By Gus Saltonstall
The rules of the road should apply to Upper West Side pedestrians.
Try your best to stay in your lane.
If you slowly drift from the right side of the sidewalk to the left, you are making it challenging for the person behind you. If you do need to go from side to side on the sidewalk, look behind you before making that move.
Don’t stop without warning.
If you are walking down the middle of the sidewalk and stop unexpectedly, it means someone behind you might have to either jump or dart out of the way. You might even get rear ended. If you are going to fully stop, take the time to make your way to the side of the sidewalk or a nearby space where people aren’t flowing through.
Continuing with the right ways to stop, don’t park yourself at exits.
Don’t stop immediately upon exiting a train station or bus stop. Don’t stop immediately upon exiting a store or restaurant. Don’t stop immediately upon walking out of your front door. These are all places where people are likely to be behind you, so have the awareness to get yourself off to the side.
Be mindful if you are part of a larger group.
If you’re in a group of three or more people, otherwise known as a wide load, give some extra thought to how much space you are taking up on the sidewalk. There’s a pretty good chance that one horizontal line is not the right approach; a more staggered walking group will make it easier for those around you.
Holding hands with someone doesn’t give you an excuse to ignore others around you.
If you are hand-in-hand with another person, be aware that there will be certain narrow points of the sidewalk where you should break that clasp to make it easier for the pedestrian traffic coming toward you. The person’s hand will still be there.
Walking fast is thought of as a sport in New York City, but don’t become so committed to the bit that you become dangerous to those around you.
Understand there are a variety of people on the street and not all are interested in going fast. If you are going to pass somebody, act like you are driving: pass when there is room on the sidewalk to do so, don’t get too close to another pedestrian, and definitely do not make contact.
If you are walking a dog, be mindful of the leash stretching.
If you are on one side of the sidewalk looking at your phone and your dog is on the other, that means you have created a good way to trip those walking by.
Keep to the right.
Just as it helps with the flow of car traffic, it helps with the flow of pedestrian traffic. Thanks to WSR reader Denton for the input on this one.
And finally, be friendly.
We’re all trying to get somewhere, and despite questionable walking etiquette taking place daily in the city, it never helps to get combative.
Be extra aware of those pedestrians with children, those with a disability, or who might have trouble walking, and do your best to make their journey easier.
Walk like an Upper West Sider.
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No sudden stops/if you must stop to check your instagram account, move toward the right.
Excellent point. People stop in the middle of the sidewalk, crosswalk, subway stairs, etc. It is selfish and rude. I have kids. But I particularly can’t stand those with strollers who abruptly stop because their child needs something. Move to the side. They can wait two seconds.
Other points:
– when crossing the street, move quickly. I drive rarely but it is frustrating when trying to turn and someone is walking incredibly slowly across the street.
– if you are running to get on a subway train, move in. Someone might be right behind you doing the same thing.
– If you need extra time exiting a subway station, hold back a few seconds. When my kids were little and either walked really slowly up the stairs or I was carrying a stroller, I would wait to be considerate of others. This isn’t always possible, but often is.
– When exiting a building or store, look left and right as someone might be on the sidewalk.
So many more. Thanks for the great article and comments!
“– if you are running to get on a subway train, move in. Someone might be right behind you doing the same thing”. -Yes, thank you, I was going to add this one. When people race to get on a train car and then stop right in front of the doors thinking “Whew, I made it!” but as you said, if they don’t move in they’re blocking the person just behind them trying to do the same thing.
When walking up the subway stairs to exit the station, please don’t slow down to look at your phone. Wait until you are clear of the station so others can exit promptly
Even better- if you need to look at your phone, move off the sidewalk completely!
Hear hear!!
Where? Where?
There there!
Amen. May I add, no matter how ubiquitous it has become, no matter how important you think it is, STOP TEXTING AND WEB SURFING AND FACE TIMING WHILE WALKING. /endrant
…and while going up and down subway steps.
In the U.S. we walk and drive on the right-hand side.
A good starter list – personally find ignorance of sidewalk space (walking abreast, pausing in the middle of the street, etc.) to be the most frequent and irritating; (having a sense of one’s own physical space in relation to others should not be New Yorker specific skill). Also, the hegemony for right of way for curb-ramps probably merits a separate essay entirely.
Wheelchairs/walkers/similar mobility aids> strollers > granny carts/deliveries > everybody else. Easy peasy!
Great !!! I sent on to my teenage suburban grandkids. They love visiting the City. I’ve told them that I’m determined to help them become “responsible pedestrians” in spite of their suburban roots. This is like a Master Class.
Add no looking at phone while crossing streets.
Good article. We need the same about riding a bus – FaceTiming or watching videos on cell phones without AirPods can make a bus ride a torture
I believe that people who have public speaker phone conversations are tacitly inviting everyone to join in. It’s stunning how fast a conversation ends when you pipe in with, “my aunt Clare has arthritis in her foot too”. Leaning into FaceTimes is also an effective technique.
Simply having a conversation on a phone should be a no-no on the bus. No one wants to be forced to listen to your conversation.
What if they have a conversation with someone on the bus? Is it different if you hear both sides of the conversation if they’re on the same bus?
Yes. People tend to speak louder on the phone. Many foreign cities ban phones on public transport and for longer trips on trains have “quiet” cars.
Parents, please patrol and protect your children. Every 5 year old has a scooter that that they recklessly, gleefully speed down the side walk endangering everyone in their path ! It is not the child’s fault, it is the parent who is responsible.
Not to mention entitled parents with strollers that use them like battering rams. Between my knees and your childs face which do you really think will win?
Kids of all ages, and some adults, continue to scoot around as if no on else was on the sidewalks. Most annoying? Parents who are so busy talking on cell phones or to others walking with them that they do not watch their children. Then they get annoyed when someone has to yell at their kid to look out so we don’t get hurt. If your child is going to use a scooter, you must monitor him/her so they do not harm other people. We know folks who have gotten seriously hurt (You think breaking a wrist or part of your leg or foot is minor? Think again. One friend cannot even use her one hand anymore and all of this was because she was knocked over by a kid on a scooter and fell in a way that seriously damaged her hand. Meanwhile, parent didn’t apologize. Luckily my friend was with someone who stopped the woman and flat out asked for her details and warned: You may be sued. Parent really got annoyed but my friend’s friend would NOT let her go and told her she was reporting her to the police if she did not provide info. People have to be held accountable for causing damage. And please, do not say, “Well, you know kids.” NOOOOO. Parents can go a long way in ensuring safety for both their child and others (Even worse. A child hits someone else and the parent says: Oh, look what you did to my child because they didn’t even see the kid hitting the person. OMG
Irena,
My guess is that if the parents had elderly relatives living in NYC, they’d be thoughtful and concerned about kids using scooters on sidewalks.
But so many have moved to NYC from the suburbs – and their elderly relatives/grandparents are back in the suburbs,
I hate that! I encountered a small child who could not control their bike in the pedestrian lane of the Brooklyn Bridge and very nearly ran right into me once (before they made all the changes). When I suggested that the child should either ride in the bike lane (which of course they couldn’t handle) or walk the bike in the pedestrian lane, she cursed at me. Not the kid’s fault, of course–the parent has to be aware! And not laboring under the delusion that their family has priority rights to the city.
Yes – important point.
Unfortunately many older kids, including middle-school kids, are also using scooters on the sidewalk – instead of walking.
I am a parent.
Once the kids started kindergarten, the stroller was completely over and they walked.
Subway stairs corollary: if exiting up a narrow stairway, don’t try to pass a slow exiter if there are people entering. Sorry, ya just gotta stay in line. You’ll get out eventually.
I had to tell that to a woman once as I was entering a crowded subway station, packed full of people coming up AND down. Everyone on the correct side until this woman comig up broke ranks and darted towards me (on her phone). I simply said “you literally cannot walk here’ and she SCREAMED in my face.
As an older adult who is no longer afraid, I would have screamed right back at her. Amazingly, this type of person takes great offense at correcting their offenses. They deserve absolutely no consideration.
Tourists tend to violate all these rules. Good advice, but I’m afraid this article is preaching to the choir here.
When I visited Tokyo a few years ago, I had a hard time remembering to stay to the left while walking. I keep that in mind when I see tourists walking up or down the left side of the stairs. That might be the convention where they live.
I remember well about three Christmas seasons ago when a bunch of young (20s) tourists en masse pushed into a subway car, nearly knocking me and others over. I asked them to watch out for the other passengers. Their reply was “This is New York, you can do whatever you want.” Needless to say, I corrected them…
i don’t think tourists realize anyone but they exist.
Locals aren’t all that much more considerate.
in case a guide is needed. https://www.westsiderag.com/2024/06/09/walking-around-manhattan-the-times-they-arent-changing
I sometimes.wonder of this is why tourists think NYers are rude. If you stop dead at the top or bottom of subway stairs, or worse an escalator, my options are yell at you or crash into you. It isn’t rude to yell.
What I’ve always said is that New Yorkors aren’t rude; we just don’t like to have our time wasted. You’re lost – we’ll happily point you in the right direction and never think twice about the few minutes spent assisting a tourist. Need help? We’ll help, or get you to someone who can. You’re blocking a subway exit? You’ll be instructed to move, possibly in an abrupt fashion.
You must be kidding. There are SO many rude and self absorbed New Yorkers. Not too long ago, a woman was texting at the bottom of the stairwell in the very busy #1, #2,#3 train at Chambers Street. Well, I’m 68, recovering from a broken ankle, carry a cane and have vertigo … and I must hold on to the railing. I also like to get to work on time. I was taught as a child to go up and down on the right side, because it’s fire law so the first responders can rush in when everyone else rushes out if need be. I asked the woman to move please, which she did. By the time I hobbled to the top of the stairs, I felt a hand on my shoulder and she said, “You could have used the other side of the stairs!” Really! I explained I was right handed and the right side is the law, and then she stood there arguing and questioning me as if she had some right to block the subway stairs at rush hour to use it as a phone booth. Insanity!
@Sam: I’m sorry you had this experience. How did you know that this person is an actual New Yorker, and not a tourist, or a recent graduate doing their “year in New York”, or part of some other demographic that’s not deeply invested in the community?
I find myself using hand signals sometimes when moving in tight crowded spaces like coming out of subway stations, turning to enter stores during rush hour. Nothing exaggerated, eye contact and finger point. Hold doors for others to ease traffic flow, basic human decency
Great suggestions. We will also profit by observing these:
— don’t ENTER a space and stop in the entrance to look around if there may be people behind you
— if you’re going to stand on an escalator, leave space so others can ascend or descend past you (e.g. hold your bag in front of you, don’t stand still on the same escalator step as someone else)
— don’t suddenly open all the way a door that gives out onto the sidewalk
Walk on left, stand on right!
I agree with no sudden stops. And if I have to use or check my cell phone, I move to the right and stand next to a storefront. Also, parents should be more responsible about allowing their kids to ride scooters on the sidewalk. All wheels should be on the street,
NYC law is that only kids under 13 can ride bikes or scooters on the sidewalk.
Standing next to a storefront can be obstructive, too. I opt for the “lane” next to the curb where people can’t walk because of the fire hydrants, lamp posts, wastebaskets, parking meter machines, newspaper vending machines, etc.
Here I thought I was the only person who moved to the side of the sidewalk to look at my phone. Now there are two of us.
Three–count me in!
I have no problems with this pedestrian etiquette but it’s hard to follow when you have to be ready to bob and weave from bikes and scooters and all manner of “vehicles”.
How about put your phone away. Nannies or moms walking carriages with their eyes glued to their phones…unpredictable. This also applies to those Rulers the universe who must be connected 24-7. No one else matters to them.
West Side Rag! Are you kiddin’ me? We ain’t Fargo, North Dakota!
This is EXCELLENT. It’s so crazy to me when someone just…stops walking, right in the middle of the sidewalk (usually to look at a phone).
It’s as if they believe they’ve put the rest of the world on hold, Saved by the Bell-style.
If anyone tries to pass me on the sidewalk, be warned — I will treat it like a race and I will not let you win.
people love to cut each other off. its so rude, but happens all the time. I get cut off at least 3-4 times a day minimally.
Actually, there should be smoking rules on the sidewalk of New York. Something like the left or the right side for “smokers only”.
How about “across the street”? (Or, better still, smokers walk *in* the street!
my favorite – people that stop at the top of the stairs going to the train…
I think that pedestrians should be licensed.
We kind of are…more so than the bicycles.
Another one: When 2 pedestrians or groups of pedestrians are arriving at intersection 90deg to each other… the one approaching the no walk signal should give way to the one approaching the walk signal. I never understand why someone rushes in front of me just to to stand in my way at a Don’t Walk, when they could have just slowed down and let me catch my light unimpeded
I’m glad to learn that someone else is annoyed by this. I sometimes say, “It’s my light” to people who do this, and they look at me with incomprehension.
It would be helpful to get ride of sidewalk dining extensions. Of course, this comment won’t be posted, because the owners of WSR also own restaurants in the neighborhood that take up massive space on the sidewalks 🙂
The owners of WSR do not own restaurants!
Oh allow me to chime in 🙂
#1, yes, traffic flow is like the highway, keep to the right.
#2 as per above if you are passing on the left and extend into oncoming traffic and treat it that way. Make sure you ahve a clear path and if you do not do not expect the ‘car’ heading toward you to come to a full stop to let YOU pass
#3 Dogs. Leash length aside. We know your dog likes to explore the left side of the street thenn the riht side then the left ad infiniitum. I’m only altering my course ONE after that teach your dog what you (hopefully) teach your children. OTHER PEOPLE are walkng
#4 An even bigger sin than ‘wide load’ of (usually) tourists walking 6 abread is a double-wide load walking STAGGERED front to back 6 abreast.
#5 If you are looking down texting your phone is fair game.
#6 when existing a store look both ways just a if you are entering a highway and for god’s sake if ther door opens outward do it BEFORE you exit
Did I write this??? Spot on.
Very good instructions which are pointless if your sidewalks are thruways for e-bikes, mopeds, cyclists and Citibikes which they are.
This is absolutely, positively brilliant, and a true public service. Thank you, thank you, for gathering these and presenting them so nicely.
Can all of this be summarized by three simple, perhaps inviolable, rules?
1. Keep to the right.
2. Remember that there are people behind you.
3. PUT THE DAMN PHONE AWAY!
Agree with the commenter about parents monitoring their little kids on scooters. A while ago, I was almost struck by a maybe 3-year old careening down a busy Manhattan Ave sidewalk on a scooter. When I complained to the father, he scowled: “Give it a rest.” Apparently his kid’s fun takes precedence over pedestrians’ safety.
Give it a rest! Maybe you don’t know what its like having a 3 year old but they are still figuring it out. You are not in any danger from a 3 year old on a scooter.
Isaac,
Parent here.
Grandparents live here too.
Elderly are definitely endangered by kids on scooters on the sidewalk.
Our kids not permitted to use scooters on the sidewalk – and understand that
Maybe you don’t know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a careening 3-year-old on a scooter on a busy sidewalk. Look, I’m all for them figuring it out, just not in a place that forces pedestrians to jump out of their way. And a small scooter careening downhill can indeed generate enough speed to maybe knock a person over if she’s elderly and slow to get out of the way, and/or injure the small child.
When stepping off the curb, look both ways for bikes. When crossing in front of stopped cars at a light, check the narrow space between them for bikes.
This article is kind of silly, but also not really amusing. The people who read The WSR already know how to walk here, because this is our home. And even if some visitors happen upon it, it’s like the “no spitting. no littering,. no radio playing.” signs. If you don’t already abide by these rules, the sign isn’t going to change your behavior, even if you aren’t illiterate.
Amen! The sidewalks are narrow and people walk in clusters with no sense of awareness. The parents with double wide strollers and a kid or two riding on their scooters down the sidewalks are the worst of the worst! Have some sense of direction and courtesy for others!
Lighten up, folks!
Everything here is true, but geez, people out walking are enjoying themselves. Yes, maybe they are self-absorbed, but we can handle it, no?
Clearly you don’t either care or understand the danger involved here with scooters, bikes, etc. on sidewalks. You can seriously injure people with your behavior. It’s like the folks with backpacks on a bus or subway, they turn around and hit people in the face or elsewhere and act as if that is OK. People have had serious eye and other injuries from this. And plenty of people in NYC have been knocked over by scooters, bikes, and people walking , with life-changing damage done to them.
People enjoying themselves is fine but they are not alone, so stop acting as if they are the only people on the planet. We need to respect the safety and well being of others. Also, small children, older folks, folks of any age with mobility and other health issues…they can and have been hurt badly by people too busy cell phone chatting or being online to pay attention to who they knock over or around.
RESPECT. CONCERN for others. We’re supposed to be good citizens. We all have that responsibility.
Hilarious, now let’s hope our obtuse and self absorbed neighbors both hear about these rules and adopt them.
Great and much needed article. I would add – don’t link arms 4 or 5 people across in a line. Takes up too much space on sidewalks. Don’t stop suddenly to stare up at all the big buildings.
What name would you call this kind of group of people that are in a complete another world from reality?
When you see someone about to be hit by an E bike, yell LOOK OUT!
It’s too bad David/Seinfeld ran out of ideas after 180 episodes last century. You don’t need to go to a live reading of the WSR comments. This is already comedy gold.
That’s gold Jerry, gold !
I love this so much! It’s the sudden stops and wide loads that kill me. Oh, and the dog people in the middle of sidewalks and high traffic areas.
How about a rant on bicyclist’s etiquette as they race through Central Park?
There is a sidewalk code-rule-law that you cannot walk more than 3 abreast.
On the side streets connection Columbus, Amsterdam and Broadway.. you don’t want to walk 3 abreast! Very rude.. Anyone trying to get by you will have a problem!
I’ve also noticed people are frequently passing in front of others without saying “excuse me.” For example, when you are walking south and someone enters the sidewalk from the west to cross the street. Many walk straight ahead without regard for those already on the street and moving forward. A “right of way” situation, just like a vehicle at a 4-way stop.
Just when I thought people’s complaints couldn’t get more trivial. Is this really a problem?
Yes, it is a problem. It’s part of the rude “me first, me only” mentality that plagues many in this neighborhood. Half the time the offenders have their ears plugged up and are in a different world altogether.
Then again: Do *you* say “excuse me” when cutting someone off?? Or do you, too, believe that basic courtesies like that are “trivial”??
If you are at a crosswalk and nothing is happening with the traffic light, chances are 99% that you can’t cross. Chances are good that you’re impatient and don’t have much common sense. Congratulations, you’re college educated, but you still don’t know how to cross a street. You look up at the light confused. You wait a few seconds and you cross. Surprise, that’s exactly the moment you shouldn’t cross. A car is coming at you, and now they have to stop suddenly. You’re crossing in front of them when they finally have a green light. This is specific to the upper west side.
I’ve got a dog. Love to walk her.
I’m mystified by people “walking” their dog while continuously staring at their phone, never even glancing from that phone to see where their dog is, or what their dog is doing. What’s the point? And how safe is that?
Do not stand in the curbs where people are crossing from one side of street to the other. Keep it moving in a crosswalk. It is especially difficult for those with mobility issues and in wheelchairs when people stand in the curb. No matter how politely you say “Excuse Me” some people just look at you like: What? What’s the problem? Curbs in NYC, like sidewalks, are almost always real hazards because they are in such bad shape. Trying to navigate them is tricky and can be unnecessarily dangerous when you have to maneuver around people who appear to have hearing or attitude issues.
NYC’s five boroughs are crowded and people need to pay attention where they are walking. I have witnessed people of all ages and health, along with children, who have been knocked about and some even knocked down when careless individuals, almost always talking on their cell phones (or to another person or oblivious because of their headphones) .
People can very easily get hurt.
If you must walk slowly , stay as far over to the right as you can to avoid being hurt by those walking hurriedly in the lane.
Some people just seem to conveniently forget that we share everything in this city with a lot of other people.
And PLEASE. Do not stop in the sidewalk or curbs or in front of building exits to take your selfies. Be considerate of others.
About the dogs…while I like dogs, my special needs son is terrified. Please keep dogs on short leashes. The number of times people let their dogs run up to him and jump on him is incalculable. Then they say, “don’t worry, they’re friendly, you can pet the dog!.” My son is traumatized every time. Please be sensitive to the fact that not everyone may want to interact with your pet, and in fact you may be doing more harm than good by allowing them to approach others.
AND….please say “excuse me” if you
happen to bump into another person
Common courtesy.
Great article. So needed.
And no stopping when getting off the escalator. Have seen one too many near disasters at Trader Joe’s ! (And, yes, I have suggested signage to the store management…)
The pooper-scooper “law” is unimaginably successful..barbing scofflaws
“No Smoking” signs have nearly disappeared…
This suggests that a civil public can be “educated.”
I suggest we start with a yellow line down the center of the sidewalk. Paint is cheap
Don’t tell me what to do! Smeee
Grow up! Do the right thing!