Jogging/Walking - is common etiquette to stick to LHS or RHS of path? (in Ireland)

mrcheez

I drive, cycle and walk/jog. In the first two activities I always keep to my left, and common sense would lead me to believe the default is to keep to your left when walking/jogging so that others can overtake on the RHS.

I've noticed that the majority of people I encounter seem to steadfastly stick to the RHS on walking paths, on pavements, etc.

It's not a big deal for me to move out of the way, although when I consciously decide to stick to the left I've had a few determined oncoming individuals come within inches of knocking me off the path rather than move to their left despite the path being 2m wide... leading me to believe I've confused some common pedestrian etiquette.

So which is it?

Note: This isn't on roads, this is on walking paths/pavements. I can understand walking against oncoming traffic on roads alright.

Alf Veedersane

It should be that you keep to the left.

But it doesn't seem to be. In the same way that keeping to the right on escalators if you're standing isn't a thing here.

Cu Baire

mrcheez wrote: »

I drive, cycle and walk/jog. In the first two activities I always keep to my left, and common sense would lead me to believe the default is to keep to your left when walking/jogging so that others can overtake on the RHS.

I've noticed that the majority of people I encounter seem to steadfastly stick to the RHS on walking paths, on pavements, etc.

It's not a big deal for me to move out of the way, although when I consciously decide to stick to the left I've had a few determined oncoming individuals come within inches of knocking me off the path rather than move to their left despite the path being 2m wide... leading me to believe I've confused some common pedestrian etiquette.

So which is it?

Note: This isn't on roads, this is on walking paths/pavements. I can understand walking against oncoming traffic on roads alright.

Why would common sense lead you to that conclusion????

Alf Veedersane

Cu Baire wrote: »

Why would common sense lead you to that conclusion????

Because you keep to the right for driving and cycling.

Cu Baire

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Because you keep to the right for driving and cycling.

Do you?? :eek:
That must make for interesting journeys.

HeidiHeidi

If I'm jogging or walking, especially with earphones in, I'll keep to the right.

I started doing that having had the life scared out of me by cyclists coming silently up behind and barely skirting me to pass me out - at least when I'm on the right I can see them coming against me and skip into the margin out of their way, and the ones coming up behind me are on the other side of the path.

Alf Veedersane

Cu Baire wrote: »

Do you?? :eek:
That must make for interesting journeys.

Well, obviously I just mean when I'm in THE us. (scaaaaarleh)

But yeah, the left here in Ireland.

ted1

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

If I'm jogging or walking, especially with earphones in, I'll keep to the right.

I started doing that having had the life scared out of me by cyclists coming silently up behind and barely skirting me to pass me out - at least when I'm on the right I can see them coming against me and skip into the margin out of their way, and the ones coming up behind me are on the other side of the path.

Keep to the left that way anybody coming towards you will pass on your right and if the path is narrow they can step onto the road and face the oncoming traffic.

HeidiHeidi

ted1 wrote: »

Keep to the left that way anybody coming towards you will pass on your right and if the path is narrow they can step onto the road and face the oncoming traffic.

That assumes I'm on the left-hand footpath of a road!

Anyway, it's not what's coming towards me I'm concerned about, it's stuff that comes up behind me silently and sneaks by with the barest of margins - hence me being on the opposite side of the path to give them plenty of room. I can get out of the way of stuff I can see coming towards me.

And it's not usually "normal" road footpaths I'm on anyway.

mrcheez

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

If I'm jogging or walking, especially with earphones in, I'll keep to the right.

I started doing that having had the life scared out of me by cyclists coming silently up behind and barely skirting me to pass me out - at least when I'm on the right I can see them coming against me and skip into the margin out of their way, and the ones coming up behind me are on the other side of the path.

Are you running on a cycle path by any chance, or are the cyclists on a pedestrian path? (This is a separate debate altogether, but I'm just curious how the two are conflicting with each other)

If it's a pedestrian path running alongside a cycle path, they tend to be designed so that the LHS of the cycle path adjoins the RHS of the walking path so that if you walk on the edge closest to the bike path and you will see them coming in front if you stick to the left.

Anway interesting to see the various responses.

mrcheez

Cu Baire wrote: »

Why would common sense lead you to that conclusion????

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Because you keep to the right for driving and cycling.

well, to the left, hence Ireland in the title

but yeah that's generally the idea

But I find it odd that the MAJORITY of those I've seen seem to do the opposite... hence me posting the question. Perhaps it's just my route.

Oryx

On a road without a footpath, you walk or run on the right, facing oncoming traffic. So by necessity anyone coming behind will have to pass you on your left, and anyone coming towards you will be on the other side of the road anyway* So I presume you are talking about regular footpath use? In which case, regardless of what direction Im heading, Ill keep in away from the road, therefore anyone coming from behind, passes on the outside.



*so many people dont know this etiquette, it makes me shudder, they have their back to oncoming traffic. If you see someone on the wrong side of the road, youre doing them a favour to tell them.

HeidiHeidi

mrcheez wrote: »

Are you running on a cycle path by any chance, or are the cyclists on a pedestrian path? (This is a separate debate altogether, but I'm just curious how the two are conflicting with each other)

If it's a pedestrian path running alongside a cycle path, they tend to be designed so that the LHS of the cycle path adjoins the RHS of the walking path so that if you walk on the edge closest to the bike path and you will see them coming in front if you stick to the left.

Anway interesting to see the various responses.

Paths that are shared by walkers, runners and cyclists.

mrcheez

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Paths that are shared by walkers, runners and cyclists.

Weird, haven't seen those myself (in Dublin at least). I've seen many people walking on bike lanes (shudder) and cyclists breaking the rules cycling on pedestrian paths.

But your experience wouldn't be the norm, I'm talking about standard pedestrian paths designed purely for pedestrian use.

If there were no cyclists on the path would you stick to the left normally? I see from your first comment that you used to do this so I assume yes.

ted1

mrcheez wrote: »

Weird, haven't seen those myself (in Dublin at least). I've seen many people walking on bike lanes (shudder) and cyclists breaking the rules cycling on pedestrian paths.

The path along the N11 from stillorgan out is a shared path with no lines separating bikes from pedestrians

mrcheez

Oryx wrote: »

So I presume you are talking about regular footpath use?

yep, as I mentioned initially I can perfectly understand walking RHS on a road, but this is in regards to pedestrian paths whether beside or away from roads.

Oryx wrote: »

regardless of what direction Im heading, Ill keep in away from the road, therefore anyone coming from behind, passes on the outside.

Interesting, so say road is on your left, you walk on the RHS of the path.. and LHS coming back? (so always away from the road)

Is this to keep a distance from cars that might accidentally mount the kerb?

What happens if everyone does this so you're constantly facing oncoming pedestrians?

mrcheez

ted1 wrote: »

The path along the N11 from stillorgan out is a shared path with no lines separating bikes from pedestrians

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.274104,-6.174953,3a,75y,351.21h,79.48t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLGCQe1XlcD52BKrCawqIdA!2e0!6m1!1e1

You're right... madness

ted1

mrcheez wrote: »

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.274104,-6.174953,3a,75y,351.21h,79.48t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLGCQe1XlcD52BKrCawqIdA!2e0!6m1!1e1

You're right... madness

That's the good part. Most of it is much narrower

mrcheez

So walking on the path yesterday evening and 7 out of 10 people were walking RHS. So perhaps it's a right handed thing and we subliminally prefer right side of path

All Irish too, so wasn't a continental thing