Rootman

Sorry if this sounds racist, I am genuinely interested. I ride my area's MUPs, the Razorback Greenway in NW Arkansas USA a lot. There are signs (in English only) all up and down it advising everyone to keep right.

There are a lot of people who still walk on the left, and it appears to me a disproportionate number are Hispanic. Is there some cultural significance for Hispanics to walk on the left? Time and time again I've seen people headed my way on their left right in my track on my right. A large number of them appear to be Hispanic. Is it just the fact that the signs are in english? Or is there some teaching in Mexico to always walk on the left?

Most times I just pass them by by veering to my left, but more than once I've come up behind a crowd of people and here comes someone walking on the wrong side. In one case the people became combative an started to scream and threaten, forcing the whole crowd to walk around them, they sounded and looked to be of Hispanic descent. Another time a couple of women stepped off further to their left into the grass and stood there cussing at the people going by, again it was obvious they were hispanic - and speaking english well. Once there was a big family walking towards me on the opposite side and a runner that I thought was passing them all the way to their left. She kept veering further and further to her left, I moved further right, finally coming head to head with me. As I approached I slowed and stopped, the person looked and sounded Hispanic and they demanded I move out of the way, I was all the way to my right inches away form the edge of the trail. Ironically she knew english and we were about 3 feet from yet another sign indicating all should keep right. I just pointed to the sign as she walked around me in the grass on her left.

If there IS some sort of "cultural rule" or teaching that I am unaware of?

bruce19

I don't think your question is racist in any way. Trying to familiarize yourself with the norms of other cultures is commendable if anything IMO. It would seem to me that anyone who knew English would be able to read it (although possibly not) and should know what the signs said. My own experience with traveling in a Spanish speaking culture is limited to a week cycling in Puerto Rico about 20 yrs. ago. Nothing I saw would indicate that this is a cultural norm.

TroN0074

Check their signs.

fietsbob

it is common knowledge one is wise to walk on a road with no sidewalks where you can see the cars coming , To get out of the way.

maybe you didn't get the Memo, they did.

& there are few hispanics living in countries that drive on the left side of the road ..

British, Isles and Commonwealth/former Empire.. (Australia, NZ) and Japan .

Rootman

That makes sense, "Pedestrians on the left", is this pretty normal in Latin American countries? The MUP I rides happens to have a "everybody right" rule.

Rootman

This isn't a road, no cars are on the paths because it's a multi use pathway (MUP) the signs clearly state KEEP RIGHT picturing a walker, runner and a bike and stating you must pass on the left. Where there are blind corners there are signs as well as decals on the pavement warning to keep RIGHT.

I know you should walk opposing traffic but walking against traffic on a narrow MUP is an accident ready to happen.

one4smoke

Yeah, I would suspect this is it. ^

Even though all greenways I have been on have pedestrians walking with bike traffic, normal roadways dictate pedestrians walk opposite of motorists traffic. They are probably thinking along those lines.

fietsbob

rootman try asking them , in spanish, and they may tell you.

jskash

It seems that the vast majority of people I see on the bike path ignore the signs completely here in Los Angeles. Most of the time I have to alert walkers that I am behind them or go into the opposite lane to go around them.

vatdim

To reinforce what fietsbob said: my country's highway code states explicitly that a pedestrian must walk on the left side of the road, provided that there are no available sidewalks, etc. Maybe the people you encounter are used to such a rule and "everybody right" makes little sense to them? I don't really know since the whole MUP concept is totally foreign to me.

Rootman

Given the hostility I've seen in a few cases I'd rather not. It never really bothers me until it gets into a tight spot. I'd rather just ride and not have to worry about goofs walking on the wrong side, regardless of cultural heritage.

zandoval 

Don't you remember... Its in your Boy Scout handbook...

Ya gotta see whats going to hit you...
But I understand your thinking. Of course we all know it would be better for them if they were riding a bicycle. But then again they would have to ride on the right...

FBinNY 

It has been SOP for decades (or maybe over a century) all over the world (including the USA) for pedestrians to walk on the left (facing traffic) on open roads. this makes a lot of sense on multiple levels and is still SOP in many states.

However, whatever their thinking the designers of MUPs decided that it was more like a walk than a road, and so the pedestrian keep right rule was adopted there. The thinking alone should be a hint to cyclists, that those who installed it thought cyclists and pedestrians were more alike than pedestrians and cars and that the MUP is really not intended to be like a road. Instead it's more like a pedestrian walk on which bicyclists are invited, or at least allowed.

So, if you stop to think about it, the Hispanics you see have it right, and those who installed the MUP have it backward (I'll get flamed for this). It makes sense for pedestrians and passing bicyclists to look each other in the eye as they pass, and would save us all having to say "on your left" or whatever.

Lumpyton

I had a friend from Guatemala who refused to walk, run, or drive on the right side of anything, with the exception of the yellow line on roads. If it was a 4 lane or more he was as far left as he could get without crossing into on coming traffic. We went on vacation once and it was 368 miles in the left lane on interstates. Walking on a sidewalk he would shoot over to the left side when meeting someone. It was chaos all the time. I asked him about it as I noticed it was common, especially concerning Hispanics on the interstate.

He seemed somewhat shocked. He simply asked, "isn't that how you do it?" We had a long discussion about keeping to the right in the States. He remained flabbergasted even though he said they drive on the right in his home country. 10 years after meeting him I still don't know why they do it.

avidone1

It's all walmarts fault.
Seriously.....By me the walmarts all have the "enter" door on the left when coming in from the parking lot
and the 'exit' door on the left when exiting the building....
It's a WalMart world

jon c. 

That makes a lot of sense. I don't ride MUPs, but on the roads I ride it's certainly preferable that the peds and joggers are facing me and I don't see why that wouldn't carry over.

simplybao

OP, I live in NWA and I thought it was just me that noticed all of the hispanics in the area walking on their left. The only place I notice it though is through Springdale, maybe because Springdale has a large hispanic community. The path that goes down Powell by the airport is scary. There have been multiple gunshots and murders in that area. A couple of months ago, I went by there a mere 2 hours after a driveby with a death. I won't do that stretch of the greenway without others riding with me.

Anyway, great to see another person from NWA on here!

FBOATSB

Any MUP, rail trail, greenway, whatever you call it, I have to realize that the correct way for me anyway is to treat it as a "Linear Park" which means you must expect to see no patterns or sign following whatsoever. And bikes always must yield the right of way regardless of the stupidity or the lack of awareness that you see on a daily basis. Then there's the dude I see all the time that's being pulled along on his roller blades by his unruly dog - you might as well just pull over cuz you just never know what is going to happen

TheManShow

I find answer to question about cultures can be found by talking to people. My Spanish is poor even though I am 1/2 hispanic, and speak ony a little spanish. I find if you try to converse with hispanic in spanish than switching to english by explaning your spanish is limited. Most will talk with you in poor english, but you have accomplished communicating with them.

quicktrigger

That section is one to get through as quickly as possible. Once worked with some Hispanic guys in Springdale. According to them, they were fine with cacasians, the bigger issues were with the Lao population and vis versa. Apparently rival groups. I was treated well by both groups, but that was many years ago. May be different now. But yes, Springdale needs some work.

As for original question, IMHO if the people are there in a casual fashion, many will never even notice the signs, let alone abide by them. Don't know about culture. But I do love how Springdale refuses to spend money on things like MUP'S, but then their population zpends their free time at Lake Fayettevile and similar.

Lastly, I think I have seen one other person calling NWA home, but dont remember the username.

QT

Nermal

Around here, we are trained to walk on the left and ride on the right. Best I can say about meeting pedestrians on the trail is that it occasionally gets confusing.

anyroad

LoL I got yelled at for passing a pedestrian on the left the other day in my area.

FrenchFit 

This is one of those dilemmas. As a runner, the rule is run (or walk) against traffic on the road. On a MUP you are obligated to run (or walk) to the right. It feels wrong, I much prefer to see bike traffic coming, not get buzzed. Frankly, I think the better rule is peds always have a right of way over cyclists, period. If cyclists don't like it they should be on the road. I am hiding this post from my spouse who regularly screams at non-conforming ped/runner MUP users.

wphamilton

Wouldn't the ones going in your direction also walk on their left, and you'd still approach them from behind? On a road with cars, there's enough distance from the other side traffic that it makes sense, but not as much sense on a relatively narrow path.

Although, I think that I would prefer the walkers-left convention if it was consistent.

EastCoastDHer

We all know they aren't roads however their cultural upbringing may present a challenege to them of "taking a chance" by walking on the right. They for some reason may view the left as the safer of the two options. The reality may be some may not understand English or be able to completely comprehend the sings.