Awkwardness when overtaking pedestrians
π healthsocial problemSingle report βββββ
A 6'2 male reports feeling awkward when walking at a natural, faster pace behind others on narrow paths, especially at night or when the person ahead is wearing headphones, due to concerns about appearing threatening or startling them.
What people do today
- Scuffing feet to make noise
- Looking at a phone while passing
- Slowing down pace
π§ Fix this
Ideas a builder, maker or community group could start on:
- A wearable haptic device or app that emits a gentle, non-threatening chime when approaching another person from behind to signal presence.
- A social etiquette guide or campaign promoting standard 'passing' signals for pedestrians to reduce anxiety in shared public spaces.
- A smartphone app that uses proximity sensors to detect nearby pedestrians and plays a polite, pre-recorded 'excuse me' or 'passing on your left' audio cue.
Real voices
βI often find myself in a situation where I am slowly gaining on someone I am walking behind and it feels awkward.β
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