Walking in New York: The Top 5 Rules of the Walkway

 

Is there a rule books for walking down the street??  If so,  I would love to stand at Grand Central and hand it out to everyone that enters the City.  Perhaps even set up a kiosk at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia as well.  Why? you may ask.  Because people just do not know how to do it.

As Missing Person's so eloquently pointed out, "Nobody Walks in LA." And for that matter I don't think anyone walks in most towns, suburbs, or small cities anymore.  They just don't know the rules!  People need a handbook.  Let's start one today!
The basics of walking the down the street are not unlike that of driving a car, which I know most everyone over the age of 16 does from coast-to-coast.  A fact that makes me scratch my head time and time again when I think about the mindless walking that occurs daily.
Here are some reminders to those that are not use to walking as a function of transportation any more:

1. Every sidewalk has people going 2 different directions at any given time.  Some people are walking up the street while some are walking down the street.  Since we are in the USA where people drive on the right side of the road, lets all assume that you should walk on the right side of the sidewalk where ever you may go... this will help with body checking collisions
2. If you are on a sidewalk that is wide enough to support a walking passing lane as well as the 2 lanes of regular walking traffic, such as: Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, 42nd Street or 34th Street (just to name a few), slow walkers should keep to the right, while the faster walkers should pass on the left... this will help alleviate the feeling of somebody walking really close to you in hopes you get the hint to move over... or give pick pockets a chance to get your wallet
3. Walking and chatting with friends on a beautiful day is always fun.... until somebody gets body checked.  No really.  Full on, bouncing off another person, throw you back body checked.  Ask anybody that has ever spent more than a month walking around in NY.  Never, ever, EVER, should you walk down the street side by side with more than one other person.  Three is an inconvenience.   Four is an open invitation for on coming walkers to body check either side of your line... and ladies are not excused from the body check... if you insist on walking in a line of 4 people down the sidewalk, you may want to have your girlfriend/wife/co-worker/boss in the middle.
4. When you come to a cross walk, the right of way goes to the person coming off the street - ALWAYS.  You have no idea if they are jumping out of the way of a speeding taxi, a semi truck trying to make a turn, or a raging rat is chasing them.  For everyone's safety, this is the rule. Get out of the way.
5. Small children are exempt from all rules of the walkways.... it's hard enough to be a kid in the City, we need to let them have this one.

Please share this post with anyone you know that may be traveling to New York City as a basic primer and reminder on how to get to where you want to go safe and sound.

Next week... Walking in NYC #2: The Power of Jay Walking