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And I do get the frustration with slowpokes in general too. My brother in law may be the slowest moving person on the planet, closely followed by his brother, my husband. Honestly, these guys just move slowly - and apparently it's either genetic or learned behavior picked up on from a very early age. Their mother was the same way.
Not only do both of them walk slowly (and they always have, even when young), they do things like wait till they get right up to the car door to get their keys out to open the car door. And it takes both of them significantly longer to get OUT of a car and start walking into a store - neither my sister in law nor myself have figured out yet exactly what they are doing, because it's not like they're putting on lipstick. Honestly, it can be pretty weird sometimes!
The thing is, my husband isn't a lazy person, and he actually has a pretty physical job. He also doesn't drive slowly. But he WALKS SO SLOWLY THAT SOMETIMES I WANT TO ASK HIM, "WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?" I cannot physically walk as slowly as he does - I mean it, I can't figure it out. One big difference between us is that I have long legs and am short waisted, and he's long waisted with shorter legs, so I do think that there's truly something to the whole length of stride thing. But it's not just that. I really don't get it. And the frustration goes two ways because he's always hissing at me "SLOW DOWN - why are you walking so fast?"
Honestly, my sister in law and I both dearly love our husbands, but we often talk about this oddity. She's tall and long legged like me and both of us just walk and move quickly - it's as hard wired into us as walking slowly apparently is hard wired into our husbands.
If we had a dollar for every time we've stood in the rain outside a car door waiting for our husbands to get the key out and unlock the doors, we could probably take a nice European vacation together - walking quickly.
Oh, KA, this is so funny. DH doesn't walk slow, but everything else he does is in slow-motion, all the other stuff you said. Always, always waiting for him.
I tend to be cautious, rather than in a hurry but I am always "right-lane", very cognizant of others on a schedule. I'm slow, but I get out of the way. This is not by nature, but by arthritis, LOL. I can't stand people blocking aisles, or the left lane! So inconsiderate. Self-centered!
If people knew to "stand right, pass left" on escalators and moving sidewalks (and even non-moving sidewalks!) it wouldn't be such an issue. If you're not slowing me down, I don't care - but get out of the way!
Absolutely! In other cities I've been in, people (generally) tend to stand to the right if they don't want to walk up the escalator, giving anyone behind them the chance to pass by. In the city I live in, however, the escalators are always (and I mean, always) blocked by people standing side by side, or dead center on the stair....and many will get angry if you try to pass them. It's common courtesy to move to one side.
Or, it used to be.
btw, I find this starting to be more and more common on outdoor sidewalks as well. People walk two or three abreast in the center of the sidewalk, or walk on the left side and block the way of those coming in the opposite direction. And again, many get upset if you try to pass by. I was once walking down the sidewalk on the right-hand side and a group of teens (four of them, all bigger than me) were crowded together as they walked in my direction. None of them showed any sign of moving so I could pass, and just as we came together, the one closest to me leaned back - just as she passed - and slammed me in the shoulder as hard as she could. Now, while that isn't quite typical of what does happen here, I see more and more of our culture just not caring any more, and showing no sense of respect toward others. I think where we once experienced the 'me' generation; we're now entering the 'ME ME ME!!!' generation.
Unless the person is a child, elderly, or obviously disabled I see it as an act of general disregard for other people and entitlement. People who know they walk slower can and should keep to the right and anyone who was raised in North America st least should know this. It's highly annoying when people just are strolling along typically weaving a bit as well or suddenly stopping to look at their phones without checking their surroundings ESPECIALLY at places like airports where obviously there will be tons of people trying to actually get somewhere on a schedule.
*For the record I am kind of a control freak so this may be a factor.
I think many regard me as a "slowpoke". Here are some reasons you may not realize. I was born duck footed or knock kneed, and have a long torso. That means naturally my gate is slower than others naturally. Usually if Im out with a group walking, they leave me behind in the dust. I was constantly told growing ul to hurry up and walk faster. That means I usually have to adjust my gate (sic) to twice as large as other peoples or basically run to catch up, or adjust my legs in a completely unnatural way. Its no fun I assure you and I dont do it to "**** you off". I do get road rage on crosswalks by annoyed motorists. I would classify it as a disability though not a major one but largely invisible as Im not elderly. Just some things to think about. I can completely understand your point about people on phones.
OP, because they have 'hurry sickness'. Having a personality where one is always or frequently in a hurry is actually detrimental to one's heart (medically) and it stresses many of the body systems causing harm to them.
I can't stand slowpokes: principally people who walk very slowly on the sidewalk or who sit there on escalators. However, even people who are slow in doing things drive me up the wall.
Are you the same way? If so, why? Surely it's a psychological issue.
Some people are so used to being badgered by parents, bosses, etc. that it's ingrained in them to move quickly. Someone taught them to fear moving slowly. Whether senseless instillation of discipline, FOMO, or a valid reason; the subject seems to apply it to ALL scenarios, whether there's a valid reason or they're just traveling for leisure.
I can't stand slowpokes: principally people who walk very slowly on the sidewalk or who sit there on escalators. However, even people who are slow in doing things drive me up the wall.
Are you the same way? If so, why? Surely it's a psychological issue.
I'm both ways ... Aren't most people?
When I'm in a hurry, everybody seems slow & even when I'm not; a lot of people still seem slow but my mind is kind of on a different agenda 90% of the time. I have a disabled 15-year old who slows me down considerably, so I like to get things done while he's in school. I'm prone to having "delusions of grandeur" about how much I can actually accomplish in a few hours & I never seem to accommodate for the "other people" factor.
Like a line at a register or traffic; general navigational issues. When he's with me, his behaviors, movements & vocalizations force me into increased state awareness about other people around me & that's carried over to every time I'm in public. I'm now noticing that I'm really not as efficiently speedy all the time, as I had thought.
I've caught myself holding up others; enough that now I apologize & step out of their way. It makes me wonder just how annoying I've been before I was more aware. I'm betting I can be pretty annoying!
I've also noticed that I was wrong about thinking that older people were the "slowest". They really aren't. Young people are much more distractable; phones, friends, young children, etc ... A lot of older people are just over it already & want to get the busy work done.
I have twin 17-year-old daughters who think I'm the slowest person on earth but I promise you that I'm stuck waiting on them more than they are me (do they really have to hug 20 people before we can go? My God; they will see them all again in the morning). Nine times out of ten, if I'm behind a person who takes longer than a second to let off the brake at a red light; it's a younger person on their dumb phone.
I also don't get why people stand still on escalators, when walking down up and down them goes faster. Why is that?
Most escalators have signs that forbid walking up and down.
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