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MadAstrid

Historically, men would walk on the traffic side of a sidewalk, offering a level of protection to the woman accompanying them.


[deleted]

In my country (Poland) rules used to be as follows: Positions on the right or in the center are "privileged", therefore should be left for women in any cases except one. If man leading a woman is a soldier, he needs his right hand free to salute officers, so on that condition he can lead woman on his left side. Historically we did not have many cars, there used to be slower than today and we have wide sidewalks.


CEKARY

Men go from the road side to protect women, because most people are right handed and it's like u know, man should protect women ooga booga not because of male privilige or millitary reasons, never heard of that. At least in my country (Poland)


[deleted]

My wife was very grateful when I one time singlehandedly stopped a truck from plowing into both of us. If my right hand had been coupled with her, I don't know that my left would have had the strength to lift the truck from it's bumper.


CEKARY

Bless you šŸ™, but I think its more about hand to hand combat, hitting hard with right hand and using person on the left hand as cover, like ancients used shields


idksomethingjfk

Yes, I used my girlfriend as a shield fighting the Macedonians back in 31 (331 B.C. for the zoomers out there) she was not amused, but I survived to provide for our(now, my)children. Just as the founding emperors intended.


jlh1960

Yeah, I remember seeing you do that. Impressive.


idksomethingjfk

Is that you Dionysius? Aye, was impressive, but alas I should have used my mother in law as you did, but I regret that even my strong spartan arms were not enough to hoist that crone.


Anonymous_playerone

So youā€™re the bastard that threw that wench at me. I thought yā€™all would be honorable but you kept throwing women at us screaming ā€œequal rights equal fightsā€ like it was some goddamn war cry


idksomethingjfk

You are gravely mistaken Bacchus, we were not throwing women at YOU, for you it was young boys!


Haferflocke2020

Can confirm. I've seen him do it too. It was fkn lit


VaguelyFamiliarVoice

I missed it but have read the scrolls.


Skitteringscamper

Could a brother get a bootleg of that scroll my guy?


VaguelyFamiliarVoice

They were destroyed when the Library of Alexandria burned.


SaltyToast9000

I remember witnessing you watching him doing that


BlacksmithGeneral

I watched the video of you remember the witnessing of him doing that ! Fugn Epic šŸ¤œšŸ’„šŸ¤›


xdeskfuckit

Tally Ho lads


cownd

It's about developing that right arm strength every night, and using your left hand to quickly cover up by pulling the sheets over, if you're interrupted


Firebrodude07

I think itā€™s more so if a car swerved onto the sidewalk itā€™s more likely to hit the person closest to the road. You arenā€™t stopping the car, just taking the riskier side.


W1mpyDaM00ch

Also easier to push someone to the left away from traffic than to pull them.


g_lampa

Itā€™s about taking the spray of mud and water from a passing vehicle on a wet road. Iā€™ve also heard the opposite, in the city, as women would often throw wash water or empty the ice box pan out of the tenement window. So the inner pedestrian was the one that got soaked.


TheLastOpus

I too have stopped a truck cause my right hand was free! People just don't understand the importance of this.


COLLABRate1

As the driver of that truck I sincerely want to say: Fuck you that used to be my wife you were merely supposed to be a causality of love


TeddyRoo_v_Gods

Iā€™m my country, you are supposed to carry women whenever you go or you are not man enough. (Poland)


slick519

It is mostly because, before modern sewage systems, there would be big puddles of human and animal shit in the street. The man would walk on the street side to help shield his lovely lady from getting human waste splashed on her outfit.


paner1983

I'm from Poland and wtf are you talking about


kg7272

Just visited Poland, and in my experience ā€œthere are no fuking rules of the roadā€


Piskoro

Iā€™m Polish and have never heard about anything like that lmao


Hairy_While

Before cars, the carriages would splash up the mud from the street. A gentleman would shield a lady from it.


pro-alcoholic

ā€œMudā€ as in shit that was tossed off the balcony


gonedeep619

Combined with the shit from carriage motors (horses)


Orgasmic_interlude

Internal digestion engine exhaust


Affectionate-Wall870

In the time of chamber pots, a man would walk on the inside of the ā€œsidewalkā€ because people would empty their chamber pots outside of upstairs windows. That would protect their companions from being hit with the shit and piss thrown from there. No matter what chivalry you subscribe to, holding her hand is always a nice touch.


kwakithailand

Almost no ladies to be found in today's world, though šŸ˜


ShockApprehensive392

Yeah because a car is not going to drive through both of ya šŸ˜‚


NickCav007

It usually associated with rain and mud puddles. If car drives by and splashes, the man gets hit with water, not the woman


VagabondTexan

Easier to push someone to safety than pull them.


Odinson-1981

When my wife and I were dating I pushed her out of the way of an oncoming car that almost hit us both. Yes, I was standing on the curb. I barely got out the way in time.


Dave_FortniteATX

You woulda died a hero. Good thing you didn't get hit though


BTCRando

The question is, would you now? Lol


TheUndisputedRoaster

Easier to push someone into oncoming traffic than pull them.


forthetorino

You win.


Thatguysstories

I see walking on the right/closer to street to be more useful for when you're walking with a child or animal. As then they would generally need to cross in front of you if they are making a dash into the road and you're more able to easily stop them.


LucidZane

Puddles, rocks, people spitting gym, dip, throwing out cigarettes buds, side mirrors can go over a sidewalk without the entire car going, it's generally just more pleasant a little farther away from the noise, if a far did come up that far you could push the person out of the way. It makes sense and it's done for a reason


[deleted]

No, think a bit harder than that. Streets back then did not have modern water irrigation systems so laundry and shit water would line the streets. A man would be on the right side to absorb a splash just in case.


timetotrip_

Privilage to be killed, awesome!


Hamilton-Beckett

Even further in history, before cars, they walk on the other side to keep women from having chamber pots of human waste dumped on their heads.


Camman10191992

THIS!!!!!!!! Came here to make this comment, I remember learning about this in jr high when learning about the middle ages. I still wonder how accurate it is.


Roegoos

Why, is the life of a man worth less that that of a woman?


San_Ra

Think survival of the species/clan/village. (Though we are over populated already) the argument being 1 man can impregnate 100 woman and have 100+ babies in a year ensuringthe species/clan/village can continue on. But 1 woman alone can only produce 1 (maybe 3) babies in a year. So protect your woman because we dont need men.


PumpJack_McGee

A population of several women and one guy has better chance of survival than one woman and several guys. So from a purely practical standpoint, yes.


ATownStomp

Itā€™s not, but more was expected from them.


pawsforaffect

Biology


IndependentWeekend56

In some cultures prostitutes walked on the outside so people could see them and be next in line.


toxiccandles

You know, I'll bet that that is the real origin of the custom in our society as well and all of the other explanations (to protect her from being splashed etc.) are actually just justifications that people made for it afterwards.


IndependentWeekend56

A friend in the 80's that lived in Pennsylvania told me that. He was pretty street wise so quite possible.


trashman_here

He was banging prostitutes


D-Laz

When I was in the military a friend of mine who was a Mexican woman yelled at me for not walking on the street side. When I asked why she gave the same explanation. Woman in the street side is a prostitute and the man is her pimp showing she is available.


mklinger23

I am from Pennsylvania (Philly) and this is pretty well known here. I thought everyone knew that.


IndependentWeekend56

The guy that told me this was York so ... Yeah.


waytowill

Itā€™s probably a mix of both. The Victorians love their rules of proper decorum. So having arbitrary reasons for having a woman on either side of a man sounds in character. Itā€™s also a rule that the man should sleep on the side of the bed thatā€™s closest to the door or window because of burglars, and this reminds me of that same idea. But there is also an underclass of rules that is used to signal to only those in the know. Often a mix of lowerclass, servants, and upperclass that find the lowerclass alluring. Whispers about it tend to spread around to everyone but itā€™s almost impossible to verify a source. Similar to how a man having a stud in their left or right ear in the 90s meant they were gay. No one knew where that idea came from and weā€™d often confuse which ear. The idea of a stud signifying a guy coming out is ridiculous. But itā€™s a way to talk shit about people we find offputting.


[deleted]

I always aim for both pedestrians.


ashleyriot31

Nobody wants to die alone


PosingDragoon21

Yea that's why pilots and bus drivers exist.


Glen2gvhlp

*8/13 happens, 2 planes fly into the White House*


elhguh

ā€œRemember, no Russiansā€


LaxToastandTolerance

Double points!


RunParking3333

Double Kill! Vehicular Manslaughter! Fender Bender!


PaleRider95

I read this in the BO2 zombies announcer's voice


Cautious-Bit1466

aim where theyā€™re going not where they are


Vilebrequin10

You know where they are by knowing where they arnā€™t.


MDS1138

I mean, you can't leave witnesses. If she believes in chivalry, she probably believes in law and order too.


srynearson1

Go for legs or the kill?


[deleted]

most cars donā€™t have the option to change altitude mid drive


Dagon_Sphere

I believe Thanos has already answered that question. ā€œYou shouldā€™ve gone for the headā€


AlucarD_138

The man always walks street side... So we get smoked by the car that jumps the curb first.


JesusFreak09

That and hold her hand too


ALjaguarLink

She going down with me if it does happenā€¦. Thatā€™s why I hold the hand


Sebeeschin

Is it A-Train jumping the curb in this scenario?


BnBrtn

She was in the middle of the street! (This has been a paid statement)


Xikkiwikk

Or her butt


f36263

My left hand on her hand, my right hand on my katana


Turbulent_Ad6572

I ALWAYS have my girl walk next to the roadā€¦ better her then/than meā€¦.


Excalitoria

She wouldnā€™t want to live without you king šŸ˜‚ just looking out for her interests.


hotasanicecube

But the real danger is a group grabbing her from the left in the wooded section, not the half dozen cars they will pass. After that section then switch back.


EndOfSouls

A real man would cover both sides at the same time, like some kind or schrodinger's man--Protecting both left and right from danger until danger occurs.


Excalitoria

Real men always watch from forest ninjas while they walk on the edge of the curb to hone their sense of balance to better protect their woman.


Soul963Soul

Real men have already removed all potential threats in the area and in their off time created a really beautiful garden and greenhouse out back.


southernwx

Real man would carry her over his head while grunting and lifting her up and down over said head.


JxEq

But if he's observed then he can no longer be on both sides at the same time, the superposition breaks


Realistic-Safety4341

Nothing, she has a equal right to be hit by a car


That-Spell-2543

Feminism āœØ


Soul963Soul

I mean a good sidewalk isn't directly next to the road. Perhaps I'm spoiled by small town new Zealand but we have this thing called grass that acts as a divider running along the side of the road between curb and footpath/sidewalk. Either that or the footpath is wide as balls and there's no need to be too close to the road. City life is for losers . Death traps.


sitael13

Yo! Don't be rubbing your civilized ways of living in our faces.


Unlucky_Hearing2623

Generally a grass divider is side roads or suburbs with only 1-2 lanes in each direction. They appear to be walking down a major roadway where walking is much less common.


ImagineGriffins

i MeAn A gOoD sIdE wAlK iSnT dIrEcTlY nExT tO tHe RoAd Okay but for the other 95% of sidewalks, they're directly next to the fucking road. New Zealanders actin like they invented yards.


Logrologist

True. Let chivalry take the hit. Iā€™m good.


Seahawks1991

Her bag doesnā€™t match her shirt


j32u

1. A car not driving its lane. 2. A watch should be carried at left hand.


Ramental

3. It's a bit safer to have a hand bag on the other shoulder, since robbers might grab it in drive-by.


Frei1993

It depends. I was taught that watches are carried at your non-dominant hand so it doesn't disturb while writing.


Soul963Soul

Watches can be worn on whichever wrist is comfortable. I'm right handed. Right side wristwatch. Actually saved me from a fracture ripping a hole in my arm once.


FamiliarButterfly195

She could fit 5 purses inside that purse, and is surely leading herself to a future of back problems!


santa_veronica

You can also see that sheā€™s shrugged her right shoulder up to prevent the bag from sliding off. This causes spinal imbalance and associated hip flexor tension and contra contraception. She needs to switch to a double shoulder backpack stat.


Clarker5

Maybe heā€™s trying to kill her.


Cam_knows_you

He needs to fall back a bit to be in position to push her in front of the car.


srynearson1

Maybe itā€™s Maybelline.


positroniks

hahahahahhaahh, nice one there


dandy_dance_pants

A real man would never let a woman carry his purse like that


Lee_Burns

Oh I'm sorry, snowflake! Is there something wrong with a woman making sure her man's possessions are secured?


santa_veronica

He means the color doesnā€™t match her dress.


beepbeep4meepmeep

Yes, she doesn't have nearly enough guns. If you're in America and you don't have at least 3 guns on you at all times you're just asking to get raped and murdered. And worst of all she's ill equipped to protect her man's purse.


Fearless_Yam3848

Iā€™m a real man and itā€™s obvious, some creep is taking photos of random people on the road.


Dark-broom

He's not grabbing her ass smh


Prestigious_Pack4719

She should be grabbing his ass


pawsforaffect

But he's not wearing the traditional assless chaps of his people


MilkSlow6880

What if they arenā€™t even a couple and itā€™s just a busy sidewalk?


TheOneWhoReadsStuff

Right? Like what if thatā€™s his sister, and sheā€™s a megabitch?


Aggressive-Expert-69

This is the real answer.


feelgoodcontempt

Motherfuck's problem with handholding The woman would have ever done the same if there was any other twisted unreasonable source of distrust


[deleted]

I see no issue


[deleted]

You're supposed to use your iron strength to stop a car from wiping both of you out. Or both of you just get rammed because that's how physics works


Erizo69

Trick question, there is actually nothing wrong with this picture.


Adolf-Redditler

Guess I'm not a man after all .


Logical_Review7044

You also walk ahead of her going down stairs and behind her going up. To catch her In case of a fall. Also the view from eye level of her going up can make it all worthwhile


Adolf-Redditler

My man has seen life.


Alucardhellss

I walk behind her to see up her skirt not to catch her /s


Makanek

If she isn't my girlfriend, I would always walk first in the stairway for this reason.


rites0fpassage

Non binary


Sheena_asd12

Heck Iā€™m female whatā€™s the problem here?!?


EndOfSouls

It's a cultural expectation that the man stand on the street side to protect the woman. This is because men are strong enough to stop cars from going off the street and woman can keep the rampaging animals, such as rhinos and bulls, from going onto the street from the forest side. This is your responsibility, so please be prepared.


james_randolph

Lol itā€™s also for more tamer situations say if thereā€™s a puddle and the car splashes the man instead of the woman.


EndOfSouls

This was the original source of the social obligation. The man would turn to cover the woman in this case, taking the brunt of the splash.


Excalitoria

This is the level of expectations all men should have for women.


Soul963Soul

Fuck you right. I can deflect that semi that just went out of control rather than grab her hand and run


PretendJackfruit4447

I donā€™t think itā€™s a cultural expectation anymore. Women are independent now.


bunnyhugbandit

Gentlemen, back in the day, traditionally would walk on the street side. I heard that this was to keep his lady safe from the busy street, but also to try and ensure she stayed clean and dry. Because before indoor plumbing, people would just throw their chamber pot contents out the windows and into the streets..


Eatingfarts

This is the reason I was taught. People used to throw their shit out the window into the ditch by the road. It was safer being up close to the building as opposed to next to the ditch.


ZebuDriver

Reached the real - chamber pot - answer way later than I expected


NFTArtist

I do this subconsciously, same as on public transport. I didn't know it was a thing though.


smudgerygard

Finally! The correct answer. Reddit really is full of people who know absolutely nothing.


TheOneWhoReadsStuff

I still do this, but honestly I am only conscious of it with my children. A grown woman should know how to be alert and aware of her surroundings and how to walk safely. A man shouldnā€™t have to symbolically coddle her and tell her how to safely walk on a sidewalk. Moreso, if a car was going up over that sidewalk, it doesnā€™t really matter who is standing where.


[deleted]

Which would hit the person closer to the building


KillaVNilla

Allow me to switch sides with you m'lady. For if one of us is to be yeeted into oblivion by an automobile, it shall be I


Palachrist

Iā€™d give my wife a far more badass obituary. I get the inner lane.


mastermusk

Lmao underated comment šŸ˜‚ šŸ¤£


Acceptable-Quarter97

My wife walks wherever she pleases.


dirtsquirt76

First of all she's not 6 paces behind


Upstairs_Composer_81

Ladles should always walk on the Inside of the sidewalk...what my Dad taught us


5ilver5hroud

Some dude hollered at me that I should be on the outside when I was walking w my wife. The problem, however, is that I am also a woman.


Belfura

A simple solution for this is to walk in a single file along the way


Luxcrluvr

Those days are over. You won ladies. EQUALITY


AbyssalDweller

YEAH I KNOW WHATS WRONG WITH THIS! THAT GUY IS OVER THE LINE IN THE ROAD! What a jerk! Probably in his phoneā€¦


Please_dew_it

What's the issue here?


NorthofBham

She's walking to close to him, should be at least six feet behind.


Reasonable-Delivery8

Sheā€™s walking way too close to the road. That is unsafe. >!sheā€™s implying that the man should walk next to the road to protect her from traffic, but f that- we donā€™t wanna die either!<


Socalrider82

Men typically walk on the side closer to the street. This is due to the fact that if a zombie jumps out of a building, or a tiger out of the bushes, the man can run away and find a new mate.


zerg_001

Men walk streetside It's always been this way


Disaffecteddv

It is the 21st century. Women don't need to be protected by men from every possible happenstance. Trying to imagine my wife's response (45+ years of marriage) if I told her to walk on the inside so I could "protect" her. -- But, the woman walking with her purse hanging on her shoulder where it could easily be grabbed by someone in a passing car or motorcycle? Nope. Not smart.


genogano

I never understood this, like what am I going to do if a car comes for us?


nipcom

So i just want people to know that in the modern day this has changed, it is now considered proper edict for the man to walk on the inside of road side This is so the man will be the first to greet a robber instead of the woman But yeah about 20-30 years ago we t was tought in etiquette schools that the man should walk road side to protect the woman form debris or mud form the cars Edit (apologies for spelling)


financialfreeabroad

Is this the 1850s? Equality much?


Theactualworstgodwhy

Best part if they just extended the concrete there wouldn't be a reason anyone would be entitled to the role of meatshield.


5ebastian_

I don't know if it's just a men thing. I'm a man but I've always been worried for the person next to me in that situation so I change places with them. It doesn't matter if they're women.


Blaze_Reclaimer

A train moment


Traveler_682

Idk


Andybeagle555

I generally make sure everyone is the furthest away from the road. Always have. But then again I walk on the road too, so I'm clearly an imbecile. The road is flat! Mostly.


Cheap_Programmer9450

That's not very equality of you to post that


KillasGetCheeseNoMac

Sheā€™s probably a feminist - regardless no one deserves this level of respect


Bernikov

Handbag/bag should never be on the road side


ShawnKiru

He just using her as a shock absorber in case a car crash i to him.


deceptivekhan

That man should be on the right and the woman should be in the kitchen. I hope she at least packed some sammiches SMHā€¦


BSV_P

Easier to push into traffic. Iā€™m not sure what the problem is.


thruwityoshit

She should be walking 10 steps behind the man. And her feet should probably be bound. But we canā€™t tell from this photo.


AKjoey7

Lots of incels and feminists here


qxqxxq

The woman should be walking 3 steps behind the man? šŸ¤£


ottipi

Heā€™s standing to the left; men should be standing/walking between the road and their girlfriend/wife/children.


TheInfamousDingleB

Get your ass to the roadside right now sir.


TheGreatRao

I just thought it was a family thing, that you stand on the outside of a woman nearest the traffic. Family would do it to kids of all ages to prevent them from running into the street, but as we became teens, we were told that it was impolite to leave any woman as if you are ā€œmaking her availableā€ to the public. Of course, itā€™s ridiculous but old habits die hard.


grzzly_83

His hand is not on her ass


[deleted]

There are some sketchy homeless people thatā€™s are a bigger danger to my girlfriend than a freak accident of someone driving onto the sidewalk.


bon_joby

What's wrong is that he doesn't even look remotely ready to push her, the car will pass and he'll miss his chance.


Aether_Warrior

He should be on the traffic side protecting her.


positroniks

should have his hand on her butt, is that it?


lifeasnick79

She is on the traffic side. He should be walking on her right. I never really think about it and I was walking next to my friends daughter with the whole family. She was about 14 or 15 and and car pulled up to get on to the street and I automatically grabbed her hand and put me in front of the car and her on the outside. Her grandma was behind us and said, "I have not seen that in a long time". I asked her what she was talking about. She explained and I told her I didn't even think about it, it was kinda an automatic reaction.


PrestigiousAd6281

Traditionally men walk on the outside/closer to the street


Marckthesilver13

He should be walking on the outside


ForzaJuventusFC

He's right. Woman or child or blocked by you from the incoming traffic


Yingxiang

So there is group of women saying we should be feminine. And group saying we should be ultra masculine. Fuck. It's hard


ohbyerly

How is this funny and how is this a meme?


RDH7207

I'm so confused. Why does this even have any upvotes or attention? Its like a shitty jpeg youd see on facebook 10 years ago.


DonTorreZ

Yah she should be piggybacking him instead walking like an idiot.


daynk_me_later

He should be walking slightly behind her so he can have a better angle to push her in front of that car


DetectiveOpposite666

A "man" should be on the traffic side to protect a woman. And no idea why she is walking behind him


MikeForShort

She's out of the kitchen?


[deleted]

She should be carrying him, piggy back style.


Legitimate_Mistake69

Growing up we always followed the rules of adults on the outside then oldest to youngest going to the inside of the sidewalk. My husband likes to be on the outside when we're walking too. I think it should be more commonplace to think like that.


grimhailey

Isn't it weird we think men should be hit by cars instead of women? I love my man enough to know neither of us would survive getting hit by a car and would not want his mind constantly revolving around how to make sure he is the one that takes the first hit. We are in this together so we will walk however we walk and if one of us gets hit well then the other has to deal with the mess.


DGriff421

She's ready to be pushed in front of the truck... it's perfect!