I’m starting to think that most
people exist in a vacuum, completely unaware of anything going on around
them.
I spend far too much time
trying to negotiate my way past people on the street who walk without
any spatial awareness. This is particularly exhausting at the moment, as I’m
suffering from labyrinthitis*. I feel like I’m constantly leaping from one
potential collision to the next.
Some travel at a snail’s
pace, whilst staring at their phone. Others walk one way while
facing another. Sometimes, whole families spread out across the pavement,
creating the pedestrian equivalent to the Israeli West Bank Barrier. God forbid
anyone who wants to squeeze past.
Perhaps it's just me. Am I an inept pedestrian? Whatever it may be, I'm often the only one who's prepared to
apologise, whether the near-smash was my fault or not.
The world would be a
happier and easier place to live in if we spared a thought for others, rather
than solely thinking about ourselves. Not just in the big things, but also with
the small. Holding a door for a passerby is a simple and selfless act.
Check they want to go through
it first though. Otherwise it’ll be awkward.
*Stop picturing David Bowie's skintight trousers.