Walkers Etiquette 101

So, if you are anything like me, you either, A. don’t have a car, B. miss the bus or the bus doesn’t even show up, or  C. even if you have a bike, decide it’s not worth it because you’ll end up carrying the bike up most of the hills you encounter anyway.

Therefore, you end up walking everywhere.

Most likely, unless if you’re roaming through the streets of the second-largest Fourth of July Parade in PA, Oktoberfest, or you’re at the mall, you are probably not going to have that much of an issue. But with years of experience, let me give you some advice when walking the streets.

1. Don’t get run over- This may sound simple, yes? However, I urge you to be careful. Keep an eye out for crazy drivers, pay attention to both walk/don’t walk signs, and traffic lights. Also, if a driver gives you the go-ahead nod or wave, don’t get hesitant about it, just GO.

2. Don’t pretend to be a flash mob- Unless if that was your actual intention, however, I highly doubt it (They do come up unexpectedly though, don’t they?). Point being, if you’re with a group of people, don’t block the entire sidewalk or walkway at the mall. Let the people move around.

3. Remember your high school fitness class rules-Remember those dreaded fitness tests? Like the one-mile run? Walkers to the right,  and runners to the left. At least if you’re on a trail. If you are walking on the streets, stay on the side of the road facing traffic, that way you can see approaching cars and bicycles. Walk on the right, pass on the left.

4. Distractions, distractions, distractions- May sound silly, and I’m sure all of us have done it, myself included. I can’t say this enough though- If you’re standing in the middle of the sidewalk texting, tweeting, beating that next level of Candy Crush Saga, checking in on Foursquare to your favorite coffee shop to Instagram that picture of you r$5 Grande soy vanilla no whip no foam (pay a dollar per word) latte, believe it or not, isn’t that important. Unless if you want to run into a light post while doing so, maybe walk over near the side of the sidewalk instead.

5. A little politeness can go a long way- Yes, we all have places to go and people to see. This may sound simple, but a smile or a hello can go a long way. There is too much anger in this world. A simple hello can really brighten someone’s day.

So there you have it, my top-five things to keep in mind when out roaming the streets by foot. I also can’t stress the importance of a good, proper fitting shoe. A great walk can be relaxing, but, focus.