AwkwardRule #3: Passing a slightly slower person on foot
The situation:
You’re walking somewhere in somewhat of a hurry. There’s somebody in front of you that’s walking just a little bit slower than you.
You slowly gain on them until you’re right behing them. You don’t want to slow down because it’s annoying to walk slower. However, if you try to pass them, you’ll be walking next to them for a long time because you’re not that much faster. It’s especially awkward if you’re a guy and behind a girl late at night in a somewhat sketchy neighborhood.
For the purposes of Awkward Rule #3, the person in front shall be described as “frontwalker” and the person behind shall be known as the “follower“.
Figure AR - 3
This is a difficult situation, but following AwkwardRule #3 should help:
Should you ever find yourself to be a “follower“, you should perform one of two maneuvers for defusing the situation.
- “Burst of Speed” Maneuver - When you get within 20 feet of the “front walker“, increase your speed and maintain until you’re around a corner or at least 20 feet ahead. Under no circumstance should you allow the “front walker” to pass you after you have passed them, unless they have started running for some reason.
- “Cell phone” Maneuver - Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while and make conversation for a few minutes as you pass the “front walker“. This way you avoid traversing the passing zone in awkward silence.
If you realize that you are in the “front walker” position, you should perform the following two actions:
- Check behind you to make sure the “follow walker” is not actually dangerous. If they are, then follow standard safety precautions (run, mace, scream, etc). If not, proceed to 2.
- Slow down slightly and move to the side, or if you prefer, speed up enough that the “follow walker” can walk as fast as they want to without having to worry about you.
As long as either the “front walker” or “follow walker” follow this rule, the situation will be diffused.
Note: In Figure AR-3, I experimented with the advanced techniques of “color” and “airbrush” in Paint.
