Evidently there is now an academically-studied phenomenon known as “sidewalk rage”. According to a report in the WSJ, sidewalk rage occurs when pedestrians who are walking slowly or several abreast, or who stop suddenly (to take a photo, consult a map or do something cell-phone-related), provoke the ire of fellow sidewalkers who are traveling at a faster rate.
Naturally, the focus of the story is on NYC, but the implication is that wherever there are pedestrians there’s the potential. Think the mall, or a walking trail or an airport.
I don’t know what to think of it—hard to choose between the rudeness of the self-absorbed morons who can’t be arsed to pay attention to their surroundings & show some consideration to those around them, & the ego-centric jerks who take personal affront at having to share the walkway with people who don’t get the hell out of their way. (I also don't know what to say about the fact that researchers are getting grants to study this whole thing.)
I do know, however, that if you park yourself on the left side of almost every subway escalator I’ve ever been on, you’re going to be mowed down by the people who know that the right side is for standing & the left for climbing up or down.
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