Why can't people walk on the right side of the hall????

[veronica]

Seriously, is it that hard? Wasn't everyone taught to walk on the right side of the hallway or stairwell? Why do I have to turn the corner walking on the right side only to have someone spill their breakfast on me and look at me like I ruined it for them????

This too is also a huge ordeal in the mall where it is abolute mayhem in every direction! Can't we all just be a bit more civilized and maybe then I won't have to smell like someone elses' egg and cheese all day!

[crl]

You know this annoys the heck out of me too. And the egg and cheese smell must of really added to the fun.

[jhrabosk]

Ditto the sidewalk. Why do they walk on the wrong side or down the middle and then give ME a dirty look?! Or worse, knock into me as though I were invisible.

[s7714]

>Wasn't everyone taught to walk
>on the right side of the hallway or stairwell?

Well, honestly, no. I've never heard of that as a rule, or even as a suggestion (scratching head).

Sorry someone spilled their food on you though! Hope the rest of your day went better! :D

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Antsy-Pants 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
(100 posts & BBB member for 3 months req'd)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybargainssocal/

[jillc]

Yep, this drives me nuts, too! It would definitely be much easier for everyone if people could remember to walk on the right side. :)

Sorry you smell like egg & cheese now. Good to eat, but not good to wear. Gross. :)

How about those people that decide to walk really slowly in a giant herd (like out shopping with the whole fam-damily) and take up the whole darn sidewalk. This really drives me nuts.

[crl]

Clearly, you did not attend a really crowded junior high. . . . LOL.

[katiesmommy]

I've never heard of it either, but I attended a school where there were less then 100 kids in my grade. Maybe that's the difference.

[kellyotn]

Its like traffic. :) You're supposed to walk on the same side you'd be driving on when in a long, crowded, bustling place. (Mall, airport, school, etc.) Just a general rule that's supposed to make things a bit less chaotic.

[ljackson]

This is interesting - growing up in the UK I was always taught to walk on the right (at school) because it is the opposite to the side we drive on there. If you are on a road with no sidewalk you are safer walking towards oncoming traffic (so to speak) because you can see if there is something coming and can avoid it if it doesn't avoid you. I read this morning that joggers who have their back to the traffic are twice as likely to die as those who face it. My school obviously thought it was safer to instill general 'walk on the right' instinct in us.

I have to say that I had never thought that the rule would apply in places like shopping malls. I'll have to see what other people do around here.

[kellyotn]

Huh, that is interesting. It was never, ever a formal thing I've learned anywhere - not school or anything. (Walking into oncoming vehicle traffic is what we were taught though.)

Just a general noticing that "in" doors are usually on the right, "out" doors on the left.

At the airport, etc. when I'd pan ahead and see people walking on the right, it just seemed like it was "like traffic" to me. :) Definitely at CROWDED places it seems a good system so people aren't just willy nilly.

Its sooooo annoying at airports when you get one person trying to go the opposite way through all the people and all their luggage. At a no-so-crowded mall, it probably doesn't matter much any which way. :) My mall has these stupid stairs and ramps every few yards. One side is stairs the other side is ramps, and they alternate. So, the "traffic" rule is pretty hard to enforce when you are pushing a stroller or are in a wheelchair when you have to zing back and forth constantly. grrr.

[s7714]

Nope, less than 500 kids in my entire high school. :P

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Antsy-Pants 6/05

Calling fellow BBB SoCal moms...we'd love to meet you!
(100 posts & BBB member for 3 months req'd)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybargainssocal/

[katiesmommy]

HA, you must have gone to my high school. LOL!

[SammyeGail]

Yes!! I drives me crazy!! I was never taught to walk on one side or the other, I just started doing it naturally when I started driving. If most people did this things would flow so much smoother. Come on people, use your brain.

I hate when people come flying out of side isles with their cart at Wal-mart or a grocery store. I always *look both ways* before I do. Almost each time I go some poor soul gets a dirty look from me when flying out, but I have my twins in a stroller, don't mess with my babies....

And my worst is elevator equitte. Let the people inside come out before you come barging in, I swear, I've had people falling inside once that door cracks, Arg!!

Samantha

[kozachka]

First time I've ever heard that you are supposed to walk on the right. And clearly judging from other pp responces and your experience I am not alone.

[chiqanita]

You know this bugs me too especially in crowded places It's even harder when you have a side by side stroller.

I think it is an unspoken rule or guideline that you walk in one direction on one side and in the other direction on the other side. So yes, just like traffic on the roads.

[mommyto4]

I have never heard this rule either. Good idea though, just never thought about it I guess.

[crl]

Okay, I admit, I'm surprised at how many people have never heard of the "rule" to walk on the right. I had that one drilled into me in two separate school systems in two different states. Both really big and crowded junior highs so I guess it was essential to traffic flow during class changes.

Anyway, what other "rules" do people see routinely violated (probably because they aren't actually rules. LOL.)

Here are mine:

--Do NOT STOP at the top/bottom of the escalator. You must keep moving or you will cause a nasty pile-up. Being a tourist is no excuse for violating this rule.
--Let people out/off before you board (elevators, subway cars)
--Stand right, walk left (on moving sidewalks in airports and on escalators in public transit systems.)
--If you cannot park it, do not drive it. (Picture someone trying to park a monstor SUV in a tiny space and blocking all traffic for 10 minutes. . . .)

And a couple of fashion ones, just for the heck of it:

--Your skirt must be longer than it is wide
--Your sleeves may not be bigger than your head
--If you cannot walk in the shoes, you may not wear them (think teetering on high heels)

(I meant this to be fun so if you are offended please let me know and I will edit.)

[mommyto4]

ROFL!!! That's great. I especially love the one about stopping at the top/bottom of the escalator. I hate when people do that. But, they are all so true. And, I'll have to remember to walk on the right side of the hall now that I know. Ignorance is bliss. LOL

[elliput]

Do not stop after exiting or entering a door, be sure to keep the exit clear for other people. Same princple as the escalator.

[lilycat88]

Do not expect people in an elevator to be able to magically walk THROUGH you as they try to exit and you stand 12 inches from the open doors. The world would be a happier place if you'd let the FULL elevator of people exit before you try to get on to go from the 1st to the 2nd floor.



Jamelin
Mom to Susanna born 6/29/2004

[crl]

Oh yeah. Before I had a kid, I had a personal rule that I never took an elevator unless I was going at least three floors. Now, sometimes it's too hard to deal with the kid, the gear and the stairs. . . .

[asha]

I think it has a lot to do with where you grew up. I, for instance grew up in India. Traffic flow is opposite there, just like in UK.

We were always taught to stay on the left. The first time I went out in my car I almost instintively drove on the wrong side of the road. Imagine the horror on everyone's mind at that moment. I did not drive for a couple of months after that (luckily I was not working at the time). Before I came here, I was already driving for 8 years in India, so the stay on the left was stuck in my mind.

Anyways, I am used to walking with my son here. So, I hold him with my right hand. When I was in India recently, every one was staring at me like I was crazy. Why I would let my 3 year old stay on the right when I know that there are vehicles on the street right next to him.

Some people have this instinct stronger than others. It is possible that this has something to do with where they learnt their rules.

[katiesmommy]

Ugh, this one drives me nuts. Have you ever been to a dance recital? They are a pain in the butt to get out of because everyone stands just outside the doors. I went to my sister's last year and just yelled very loudly for people to please keep walkways open. But I really wanted to yell "Get the H*ll out of my way you dumb*ss!"

[SpaceGal]

Must be a crazy person that does things on the left side of the road. Who knows. But yes I can't stand people that walk on the wrong side of the road.

[daniele_ut]

Less than 500 kids in my whole school as well and it was drilled into us that we had to stay to the right in the halls. Being on the wrong side of the stairs or hallway blocking traffice was detention-worthy at my parochial high school!

[katiesmommy]

I went to a single story high school where most of the classrooms were outside. We only had 2 hallways. There can't have been more the 350-400 kids in the whole school. Most grades only had between 75 and 100 kids.