We had a small victory today: we finally got oncoming Spaniards to pass us on our left as we were walking down the sidewalk.
It is a bizarre phenomenon that, despite the fact that the Spanish—like Americans and most other Europeans—drive on the right-hand side of the road, they feel compelled to try and pass you on the inside (right side) when approaching from the opposite direction on the sidewalk. For the past four weeks, we have gone from gracious accommodation to disbelief that this activity wasn’t an isolated incident to stoic immovability to a subtle lateral tracking to the right, which today, finally forced the oncoming Spaniard to reconsider his approach and veer off to the left at the last minute. A small victory, but a key win in the challenge to bring some order to this Mediterranean chaos!
Viva la Revolucion!
P.S. These are the fun little games you play when you’re otherwise completely enamored with a country and a people. Whee!
-bdmc
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14 April 2008 at 4:34 pm
Countess of Cava
The Mediterranean peoples have for centuries walked along very narrow streets and are therefore inclined to “hug” the wall or building on their left.
23 April 2008 at 4:42 pm
The Physics of Spanish Ambulation « The World According to Conison
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