Pedestrian etiquette: Do you have it?

November 7th, 2010 by Chase Lindsay Rosen

Having grown up in the suburbs, I was never faced with the difficulties of traveling by foot as everything was always a 10 minute drive away. Now having lived in Manhattan for the past 6 months, I have became well versed in pedestrian etiquette… and the lack thereof.

Commuting from the skinny streets of SoHo to the wide avenues of Midtown, I have seen it all. Umbrella wars, people pushing one another to get to their destination, eye rolls, “ughhhh’s” and “excuuuuse me’s.”

Based off a recent survey, I learned I am not the only one who sees pedestrian etiquette as a long lasting pest of New York City.

After having a wide variety of ages, genders and demographics fill out the above survey regarding Pedestrian politics, the issue at hand is clear: New Yorkers are obnoxious, unapologetic, think streets should be wider to accommodate influxes of people especially during the 5pm dash.

Out of a pool of over 25 people, only 1 person felt as though pedestrian etiquette is not a problem at all and 5 people roll their eyes when someone bumps into them.

Are New Yorkers well versed in pedestrian protocols? Or do we live up to the reputation of being fast paced, annoying and rude? Take the survey and provide your two cents!

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