Walking

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Sometimes, when I'm passing someone in a hallway or on the sidewalk, we end up doing this little dance--right or left? Left or right? And we end up bumping into each other. The way I figure it, people should pass on the right, as you would in a car (at least here in the US), but I always end up running into other people or going "oops, sorry!" Does anyone here do this? I mean, not know what the social convention is about this kind of thing? Or maybe there isn't one.

I don't think there is much of a social convention here--at least not one that I've heard of. I think everyone ends up doing the "dance" every now and then. (I've luckily managed to avoid actually running into the other person though.)

It happens to me fairly often.

This happens to me all the time, some days more than others. Certainly it happens to everyone sometimes but I think it happens less if you´re sure about where you´re going and demonstrate that intention in your body language. Since this is often not the case with me, and I may be looking in a totally different direction from where I´m going, collisions occur. Sometimes with light poles as well :/

I figured out a solution for this kind of thing years ago, watching Peter Mahovlich play hockey - he would use his head to give a flagrant 'deke' (universal for I'm going thissaway) and go the other way. So what I did was the same head-fake, only I would go in the direction that I indicated. Which means I wasn't faking. Anyway, it worked every time. If I nod my head seriously to the right and turn right, collision avoided.

This is interesting. I've given the concept some speculation before, and it seems to me that people move in the direction of their dominant hand: I say this because 99% of the time I run into someone, they go right and I go left (I'm left handed) and we remain stuck in each other's way, but once in a while I'll find someone who also moves to their left, clearing the way. As I said, speculation on my part, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were true.

It happens to me a fair bit, too. I was taught in elementary school to “stick to your right” whenever our class passed another in the hall, so that’s become my default, but clearly not everyone was told that

It's happened to me a few times. These days, as long as I have enough warning of the potential collision, I move to whichever side seems best and try to appear decisive and consistent. Theoretically it wouldn't always work, e.g. if the other person did the same thing, but so far it's got me by without a problem. I suppose if the other person remained in my path and didn't look like they'd change course, I'd probably move to the other side.

Another method I've been known to use is to stand still until they've gone past. I've more commonly done that when I think the other person is walking recklessly or selfishly in a way that might otherwise force me to give way to them. I guess it's some kind of a compromise between giving in and forcing them to give in. That's also normally worked, but there was one chap who got very annoyed about it. Probably some narcissist who thought he was entitled to choose whatever path he wanted as if nobody else had any rights. He was bigger than me, so when he told me to get out of his "f***ing" way, I did so, and remarked "charming..." as he went by.

My policy, here in Australia, is to "Keep left unless overtaking".

I got no issues with this. I'd likely overtake above else.

I'd know how to get out in everyone's way when walking.
Or being the one who gets my own way, since my default way of walking is fast paced.

And that's without any coherent patterns of sticking left or right. So I'd go... Center.
If there is, I'd notice it and have it as a guide for odds than a rule.



My own issue, instead, lies with where to stand and not be on anyone's way.

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