Sidewalk Etiquette - Is It Really So Hard??

If I'm not mistaken, we live in the United States of America. And while I understand that gives us the freedoms to do pretty much anything, it also means we follow certain rules and regulations. Lets use driving as an example. When you are driving your car (or SUV or hybrid or motorcycle) the law says to drive on the right side of the road. It is a very simple and accepted practice. It prevents confusion, allows for easy transit on roads and protects those around you.

Now, lets jump ahead. You have reached your destination, parked your vehicle and are now walking to your destination. You happen to have to travel a few blocks to get to where you are going, but there is a sidewalk for your convenience. Now for the million dollar question. How do you treat the sidewalk?? Do you walk down the middle, taking up as much space as humanly possible??? Do you walk on the left side, even though you see other people walking towards you?? Or, do you apply common sense and keep to the right??

I ask this question in all seriousness because apparently, there are a lot of people out there who do not know the correct answer. So for all of you sidewalk pedestrians out there, KEEP TO THE RIGHT. I will say it again in case you didn't hear me. KEEP TO THE RIGHT. Is it really that difficult to do?? Keeping to the right allows multiple sidewalk walkers the ability to pass one another without any confusion, or someone having to get out of the way or simply crashing into one another.

Yet, time after time, as I walk from my parking lot into my place of employment I am confronted by left side walkers. Then I have to get out of their way. The look of confusion on their faces as I pass them shaking my head is amazing. They have no clue of how big an idiot they are. So please, remember, a sidewalk should be treated the same as a roadway. Keep to the right!!

The same can be applied to malls too - but I will save that for another day.

Next on my list is people who ignore cross walks and the pedestrians in them. Before I write that one, please take a moment to think about it before you do it.