What's the proper etiquette for walking on sidewalks?

Question

I believe you should walk on the right side of the sidewalk, and anyone who comes prancing towards you should either move away, or be urinated on (and laughed upon).
Walking the sidewalk is like driving - stick to the right side, unless you're a homosexual Brit, who drive on the left side.

Answer 1

First of all, the United States is possibly the only place in the world to have people driving on the right side instead of the left. Apparently, we enjoy sticking out like a sore thumb with our strange rituals and our standard system instead of the metric system.

Also, generally, women are "given the wall" because before indoor plumbing became something that was available in all houses, people used to empty their chamberpots by tossing the contents out the window onto the sidewalk below. (This was also the time of the Black Plague, obviously). Ladies always walked on the inside (closer to the wall) while men walked on the outside (further from the wall) to prevent chamberpot contents from being dumped onto the ladies. There's a joke about thrusting ladies onto the wall in the beginning of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet when two servants of the Capulet household are joking about the Montagues' household.

SAMPSON
"Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker ves-sels,
are ever thrust to the wall. Therefore I will push
Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids
to the wall."

Which translates to:

SAMSON
You're right. That's why girls get pushed up against walls—they're weak. So what I'll do is push the Montague men into the street and the Montague women up against the wall.

See: Sparknotes.com

Also, it' was a safety precaution -- let's say a drunkard or some other idiot were driving in the road. The ladies would be protected (for the most part) because the men would be hurt first, etc.

Answer 2

Yes! I'm so happy you realize this. I am floored by how many people just walk like it's a free for all. Sticking right applies to everything from walking in a hallway, to driving, to walking on the sidewalk.. It's a rule that maintains order and keeps a good flow on things. Another thing that bothers me is when a group of people walk adjacent to each other on a sidewalk and you cannot move past them and they expect you to step off the sidewalk for them to pass as one large mass! Very frustrating. I usually just keep walking and let them walk into me anymore. I'm tired of making way for people who are doing things backwards!

Answer 3

it's more complex that that.
if people are in wheelchairs, for example, or blind.
there is also a thing that says men always walk on the traffic side, to protect the woman from possibly being hit.
violence is probably not the best response to other people having bad manners. your response shows bad manners also (urinating on those who you think misuse the sidewalk)

Answer 4

I only know the proper etiquette for driving on the sidewalk.

Answer 5

sufi,
the men on the traffic side thing dates back to the olden days when 2nd floors were slightly outset over the side walk. the practice of emptying chamber pots from the 2nd floor window and into the street was common. by keeping women to the inside as such, it prevented them from becoming a target of unsightly poo stains.

Answer 6

Girl on the wall or building side, man on the "traffic" or open side. (Not right or left always) Its supposed to be this way so that the gentleman protects the lady.

Answer 7

Exactly so. You seem to have a good grasp of this etiquette. Except for the urination part. You could go to jail for that s**t.

Answer 8

Walk on the right on the sidewalk.
Walk on the left on the escalator (stand on the right).

Answer 9

i agree, walk to the right, same with escalator ettiquette as above

Answer 10

what's the big deal?