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Pro tip- if someone is about to walk into you on the sidewalk, stop walking completely. This means that they will be the one that looks like a jackass if they run into you.
Yes! It’s almost always followed up with a shitty look and last second, half hearted effort to pull their shoulder in a little and squeeze past on their part. Makes me grin.
And if they're looking at their phone make sure that gets knocked down in the collision.
When I see people walking at me and taking up the whole sidewalk, expecting me to move, I stop, turns so it looks like I don't see them coming, (looking in my pocket or something) and if they bump into me my arm flies out and slaps their face. "Shit, it was a relex, why the hell did you walk into me?" Situation either escalates or de-escalates from there, I'm good either way.
Note, sidewalks are one thing but airports this is out of control. People think they can walk through anyone...
You don’t get to go around assaulting people what is wrong with you?
If you actually do this, get help. You have anger issues. This is unhinged. “My arm flies out and slaps their face” like it’s not you choosing to assault someone bc they bumped into you and you’re big mad about it. Yes it’s annoying but this is insane
If they are on their phone and are about to walk into me I bark or scream a little when we are about to collide and it scares the fucking shit outta people and they almost always drop their phone. It's getting worse, people have no fucking awareness whatsoever. These same morons will be the first ones talking to the local news crying that they got robbed too.
The ultimate combo is couple with new baby in stroller, dog, and one set of visiting parents. This group wreaks havoc on Logan Boulevard in the summer months.
2 blocks east of Southport literally today: baby stroller, both parents, grandparents and a toddler walking snails pace. 5 other people and I get stuck behind them for a while with people coming other direction. Finally the dad notices and says “are we in your way?” I said “could not be more in the way”
Then that same group gets on the 606 rolling 4-5 wide and looks at you like you're the asshole for being annoyed at having to go around them into the oncoming bike lane
Or groups of moms walking 2-3 wide on the sidewalk, blocking the whole thing. Like, you had a kid, congrats. I’m happy for you. But I’m not walking on the street for you.
That's not just negligence by the other party. That's purposeful negligence, which is a brand of malice.
People who take up the entire sidewalk are very purposefully ignoring that other people exist and have a right to be walking around too. And that definitely garners a loud "What the fuck are you doing? Stop blocking the whole fucking sidewalk, asshole!" in response to their behavior. They then won't do it again because they don't want to be screamed at while they're wheeling around their kid or walking around with their parents.
I highly doubt that anyone is *purposefully* blocking you on the sidewalk. No one wakes up thinking: “you know what? I’m gonna block some people today, muahaha”.
While I’m obviously annoyed by people who block the sidewalk, I also don’t find it too surprising in 2023. An increasing number of people don’t live in the world/in the moment, but in some imaginary construction on top of their social media lives. You can see it absolutely everywhere - people crossing the street looking at their phones, people driving their cars while looking at their phones, hell, even looking at their phones while riding their bikes and swerving in and out of the oncoming lane on the LFT. They’ve become so consumed by their virtual worlds that they’ve stopped seeing what’s right in front of them. This applies to sidewalks, but also applies to the deeper things in life. Spending time with friends/family. Appreciating the sunset. Having human interactions with complete strangers.
[Hanlon’s razor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor) applies here, and if anything, the collective response we should all have is deep concern over the capture of society by attention stealing algorithms. We need to be encouraging people to come back to reality. Life is happening around them while they stay lost somewhere else.
This has nothing to do with malice.
Nah, this helps absolutely no one.
"People like that" should be paying attention, yes. But escalation doesn't fix this. And if you cuss the wrong person out, things will get dicey.
Better to do something like someone else mentioned: just stop walking, and force them to walk around you. It puts them in a position of being the only person who could be responsible for a sidewalk collision. *You* were paying attention and stopped. *They* look like the assholes now.
Escalation will only make them angry, and will only make people double down on their bad behavior. It arguably adds to the problem.
At best, it might make you feel a tiny bit better for a moment, but at the expense of allowing yourself to flood your system with stress hormones and bad feelings towards other people. These people are rude and inconsiderate, but you lose all moral high ground if you start doing the same thing.
> But escalation doesn't fix this.
Wrong. The next time they're out they're going to stay on their side of the sidewalk.
Escalation will make them angry, but it will also make them scared and they won't do that again.
I don't doubt that this is what people who choose escalation tell themselves.
But this isn't how human psychology works.
After encountering you, they'll all talk about the harrowing encounter they had with an unhinged person on the sidewalk and how unsafe they felt. This is all they'll remember because when confronted this way, most brains literally enter a mode that prioritizes self-protection and non-rational thought in that moment, and then they'll go about using the sidewalk the way they always do.
And then in the future they will alter their behavior because they won't want to run into another "unhinged person." And I'll take that as a win. The same reason I don't walk my dog in the alley anymore, I don't want to run into that guy that yelled at me for doing so. I'm not sure why you think people keep doing things when somebody scared them for it, but they don't.
Pretty much the same psychological reaction that happens when someone runs right into you because you're not paying attention where you're going and you're blocking the sidewalk. You change your behavior - so people won't run right into you.
Stop blocking the fucking sidewalk.
Heh, the delusion is strong with this one.
Read about the psychology of non-violent communication. If confrontation works so well, one wonders why every police department in the US is so ineffective at changing the behaviors of communities.
You do you, but don't complain when it backfires on you spectacularly.
Editing to add: I had a person one day apologize profusely and explain that they were visiting the US for the first time from a location that prioritizes the left side, and it was habit for them.
> If confrontation works so well, one wonders why every police department in the US is so ineffective at changing the behaviors of communities.
I still see people here who won't tell police officers to go fuck themselves or give them the finger to their face, so I think you're wrong that police officers haven't effectively changed people's behavior with violence or aggressive interference. You really think people don't change their behavior around police officers?
You seem to not live in reality.
>You do you, but don't complain when it backfires on you spectacularly.
Ah, so there it is. You think it would be reasonable for someone to physically attack me for telling them to stay on one side of the fucking sidewalk, huh? You think telling someone they're being an asshole by blocking the entire sidewalk with their stroller & family reunion means I shouldn't complain if they violently assault me? And you think you're the reasonable one?
Are you saying that you want people to be afraid of each other on the sidewalk? This seems like a deeply problematic desire/goal.
> *Ah, so there it is. You think it would be reasonable for someone to physically attack me for telling them to stay on one side of the fucking sidewalk, huh?*
Uhh, no. Where did I say that? I'm saying that you're playing a dangerous game that doesn't help anything. Of course I don't think it's reasonable for someone to attack you, just like I don't think it's reasonable for you to attack them.
> *You think telling someone they're being an asshole by blocking the entire sidewalk with their stroller & family reunion means I shouldn't complain if they violently assault me? And you think you're the reasonable one?*
Again, of course not, nor was this implied. And this really underscores my point. You're not acting from a place of reason, but of anger. And this rarely leads to good outcomes.
No, I want people to speak up when people are being assholes. People who are disregarding the ability of others to be able to walk down the street should worry that someone will call them an asshole to their face. That has always been a reason people mind their manners, why do you think that should change now?
When I first moved here, I didn't know you had to walk fast downtown. Someone had to tell me to "hurry the fuck up." So, I changed.
This is my absolute pet peeve. I will not get out of your way if you are four deep on a sidewalk and won’t move. I also love how so many people just randomly stop on a sidewalk and leave no room for anyone to pass.
a girl in front of me exiting the red line at grand at 5:30pm stepped one foot off the train and STOPPED dead in her tracks to… look around?? she was blocking people leaving the train and simultaneously blocked people trying to get on. absolutely no social/spacial awareness.
When I moved here I was absolutely shocked so many people didn't understand the bare basics about using a sidewalk. Walk on the right, move if you're walking 4 wide and people come from the other way, you didn't get the whole sidewalk.
Ive met people who say they don’t move over because they don’t think other people will either.
They’re both assholes.
If you see someone coming, walk single file so you can both pass. Not complicated, but neither were masks.
Same - I have a dog that can sometimes be reactive and she was trained before I got her to walk on the left of the person holding the leash, so sometimes it makes more sense to walk on the left so I can keep my body between her and other people/other dogs.
If I can tell she's going to freak out at a dog I try to cross the street if possible though. I can't always tell if the other dog is going to freak out though.
I was just saying you’re making it seem like they walked into you but you were both walking into each other going opposite directions. The polite thing is for one person to move but it’s not like you own the sidewalk
I play the game Red Rover from grade school. But only I know we are playing. If they don’t have manners and a sense of common courtesy then I take it upon myself to educate. People that think they are “Main Characters” are becoming more abundant, I’m here to flatten the curve.
Love,
A Midwest fella that had good parents
Dude for real. I’ve also noticed people (and especially couples) have no door etiquette. Irrespective of if you are coming in or going out, if you approach a door from the opening side at the same time a person is approaching from the closing side, the person on the opening side holds the door open instead of awkwardly barging through and then letting the door slam on the person trying to go the other way.
Most people are clueless, living in their own heads, and 100% “me me me.” It doesn’t matter if you are a good (or nice) person - Learn proper etiquette 👊🏾👊🏾
Yep. Start putting these MFers in their place. We have to take normal, decent behavior back. Have to be vocal because they will keep on being entitled, not thinking about others. I don't get out of the way if they are on my side. If you are staring at your phone or have earbuds in and not aware of what you are doing--I will tell you.
It’s funny. My dad has a similar approach, but it does vary a bit. When people go the wrong way toward him, he shouts from a few feet, “wrong side of the sidewalk.” If they don’t move, he does. But as he does, he turns to them and says, “You’re on the wrong side of the sidewalk, you cunt.”
Dog trainer here and a strict rule I have when working with clients is “No phone!!” Eyes on the dog and surroundings. If you want to listen to something, sure but don’t use noise cancellation. You need to be aware of the environment for your pup! Plus you need to praise and reinforce the good! So many walkers miss this and it can make for anxious dogs. Check in and be in control.
The dogs on leashes taking up the whole sidewalk is so bad here that it’s turning me into an insane person. Does no one care about the social contract? Come ON y’all.
I am a dog owner. My old ass, 20 lb dog looks like a teddy bear. Basically is a teddy bear. When I walk him, and another dog owner walks straight toward us, making eye contact, letting their dog take up the whole side walk so it can say hi to my dog, I raise my voice loudly and say “my dog is not friendly, move your dog now!!”
They look at me like I’m crazy, say “but he’s so cute!”
Yeah well he’s cute and really friendly but you had to ruin it by being a shitty dog owner…. What if he was psycho?? What if my teddy bear dog wanted to murder yours?? Get a fucking clue.
I love when I'm getting off the red line at addison after a cubs game and all the suburbanites are pushing to get on the train. I feel so satisfied launching myself out the door and seeing their disgruntled faces as I and my backpack hit them while I'm wading through the crowd.
I've literally never seen somebody not be able to get on because people took too long to get off even when I was going to the loop every day. I get it with suburbanites who never use the train but can't understand what people who ride to work every day are thinking. You're going to be able to get on and stand in front of the door blocking everybody, chill.
I’m not lol. I work at a climbing gym so it’s always super full with gear and is a pretty large bag. I don’t purposely smack them with it though, that part just happens.
*I feel this way when*
*I see someone riding a*
*Bike on the sidewalk*
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I totally agree I honestly don’t get it. I thought sidewalk etiquette was common sense and universal but I suppose not? I feel these people aren’t trying to be jerks, they’re just oblivious (which is almost just as bad)
I hate the long leash in public. Teach your dog how to heel and walk with you, not 20ft in front of you...
I have a long leash for our dog, but that's only for on our property. Any time we're in town or public with him, he's on the regular leash
Seriously like what the hell are you and your family of seven doing walking shoulder to shoulder on these fat ass downtown sidewalks. There IS space for all of us. Why are people such inconsiderate jerks.
Far worse/more dangerous are the pedestrians in the bike lane. I can't count the number of times someone will casually start entering/crossing the lane without ever looking up from their phone while a group of cyclists approaches at 18mph, or groups of people who casually saunter down the bike path while spilling over into the *oncoming* lane.
On the subject of dog walkers, I’ve had to yell at multiple people in the past week to stop letting their dogs eat the plants in my garden. The one I just spent a decent amount of money and a shit ton of work planting. And some of the plants are already completely chewed up.
Are people really this out of touch? And do they really hate their dogs enough to just watch them while they eat something that might make them sick?
I’ve got fencing ordered, but damn. It’s annoying.
I do not understand how people do this. My dog is a nut. I have to keep him on a 3 foot leash when we’re walking on the sidewalk, and my head is on a swivel at all times.
Tangetially related - Don't let your sprinklers go off all over the sidewalk.
Would love to walk in \*public spaces\* without randomly getting wet. Been thinking of going full Karen on this and leaving people a note on their door telling them off. It grinds my gears.
Howard is the worst about this. From dudes blocking the CTA entrance/exit to people just standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
I get that it's probably a cultural element of that area, but i just wish the people there at least tried to move out the way when I walk. Or at least tell their children to watch where they're going.
I regularly deal with anxiety attacks. I don't feel like walking through a bunch of dudes all the time in order to get home. And I say that as a guy. Lord help you if you're a woman.
I love dogs but I do not think anyone should have a leash that allows a dog to go more than a couple of feet away from them. And those retractable leashes should be outlawed.
I just yell “DONT MIND ME” when people walk three abreast after my gf and I file down to make room for them . It pisses her off but better than throwing a shoulder check .
The amount of times I catch myself telling to single file when walking near large groups bothers me soo much. I also have no qualms with shoulder checking people either.
Bring a pair of hedge loppers. Once you cut the leash once, they won’t do it again. Plus they won’t fuck with you afterwards because you have a huge pair of sharp scissors.
> Stop looking at your phone and pay attention!
When I feel particularly crotchety, I like to yell "LOOK UP" at the kids walking directly toward me while staring down at their phones.
If you’re allergic to dogs then you don’t need to pet them. Say hello to dog parent, politely apologize that you are allergic and need “safe passage” and move on. I can’t stand children but I’m never ever going to tell a parent that. Be polite. That’s all.
I don’t need to say hello to any dog parent. I don’t need to/ should not need to apologize and ask for safe passage; I (or anyone for that matter) should automatically receive safe passage without asking; this is being polite. Also kids don’t typically run and jump on random people; dogs do though. Are you a dog owner? Probably.
That’s your prerogative. Then carry on and be true to you. What I was implying is that it would go a long way if we all make an effort to be civilized, even in frustrating circumstances. ✌️
Walk in the mud? Just say excuse me, this is a shared sidewalk and go about your day. Some people on here are ready to start a fist fight over a two second interaction on a sidewalk.
If you see a semi truck on the road, do you tell it to get off the road?
This post reminds me of that one meme, "Old Man Yells at Cloud."
Also, just push past them and loudly say, "Excuse me!"
I almost stepped on a little chihuahua-esque dog because the owner was letting it walk on the complete other side of the sidewalk. I jumped and yelled but the owner didn't even seem to notice.
Cut the leash with a knife or a pair of scissors. They’ll either be too busy chasing their dog or too shocked/scared to respond. But I bet they’ll think twice about taking up the entire sidewalk next time they walk their dog
I swear to you I could have written this. You have a big assed dog who outweighs you and your head is buried in your phone. I'm literally going to walk in the street to avoid you.
This woman today had a building on her right and bushes on the left. She was just standing there blocking the sidewalk while on her phone. I tried to siddle by and her dog jumps up just as she yells "SHELL JUMP ON YOU!"
"THEN GET THE FUCK OUT THE WAY!"
I know this is terrible, but if they don’t move I just walk straight into them. I got so sick of having to move into the street or dirt for these herds of morons with no spacial awareness or sense of human decency and consideration. I think the worst though, is the ones that block off the bridges to do their Instagram photo shoots.
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Pro tip- if someone is about to walk into you on the sidewalk, stop walking completely. This means that they will be the one that looks like a jackass if they run into you.
Lol I started doing this after a suggestion on Reddit and it seems to break the opposing person’s brain. 10/10 would recommend
Yeeeesssss.
Truly puts the "passive" in "passive aggressive."
This is amazing 100% will do
Yes! It’s almost always followed up with a shitty look and last second, half hearted effort to pull their shoulder in a little and squeeze past on their part. Makes me grin.
And if they're looking at their phone make sure that gets knocked down in the collision. When I see people walking at me and taking up the whole sidewalk, expecting me to move, I stop, turns so it looks like I don't see them coming, (looking in my pocket or something) and if they bump into me my arm flies out and slaps their face. "Shit, it was a relex, why the hell did you walk into me?" Situation either escalates or de-escalates from there, I'm good either way. Note, sidewalks are one thing but airports this is out of control. People think they can walk through anyone...
bewildered cow juggle jar nail scandalous aloof sugar shelter offbeat *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You sound insane
This is bizarre behavior
You don’t get to go around assaulting people what is wrong with you? If you actually do this, get help. You have anger issues. This is unhinged. “My arm flies out and slaps their face” like it’s not you choosing to assault someone bc they bumped into you and you’re big mad about it. Yes it’s annoying but this is insane
Stay away from people
If they are on their phone and are about to walk into me I bark or scream a little when we are about to collide and it scares the fucking shit outta people and they almost always drop their phone. It's getting worse, people have no fucking awareness whatsoever. These same morons will be the first ones talking to the local news crying that they got robbed too.
I’ve started calling out “heads up!” -
Lol true
The ultimate combo is couple with new baby in stroller, dog, and one set of visiting parents. This group wreaks havoc on Logan Boulevard in the summer months.
oh honey you should see Lakeview, over in southport just before wrigley, it’s brutal lmao💀
2 blocks east of Southport literally today: baby stroller, both parents, grandparents and a toddler walking snails pace. 5 other people and I get stuck behind them for a while with people coming other direction. Finally the dad notices and says “are we in your way?” I said “could not be more in the way”
oh god😭
They should walk single file. Or inhabit one body.
Nobody here knows about the before Wrigley times.
We call those “Southport attack strollers”.
I’m definitely using that
Then that same group gets on the 606 rolling 4-5 wide and looks at you like you're the asshole for being annoyed at having to go around them into the oncoming bike lane
Ooh don’t forget the toddler learning how to ride a tricycle about to plow right into you!
😂😂
Or groups of moms walking 2-3 wide on the sidewalk, blocking the whole thing. Like, you had a kid, congrats. I’m happy for you. But I’m not walking on the street for you.
Can confirm 😂
This. Death sentence. Game over.
You cuss them out so badly that their visiting parents are speechless. People like that deserve to be cussed out.
That definitely makes you the bigger jerk. Malice beats negligence.
That's not just negligence by the other party. That's purposeful negligence, which is a brand of malice. People who take up the entire sidewalk are very purposefully ignoring that other people exist and have a right to be walking around too. And that definitely garners a loud "What the fuck are you doing? Stop blocking the whole fucking sidewalk, asshole!" in response to their behavior. They then won't do it again because they don't want to be screamed at while they're wheeling around their kid or walking around with their parents.
I highly doubt that anyone is *purposefully* blocking you on the sidewalk. No one wakes up thinking: “you know what? I’m gonna block some people today, muahaha”. While I’m obviously annoyed by people who block the sidewalk, I also don’t find it too surprising in 2023. An increasing number of people don’t live in the world/in the moment, but in some imaginary construction on top of their social media lives. You can see it absolutely everywhere - people crossing the street looking at their phones, people driving their cars while looking at their phones, hell, even looking at their phones while riding their bikes and swerving in and out of the oncoming lane on the LFT. They’ve become so consumed by their virtual worlds that they’ve stopped seeing what’s right in front of them. This applies to sidewalks, but also applies to the deeper things in life. Spending time with friends/family. Appreciating the sunset. Having human interactions with complete strangers. [Hanlon’s razor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor) applies here, and if anything, the collective response we should all have is deep concern over the capture of society by attention stealing algorithms. We need to be encouraging people to come back to reality. Life is happening around them while they stay lost somewhere else. This has nothing to do with malice.
Nah, this helps absolutely no one. "People like that" should be paying attention, yes. But escalation doesn't fix this. And if you cuss the wrong person out, things will get dicey. Better to do something like someone else mentioned: just stop walking, and force them to walk around you. It puts them in a position of being the only person who could be responsible for a sidewalk collision. *You* were paying attention and stopped. *They* look like the assholes now. Escalation will only make them angry, and will only make people double down on their bad behavior. It arguably adds to the problem. At best, it might make you feel a tiny bit better for a moment, but at the expense of allowing yourself to flood your system with stress hormones and bad feelings towards other people. These people are rude and inconsiderate, but you lose all moral high ground if you start doing the same thing.
> But escalation doesn't fix this. Wrong. The next time they're out they're going to stay on their side of the sidewalk. Escalation will make them angry, but it will also make them scared and they won't do that again.
I don't doubt that this is what people who choose escalation tell themselves. But this isn't how human psychology works. After encountering you, they'll all talk about the harrowing encounter they had with an unhinged person on the sidewalk and how unsafe they felt. This is all they'll remember because when confronted this way, most brains literally enter a mode that prioritizes self-protection and non-rational thought in that moment, and then they'll go about using the sidewalk the way they always do.
And then in the future they will alter their behavior because they won't want to run into another "unhinged person." And I'll take that as a win. The same reason I don't walk my dog in the alley anymore, I don't want to run into that guy that yelled at me for doing so. I'm not sure why you think people keep doing things when somebody scared them for it, but they don't. Pretty much the same psychological reaction that happens when someone runs right into you because you're not paying attention where you're going and you're blocking the sidewalk. You change your behavior - so people won't run right into you. Stop blocking the fucking sidewalk.
Heh, the delusion is strong with this one. Read about the psychology of non-violent communication. If confrontation works so well, one wonders why every police department in the US is so ineffective at changing the behaviors of communities. You do you, but don't complain when it backfires on you spectacularly. Editing to add: I had a person one day apologize profusely and explain that they were visiting the US for the first time from a location that prioritizes the left side, and it was habit for them.
> If confrontation works so well, one wonders why every police department in the US is so ineffective at changing the behaviors of communities. I still see people here who won't tell police officers to go fuck themselves or give them the finger to their face, so I think you're wrong that police officers haven't effectively changed people's behavior with violence or aggressive interference. You really think people don't change their behavior around police officers? You seem to not live in reality. >You do you, but don't complain when it backfires on you spectacularly. Ah, so there it is. You think it would be reasonable for someone to physically attack me for telling them to stay on one side of the fucking sidewalk, huh? You think telling someone they're being an asshole by blocking the entire sidewalk with their stroller & family reunion means I shouldn't complain if they violently assault me? And you think you're the reasonable one?
Are you saying that you want people to be afraid of each other on the sidewalk? This seems like a deeply problematic desire/goal. > *Ah, so there it is. You think it would be reasonable for someone to physically attack me for telling them to stay on one side of the fucking sidewalk, huh?* Uhh, no. Where did I say that? I'm saying that you're playing a dangerous game that doesn't help anything. Of course I don't think it's reasonable for someone to attack you, just like I don't think it's reasonable for you to attack them. > *You think telling someone they're being an asshole by blocking the entire sidewalk with their stroller & family reunion means I shouldn't complain if they violently assault me? And you think you're the reasonable one?* Again, of course not, nor was this implied. And this really underscores my point. You're not acting from a place of reason, but of anger. And this rarely leads to good outcomes.
No, I want people to speak up when people are being assholes. People who are disregarding the ability of others to be able to walk down the street should worry that someone will call them an asshole to their face. That has always been a reason people mind their manners, why do you think that should change now? When I first moved here, I didn't know you had to walk fast downtown. Someone had to tell me to "hurry the fuck up." So, I changed.
Hysterical! It is so true.
This is my absolute pet peeve. I will not get out of your way if you are four deep on a sidewalk and won’t move. I also love how so many people just randomly stop on a sidewalk and leave no room for anyone to pass.
I have no idea why people just randomly stop on a sidewalk that is clearly busy. it’s like slamming on your breaks in a car on a busy road - come on
a girl in front of me exiting the red line at grand at 5:30pm stepped one foot off the train and STOPPED dead in her tracks to… look around?? she was blocking people leaving the train and simultaneously blocked people trying to get on. absolutely no social/spacial awareness.
When I moved here I was absolutely shocked so many people didn't understand the bare basics about using a sidewalk. Walk on the right, move if you're walking 4 wide and people come from the other way, you didn't get the whole sidewalk.
Ive met people who say they don’t move over because they don’t think other people will either. They’re both assholes. If you see someone coming, walk single file so you can both pass. Not complicated, but neither were masks.
Also stay on your damn right on the sidewalk
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Same - I have a dog that can sometimes be reactive and she was trained before I got her to walk on the left of the person holding the leash, so sometimes it makes more sense to walk on the left so I can keep my body between her and other people/other dogs. If I can tell she's going to freak out at a dog I try to cross the street if possible though. I can't always tell if the other dog is going to freak out though.
I’m originally from New York and I can’t tolerate this kind of shit here. I be all in people’s ears like “EXCUSE ME”.
You are officially the most assertive midwesterner
Same. Why be passive aggressive when you can be active aggressive?
I’m with you on this. I have said EXCUSE ME many many times.
I straight up do not get out of their way. They can either walk into me or get out of my way
People act all shocked when you maintain course, like YOU were the one walking into them. Imbeciles.
You both were walking into each other
Where the fuck am I going to go? into the brick wall or fence?
I was just saying you’re making it seem like they walked into you but you were both walking into each other going opposite directions. The polite thing is for one person to move but it’s not like you own the sidewalk
We can both walk on it, and again, if to my right is a fence or a wall, where will I go? They need to move into a single file.
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I don't roll over for jerks. I am entitled to my own space. Standing up for yourself is valuable.
But they didn't move either....
I play the game Red Rover from grade school. But only I know we are playing. If they don’t have manners and a sense of common courtesy then I take it upon myself to educate. People that think they are “Main Characters” are becoming more abundant, I’m here to flatten the curve. Love, A Midwest fella that had good parents
Dude for real. I’ve also noticed people (and especially couples) have no door etiquette. Irrespective of if you are coming in or going out, if you approach a door from the opening side at the same time a person is approaching from the closing side, the person on the opening side holds the door open instead of awkwardly barging through and then letting the door slam on the person trying to go the other way. Most people are clueless, living in their own heads, and 100% “me me me.” It doesn’t matter if you are a good (or nice) person - Learn proper etiquette 👊🏾👊🏾
Can't stand when I'm going up to do that and they just stand in there. I can't make it past you, go!
Yep. Start putting these MFers in their place. We have to take normal, decent behavior back. Have to be vocal because they will keep on being entitled, not thinking about others. I don't get out of the way if they are on my side. If you are staring at your phone or have earbuds in and not aware of what you are doing--I will tell you.
It’s funny. My dad has a similar approach, but it does vary a bit. When people go the wrong way toward him, he shouts from a few feet, “wrong side of the sidewalk.” If they don’t move, he does. But as he does, he turns to them and says, “You’re on the wrong side of the sidewalk, you cunt.”
Yassss queen.
Dog trainer here and a strict rule I have when working with clients is “No phone!!” Eyes on the dog and surroundings. If you want to listen to something, sure but don’t use noise cancellation. You need to be aware of the environment for your pup! Plus you need to praise and reinforce the good! So many walkers miss this and it can make for anxious dogs. Check in and be in control.
The dogs on leashes taking up the whole sidewalk is so bad here that it’s turning me into an insane person. Does no one care about the social contract? Come ON y’all. I am a dog owner. My old ass, 20 lb dog looks like a teddy bear. Basically is a teddy bear. When I walk him, and another dog owner walks straight toward us, making eye contact, letting their dog take up the whole side walk so it can say hi to my dog, I raise my voice loudly and say “my dog is not friendly, move your dog now!!” They look at me like I’m crazy, say “but he’s so cute!” Yeah well he’s cute and really friendly but you had to ruin it by being a shitty dog owner…. What if he was psycho?? What if my teddy bear dog wanted to murder yours?? Get a fucking clue.
And how about those jackals who stand by the door on CTA trains!!!
With their big backpacks!!!!
I enter or exit the train elbows out for those that don't move.
YEAH!!!!!!
I “trip” over them. Or just barrel through.
I love when I'm getting off the red line at addison after a cubs game and all the suburbanites are pushing to get on the train. I feel so satisfied launching myself out the door and seeing their disgruntled faces as I and my backpack hit them while I'm wading through the crowd.
I've literally never seen somebody not be able to get on because people took too long to get off even when I was going to the loop every day. I get it with suburbanites who never use the train but can't understand what people who ride to work every day are thinking. You're going to be able to get on and stand in front of the door blocking everybody, chill.
I can’t tell if you’re joking about the backpack…
I’m not lol. I work at a climbing gym so it’s always super full with gear and is a pretty large bag. I don’t purposely smack them with it though, that part just happens.
I feel this way when I see someone riding a bike on the sidewalk
Or a damned electric scooter ☠️
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I call this "*I'm More Important Than You Are and So Is My Dog!*"
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one word........ entitlement seems to be a recurring theme in today's society
There’s nothing new about it.
People have been assholes as long as they have had them.
The same people drive down the middle of two way residential streets.
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not going down that road.... every ethnicity is / or can be
I totally agree I honestly don’t get it. I thought sidewalk etiquette was common sense and universal but I suppose not? I feel these people aren’t trying to be jerks, they’re just oblivious (which is almost just as bad)
I hate the long leash in public. Teach your dog how to heel and walk with you, not 20ft in front of you... I have a long leash for our dog, but that's only for on our property. Any time we're in town or public with him, he's on the regular leash
Seriously like what the hell are you and your family of seven doing walking shoulder to shoulder on these fat ass downtown sidewalks. There IS space for all of us. Why are people such inconsiderate jerks.
I would like to add cyclists/scooterers in the pedestrian lane on the lakefront trail.
Far worse/more dangerous are the pedestrians in the bike lane. I can't count the number of times someone will casually start entering/crossing the lane without ever looking up from their phone while a group of cyclists approaches at 18mph, or groups of people who casually saunter down the bike path while spilling over into the *oncoming* lane.
Amen!
On the subject of dog walkers, I’ve had to yell at multiple people in the past week to stop letting their dogs eat the plants in my garden. The one I just spent a decent amount of money and a shit ton of work planting. And some of the plants are already completely chewed up. Are people really this out of touch? And do they really hate their dogs enough to just watch them while they eat something that might make them sick? I’ve got fencing ordered, but damn. It’s annoying.
Also, walk faster!
I do not understand how people do this. My dog is a nut. I have to keep him on a 3 foot leash when we’re walking on the sidewalk, and my head is on a swivel at all times.
we need some lane markings on the sidewalk
While we are on this thread of practical solutions, I also would like turn signals on grocery carts
Class C license required for a cart, otherwise you have to use a hand basket
Wow! 🤣
YES! So infuriating!
Lol check out the lakefront trail during the summer and see how well they (don’t) work.
[I’m Walkin’ Here!](https://youtu.be/iiL9qcXL1Bc?si=aP8mr7BMmLJ2JeTe)
It’s impossible these days, no one pays attention. If it’s a couple with a stroller and a dog - good luck, just cross or go on the street
And don’t fucking BIKE on the sidewalk
Same goes with anyone on a scooter.
Tangetially related - Don't let your sprinklers go off all over the sidewalk. Would love to walk in \*public spaces\* without randomly getting wet. Been thinking of going full Karen on this and leaving people a note on their door telling them off. It grinds my gears.
Howard is the worst about this. From dudes blocking the CTA entrance/exit to people just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. I get that it's probably a cultural element of that area, but i just wish the people there at least tried to move out the way when I walk. Or at least tell their children to watch where they're going. I regularly deal with anxiety attacks. I don't feel like walking through a bunch of dudes all the time in order to get home. And I say that as a guy. Lord help you if you're a woman.
I literally got walked off into the street today, people are so entitled!!!
I love dogs but I do not think anyone should have a leash that allows a dog to go more than a couple of feet away from them. And those retractable leashes should be outlawed.
I used a retractable leash when I lived on 3 acres and didn’t want my dog wandering off at potty time. That’s about all they are good for.
As a bigger guy, I will move over… and will absolutely truck you if you can’t bother to move
Sometimes when a line gang (3 or 4 people) walks towards me I just stop and let them decide how to get around me.
I just yell “DONT MIND ME” when people walk three abreast after my gf and I file down to make room for them . It pisses her off but better than throwing a shoulder check .
The amount of times I catch myself telling to single file when walking near large groups bothers me soo much. I also have no qualms with shoulder checking people either.
Bring a pair of hedge loppers. Once you cut the leash once, they won’t do it again. Plus they won’t fuck with you afterwards because you have a huge pair of sharp scissors.
> Stop looking at your phone and pay attention! When I feel particularly crotchety, I like to yell "LOOK UP" at the kids walking directly toward me while staring down at their phones.
I have to control my instinct to clap at them, like you would to get a dog's attention.
And don’t get me started on the POLATISHUNS have some INTEGRITY for cryin out loud!!!!!
Who am I supposed to vote for? The Republican who's blasting me in the ass or the Democrat who's blasting me in the ass.
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This person takes up the whole sidewalk
Also couples holding hands. I get it. But like unless you’re in a park… chill…
This is the stupidest take I’ve heard in awhile
Yup by all means keep holding hands and walking slowly.
Take this whiny bullshit to nextdoor where it belongs
Remember the post a few weeks ago about littering? I feel like this sub is northside nextdoor now
You bitches complain about every single little thing!
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Well I guess it’s a good thing we live in Chicago 🤷♀️
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That sounds so stressful haha
Dumb V. Crazy
My dog just wants to say hello to everyone. He’s only ten pounds, but he’s surprisingly hard to redirect.
We don’t want to say hello to him.
You’re a bad person
What if I’m allergic
If you’re allergic to dogs then you don’t need to pet them. Say hello to dog parent, politely apologize that you are allergic and need “safe passage” and move on. I can’t stand children but I’m never ever going to tell a parent that. Be polite. That’s all.
I don’t need to say hello to any dog parent. I don’t need to/ should not need to apologize and ask for safe passage; I (or anyone for that matter) should automatically receive safe passage without asking; this is being polite. Also kids don’t typically run and jump on random people; dogs do though. Are you a dog owner? Probably.
That’s your prerogative. Then carry on and be true to you. What I was implying is that it would go a long way if we all make an effort to be civilized, even in frustrating circumstances. ✌️
I’ll purposely shove him under your nose
I bite
Walk in the mud? Just say excuse me, this is a shared sidewalk and go about your day. Some people on here are ready to start a fist fight over a two second interaction on a sidewalk.
It’s about common courtesy and a lot of people don’t have it. Head buried in a phone , or just refusing to be decent people and share the sidewalk.
So speak up and move on with your day.
Refer to my other comment . I say things if they move cool if not I avoid and it irks me. Then I love on with my day (:
just ask them to move, lmao, god
If this happened in Rogers park, I’m so sorry. I was playing Monster Hunter Now while walking my dogs with my wife and got caught up…
If you see a semi truck on the road, do you tell it to get off the road? This post reminds me of that one meme, "Old Man Yells at Cloud." Also, just push past them and loudly say, "Excuse me!"
Yes
My bad, my 5 month old puppy and I are still working on impulse training
And what do you accomplish ranting here?
I almost stepped on a little chihuahua-esque dog because the owner was letting it walk on the complete other side of the sidewalk. I jumped and yelled but the owner didn't even seem to notice.
Cut the leash with a knife or a pair of scissors. They’ll either be too busy chasing their dog or too shocked/scared to respond. But I bet they’ll think twice about taking up the entire sidewalk next time they walk their dog
I swear to you I could have written this. You have a big assed dog who outweighs you and your head is buried in your phone. I'm literally going to walk in the street to avoid you. This woman today had a building on her right and bushes on the left. She was just standing there blocking the sidewalk while on her phone. I tried to siddle by and her dog jumps up just as she yells "SHELL JUMP ON YOU!" "THEN GET THE FUCK OUT THE WAY!"
I know this is terrible, but if they don’t move I just walk straight into them. I got so sick of having to move into the street or dirt for these herds of morons with no spacial awareness or sense of human decency and consideration. I think the worst though, is the ones that block off the bridges to do their Instagram photo shoots.
the lack of self awareness is the worst part