this post was submitted on 02 May 2025
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It's not always tourists but stopping in unexpected places is a common irritation in NYC. Like, they're walking on the sidewalk and just stop, and mess up the flow of foot traffic. Maybe to look at their map or to gawk at something. It's extra annoying and a little dangerous when it's on the stairs
That was my mother, in train stations etc where literally everyone is trying to get to somewhere else. Get to the bottom of the stairs, STOP and look around for the next direction sign. STOP in the entrance to bathrooms to decide her next steps.
I never went to a crowded city, so the notion of "foot traffic" really sounds dystopic to me ๐ , but I see what you mean.
Funny, because when I go to the suburbs or other sparsely populated areas, walking around without anybody else feels dystopian. Feels like a post-apocalyptic setting, where everyone else got taken by aliens or plague or something.
I like how having opposite vision of the world may comes from things like this. Not linked to any religious or education background, but only on where we use to live.
For reference, Brooklyn alone has over 2 million residents. NYC as a whole is 8 and change million. So yeah, we've got huge population density, and it shows in busy areas.
I visited New York for the first time with a friend of mine who has family there and knows the city well. We went to Grand Central and I was admiring the beautiful artwork on the ceiling and a guy passing by called me a "fucking idiot".
I was surprised and turned to my friend to ask if he was talking to me, which they confirmed. I was actually really happy, I got the infamous NY harsh street talk! I've traveled all over the world and never was spoken to like that anywhere else. NY is truly very special.
This has gotten so bad in my city since covid times. I'm constantly having to go around people stopped in the middle of the walking path. Just yesterday I was walking and these two people exactly stopped where the sidewalk narrowed for a bus stop and were blocking 3/4 of the area to walk because of it. They literally could have stepped 2 steps over and been completely out of the way beside the bus stop shelter.
So much this here in Bangkok as well, and in addition nobody has any clue which side to walk on.
You are constantly approaching head-on with a pedestrian who doesn't know where to walk and weaving around wandering groups that wall 3-4 people wide.
i learned to stay away from midtown or battery-park/statue-of-liberty or any other tourist traps between friday afternoon and monday morning as a result of this.
Found the grumpy old lady ;)