I've moved into a new neighbourhood and I've noticed that at night a lot of people around here decide to walk in the middle of the road instead of a perfectly fine footpath on either side of the road.
Sometimes they are dressed in dark clothes which makes them hard to see. Many times I've had to slow down till they make their way around a parked car and out of the middle of the road.
Why are they walking on the road? Is it a cultural thing? Is it a safety thing? I don't understand it
cars blocking the footpath
Cars be fined if they are blocking footpath
Like that ever happens. Keying them works.
First post and gives a perfect answer.
If someone really wanted to jump you, they can just hide behind a car.
They can hide anywhere but you generally have more options if you are on the street.
Cause you live in the hood now
feels that way
Middle of the road at night in dark clothes… in the hood…
Suicidal ideations maybe?
I'll walk on a street at night as it feels safer especially when there is bad lighting and there is usually little to no traffic around.
Yeah it's probably either one or more of the below:
1 uneven footpath usually due to tree root damage
2 poorly lit due to trees blocking street lights
3 afraid of drop bears possum/bat shit falling on them
4 afraid of walking through spider webs
5 afraid of stepping/falling in crap due to items above
Or just your average bogan. They don't even wait until it's dark.
wouldnt the possibility of getting hit by a car be higher than all those?
I walk on the footpath personally. I was just giving some reasons people don't (most are reasons my wife doesn't haha).
In terms of probability, depends I guess. Getting hit by a car I would think (all things being equal) would be less likely than the above, but be more detrimental!
I think you are right. Less probable but risk factor is a lot higher.
Because they can.
To get to the other side
Just guessing, they are trying to catch the chicken that crossed the road?
reclaiming the streets … givin' it back to the peo'ps
I actually do it mainly to avoid the feeling of walking face-first into a huge spider web!
Zombie flash mob practice?
Stay away from barking dog.
Staying clear of dogs and also spider webs from trees on pathway.
Didn't think of dogs. But seriously, you would prefer to risk getting hit by a car than startled by a dog or walking through a web?
You walk on the side of the road facing the oncoming traffic.
When you walk at night you learn…
…and any trip hazards.
Less likely to be dogcrap on the road too, and uneven footpaths are often poorly lit.
it's taught at a young age more so for poorly lit area's but it has that knock on effect where the more you do it the more it becomes a habit even when it's not warranted
I remember being told to walk on the road verge to increase your visibility to motorists. "obviously you move off the road as vehicle approaches" for your benefit
The second reason was to do with visibility again but for the motorist getting spooked and swerving away from something they notice moving at the last minute as they approach.
It's becoming a more redundant issue with better lighting on both streets and what is quite a huge improvement on cars
I'd walk on the foot path if we had some, just the council strip to walk on where I live.
Are the roads curved? Sometimes it saves a lot of metres to take the inside arc on the middle of the road than the footpath on the wide arc.
are the rogue walkers of the Asian persuasion?
where we are, they walk wherever their feet take them
they are!
Thats why i thought it was a cultural thing. I even asked my relos (also asians) and no one knows why they do it.
I've walked in the middle of dark streets before when I'm scared. Obviously I get out on the way if/when a car comes but I feel like I would have more time to react if anyone jumps out than if I'm walking along a dark, tree covered footpath. Maybe it's irrational, but you asked :P
I walk in the morning (4am so super early and dark) and used to know an elderly man (not Asian, he's from the UK) who would do this. His reason was that he had tripped on the footpath numerous times and hurt himself, the road is a lot smoother and he finds it safer to walk on.
It's a bit like the cane toad that wandered into the road looking for his flat mate.
Chinese people do it all the time.
I blast them with the horn
sound a warning of your approach and "blast them with the horn" works for me.
As I drive an electric car, I am doing them a favour by giving them a scare, that might force them to walk on the footpath in future.
I do the same with cats & birds - teaches them to fear the road.
Ok how about people that do this during the day as I've encountered? Not right in the middle of the road, but on the road along parked cars etc.
i've seen this too.
Actually just as I was coming to work today I saw lady take the road to cross a level crossing instead of the pedestrian crossing (it wasnt like the pedestrian cross was closed either).
I think some people have death wishes
If dark and tree lined street, spiders are the reason I walk on the road.
I do this at night if it's a back street with little traffic. The road surface is much smoother and easier to walk on than stumbling around in the dark on a footpath that is not maintained properly, with cars blocking the footpath and overhead branches not readily visible in the dark. There is also usually better lighting on the road and I am less likely to disturb the neighbourhood dogs.
It's probably a safety thing for some as well, you have more time and space to react if someone decides to jump you.