OT: Friday question...

MonkeyMonster

Walking, we've all got to do it now and again and while grimacing and wishing we had a bike, we push through and get on with it. The question is do you walk like you cycle? Do you check over your shoulder when overtaking slower walkers and actually have an awareness of who is near you and at what speed?
I can imagine some of the walkers I met this morning if on bikes, I 'd shout at for being a twat. If in a car same.
Morning all btw

Rich158

I do when I'm running, but I view walking as just pootling and enjoy the view more than anything.

The worrying thing is I'm starting to drive like I ride my bike, and anyone who's ridden with me will confirm that couls be a major problem. Oh well I didn't like my license anyway, I might as well just send it back to DVLA

suzyb

Yes. And the people who don't really annoy me.

kelsen

Rich158 wrote:

The worrying thing is I'm starting to drive like I ride my bike, and anyone who's ridden with me will confirm that couls be a major problem.

You jump pavements, run red lights, and draft other cars? :shock:

DevUK

If I'm not commuting I have a mile walk to the bus stop and back, plus a walk across campus when I get to work usually. I tend to be mindful of my surroundings, but not excessively. I do check if anyone's behind me when I "pull out to overtake"

MonkeyMonster

DevUK wrote:

I do check if anyone's behind me when I "pull out to overtake"

Its not a bad habit to have but I did almost deck a suit this morning when he suddenly veered across my path to go into a shop with no signalling. Deck as in body check, not punch btw:D

dancook

People who walk whilst talking on their phones not paying attention to where they are going!

People who walk out of shops without looking!

Groups who walk slowly taking up the whole of the pavement!

... gives me pavement rage...

Oh and people who stand in door ways, like to the shopping centre. get out the way!!

Clever Pun

I shoulder check all the time, my missus tells me off for walking too fast too

kelsen

dancook wrote:

People who walk whilst talking on their phones not paying attention to where they are going!

People who walk out of shops without looking!

Groups who walk slowly taking up the whole of the pavement!

... gives me pavement rage...

Oh and people who stand in door ways, like to the shopping centre. get out the way!!

Wow, I thought it was only me! Sometimes I deliberately elbow them then mumble an apology afterwards :P

Clever Pun wrote:

I shoulder check all the time, my missus tells me off for walking too fast too

Yeah, I get that too. What's that all about? Either up your cadence or get longer legs, jeez!

tgotb

When I used to commute by train/tube, I got so fed up with people "pulling out in front of me", stopping abruptly etc, that in the end I just started walking into them.

Probably not a particularly constructive thing to do; made me feel a bit better, but I suspect it just p*ssed them off rather than educating them...

Concourse at Waterloo was particularly bad. Crowds of people stood staring at the departure boards; at the instant a departure was announced, a bunch of them would set off towards their platform without looking (in most cases without bothering to take their eyes off the departure board)...

Rich158

kelsen wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

The worrying thing is I'm starting to drive like I ride my bike, and anyone who's ridden with me will confirm that couls be a major problem.

You jump pavements, run red lights, and draft other cars? :shock:

Not quite, I have found myself sitting at pedestrian crossings thinking it's all clear I can get the jump on everyone here :oops: Fortunately I'm not quite as reckless n the car as I am on the bike

jonginge

+1 to all of the above. Why can't people walk in straight lines? Gah

@TGOTB, yep, waterloo concourse is bad. So is Moorgate. The wider the pavement gets the more random the behaviour of the walkers.

itsbruce

MonkeyMonster wrote:

The question is do you walk like you cycle? Do you check over your shoulder when overtaking slower walkers and actually have an awareness of who is near you and at what speed?

I'd be happy if more people just looked properly ahead while walking. I walk more quickly than the average and I move to avoid/pass what's approaching, but too many people just seem to turn their brains/eyes off and plough straight ahead, then blink in surprise when they run up against somebody else. Other fun habits of the lesser brained pedestrian:

• Stopping at the top/bottom of a flight of stairs.
• Stopping in front of a busy entrance/exit.
• Stopping at the top of the stairs, right in front of the entrance to the platform at my local train station (one of these days...)
• Stopping at the top of the stairs, right in front of the entrance to the platform, just as I'm racing up the stairs to catch a train, then leaping right in front of me, as I reach the top, to slap her oyster card on the reader, so that I miss the train, and then not even bloody trying to get on the train herself - her train was coming later but she just decided she needed to "touch in" at that moment. AAAARGH!

These are some of the reasons I now cycle to work. I actually find pedestrians less annoying as a cyclist.

Medders

JonGinge wrote:

+1 to all of the above. Why can't people walk in straight lines? Gah

@TGOTB, yep, waterloo concourse is bad. So is Moorgate. The wider the pavement gets the more random the behaviour of the walkers.

+1

and add in the vast numbers of people pulling those damn little cases on wheels creating false gaps to nip through that are all full of trip hazard. I know how practical etc they are (and I may possibly even have one myself) but my oh so reasonable self when on PT dictates that *other people* should be banned from using them.....

Specialized Needs

Rich158 wrote:

kelsen wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

The worrying thing is I'm starting to drive like I ride my bike, and anyone who's ridden with me will confirm that couls be a major problem.

You jump pavements, run red lights, and draft other cars? :shock:

Not quite, I have found myself sitting at pedestrian crossings thinking it's all clear I can get the jump on everyone here :oops: Fortunately I'm not quite as reckless n the car as I am on the bike

As long as you haven't started filtering yet ...
:shock:

Bassjunkieuk

Clever Pun wrote:

I shoulder check all the time, my missus tells me off for walking too fast too

Well it's understandable that you walk "ast as I imagine your stride length is huge ;-)

I do find myself acting as if I'm on my bike when walking, shoulder checking and even engaging in a little bit of Silly Commute Walking - especially fun over London Bridge as it's normally chock full of people so plenty of scalps to be had :-)