but people will instinctively move out of your way. Works 90% of the time for me.

  32. I live in a popular tourist destination.
    The answer is simple, walk through them as if they’re not even there, ask as if they’re ghost that can be walked through 😂
    Unless they look rough. Then cross the road like a tit like me.

  33. I carry on in a straight line and will occasionally drop a shoulder if they see me and still refuse to get out of the way.
    But I’m stocky with a bald head so can get away with pulling a dick move like that

  35. I came across an obnoxious couple walking side by side towards me while I was having a really bad day once. I shouted “walk in the fucking road then shall I” at them….. Not my finest moment.

  36. My boyfriend and I will walk side by side on the pavement but will always assemble into single file a little while ahead when we see someone approach. Always to the left too, as it makes sense to keep left.

    People are too thick to understand that they should move to the left also. If there’s a pack of people and they don’t move, I usually just stand still so they have to walk around me.

  37. Yesterday, 3 clones stopped in the middle of the street to BFF chat about how BFF they were with their BFF’s. Blocking everyone, I just want to ‘cuddle’ them so hard, their cute little round faces bursting all over primark. Ah, Happy times.

  38. This happens all the time, I’m a wheelchair user or mobility scooter and groups of people in a row making no attempt to move. So now I just keep going if I run you over that’s on you, it’s way easier for you to get you head out your ass and move than it is for me to change directions at the last second 🤷🏻‍♀️

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