People watching

[Bozo Erectus]

Guessing it's kinda to do with roundabouts. We go clockwise round roundabouts, whereas those who drive on the right hand side of the road go anti-clockwise. It's also easier to make left turns than right turns on UK roads.
Though not everyone drives vehicles around roundabouts (and T junctions etc), most have been in vehicles whilst going round roundabouts.

I now really hate the word 'round' btw

Gainy, I understand that, but Im in "Why" mode. Yes, we go counterclockwise here, the British go clockwise:Why? Why should there be a preference for any direction at all? Why dont you see more or less equal numbers of people strolling around in both directions? Is it neurological, is it cultural (but I dont see how it can be cultural if most people arent even aware of it), does it have to do with handedness, the earths magnetic field, aliens, Project for A New American Century?

 

[Pikachu]

This is sort of a chicken and egg thing. Wouldnt the way people walk have influenced the way traffic rules were set up in the first place? Why would natives of the British Isles tend to walk in an opposite direction from everyone else?

In the good old days people used to ride their horses on the left side of the road to maximize the room on their right hand side to brandish their swords. Naturally when people started to drive cars in Britain they started to drive on the same side as they used to ride their horses.

Those days the rest of the world hated Britain, and therefore people started to drive on the opposite side in most other countries as a protest against Britain. This had nothing to do with which way people walked.

I am not sure what exactly makes people who drive on the right side of the road walk counter-clockwise though, but Hakim and Gainy Bo’s explanations seems logical enough.

This is really interesting, would you happen to have any links for this? Coming up with useful search parameters for google wouldnt be easy in this case.

Sorry, I don’t have any links. I’ll try to find some tonight.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Basically what we have is this: people walk to a circle with the intention of walking around it. The overwhelming majority of people will pick counterclockwise every time without even realising it. To me it seems like theres something deeply neurological going on, something very old and hardwired thats alot older than cars. Id also like to know what direction different animals pick, if indeed they pick any (I suspect they do). Lots of questions, very few answers

 

[Masquerouge]

I clearly remember going clockwise last time I went jogging. I'm right-handed, I don't have a car, and it was counter-intuitive to go clockwise given the direction of the entry path (i.e., going left was like going back on my steps), but I did it.
I think I'm gonna cry now.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I clearly remember going clockwise last time I went jogging. I'm right-handed, I don't have a car, and it was counter-intuitive to go clockwise given the direction of the entry path (i.e., going left was like going back on my steps), but I did it.
I think I'm gonna cry now.

(deep, echoing voice) Do not cry, you are The Chosen One! We Elders have been waiting 10,000 years.

You consciously decided to go clockwise, or afterwards you realised that you went clockwise even though it was counterintuitive?

 

[Pikachu]

This is really interesting, would you happen to have any links for this? Coming up with useful search parameters for google wouldnt be easy in this case.

After looking into this it seems like the retail researchers only have guessed that traffic rules influence the way people prefer to walk. I can’t find any research on which way people who drive on the left side prefers to walk except a reference to a book called “Why we buy” by Paco Underhill in this link: http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2004/02/the_anthropolog.html


The link below suggests that which side we drive on decides how we walk, but apparently it is only the authors guessing. It also tells that elephants move counter-clockwise around watering holes, so traffic rules don't seem to be the only explanation here.

http://www.sorensen-associates.com/pathtracker/entrancestudy.htm
Meyer points to a number of examples: walking tours designed by chambers of commerce frequently recommend counter-clockwise circuits; races are run in a counter-clockwise direction around tracks, whether it's cars, people, or horses; and even elephant herds move in a counter clockwise direction when migrating among watering holes. Whether these patterns are the result of social norms or are reflective of a deeper psychological movement bias is unknown. Meyer favors the explanation that we walk around stores in a counter-clockwise direction simply because it is socially efficient: it solves the problem of shoppers constantly bumping into each other, and a counter-clockwise flow is the most natural pattern of movement in a closed space when the norm is to walk (and drive) on the right (for example, it is how we drive around traffic circles). "It would be interesting to see if in Australia and England, where people walk and drive on the left, the dominant movement is clockwise," says Meyer.

The link below gives a different explanation though:

http://www.babyshopmagazine.com/fall00/traffic.htm
Most of us are right-handed, but did you know that we are also rightfooted? (The next time you step up on a curb, check to see which foot you step up with a good indicator of your dominant foot.) Right-footed people prefer to turn right, and like to walk counterclockwise through a store.

I also found another fascinating detail that could explain why people like to walk counter-clockwise outside Britain:

http://www.sfmusicbox.com/2512/custserv/aboutsfmb.epl
…most carousels turned counter-clockwise; but the English, with their penchant for proper riding etiquette, fashioned their carousels to turn in the opposite direction, clockwise, so that the horses could be properly mounted from the left side.

Maybe carousel experiences shape our walking habits.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Pikachu, lots of great information, thanks I never would have found that stuff. Figures the business community is way ahead on this, every move a consumer makes is vitally important to business. People have been looking at the issue but I wonder if theres been any serious science to determine what exactly causes the behavior. The part about the horses and elephants is important because it shows that its not really about driving. Id bet that reptiles also walk counterclockwise, but not insects. Insects probably walk randomly. What would be great here is if those Star Trek guys would help us raise $30 million for a proper study.

 

[Sparta]

Get Seven of Nine to head the research team...

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

How strange, never noticed until now but its true, but then again i walk in every direction at once with my so called "magnetic walking" which causes me to walk into who ever is near me's path .

 

[EdwardTking]

Most people are Right handed so they prefer to walk with their left hand to the lake and their right hand facing inland. The reasons for this are as follows:

(i) If a crocodile/shark decides to take a bite, you keep your best right hand.

(ii) If a bandit approaches you coming the other way, your sword
hand is free, while the lake protects your flank.

 

[Masquerouge]

You consciously decided to go clockwise, or afterwards you realised that you went clockwise even though it was counterintuitive?

Well, I arrived at the gate, and told myself, "now which way ?", and I chose left, but I can't explain why. So it's a conscious unconscious choice.
But when I play RPG games or stuff like that, I always choose the left path first.
And if I think about it, I feel more confortable about going clockwise.
Now if you excuse me, I need to hear my voices.

 

[The Last Conformist]

I seem to recall that driving on the right originates in France. Maybe it's got no more profound reason than that right is the "primary" direction.

It makes some sense, tho, since in panic situations, right-handers (ie, the majority) are prone to turn to the right; it's generally better to careen off the road than to go into the opposing lane.

 

[Ramius75]

In singapore, everything must be in order..Duh...

so there are arrow signs on the road pointing the direction to walk/jog/run. this also apply to escalator where u need to keep left if ur not walking/rushing.

On the road, if ur in a slow vehicle, keep left (driver is on the right).

basically, i dont follow the rules, but depends on the butt of the girls running in front of me.

 

[GTF]

Well, I arrived at the gate, and told myself, "now which way ?", and I chose left, but I can't explain why. So it's a conscious unconscious choice.
But when I play RPG games or stuff like that, I always choose the left path first.
And if I think about it, I feel more confortable about going clockwise.
Now if you excuse me, I need to hear my voices.

This is way late, but felt I had to add my commment to this discussion should anyone ever come here again.
So, you only made one choice and that choice was to turn left and from that point on your course was set and you would be veering to the right. The point is when you had to make a choice you went left. Had you been walking a random path and not around a natural object and consistently made the left choice you would have gone ......... counter-clockwise. Had you thought about which way you wanted to go around the park or simply though 'which way do I turn here'?

Some time back I started doing a 6 km (almost 4 miles) run from home. Knew basically where I was going to go, but not the direction. When I reached the end of my street, I suppose I had to choose and I went counter-clockwise which involved a right hand turn at the start but as I made the decision I think I was looking at the whole route in my head not just this first turn. Never thought about it at the time but it is strange. Have noticed I also run ovals counterclockwise. BTW we drive on the left side of the road over here too (Australia) - so you can forget about that having any bearing.
I have since reveserd the direction of that run (i.e. clockwise now), but only because I found doing the hills (7 of them) hard going at the end, so now I do them first and finish off with a cruisy 2 km down hill grade. BUT - Now I'm always dodging runners and walkers going the other way. Seems everyone goes counter-clockwise naturally.

I'd say it's neurological. Do you know that when you look at someones face you concentrate on one side of their face more than the other? I can't remember which side, but it's because one side is more expressive than the other and hence it is easier to read emotions and intent on that side. Other animals don't do this with each other but one animal does do it with people - but not with others of its own kind. So which animal is adapted to read human emotions - the dog of course. Studies have shown their eyes like ours divert to one side of the human face. Of course all this happens at a subconcious level and you are not aware of it just as we are not aware of picking a direction to circle in (except of course where is there is good reason to choose one direction over the other) or a foot to start off on.

 

[Core Imposter]

Most people are Right handed so they prefer to walk with their left hand to the lake and their right hand facing inland. The reasons for this are as follows:

(i) If a crocodile/shark decides to take a bite, you keep your best right hand.

(ii) If a bandit approaches you coming the other way, your sword
hand is free, while the lake protects your flank.

This is pretty much it, I remember a lot of stuff on this from 30 years ago when it was a hot topic. Most of us are right handed and whenever we are patroling our territory we keep our spear hand outward. Its genetic hardwiring like a lot of herding behavior you can see in dogs even though they haven't herded in generations.

 

[squall78]

this applies to grocery stores as well. something to do with our traffic patterns.

....except for albertsons.

 

[Skwink]

This is way late, but felt I had to add my commment to this discussion should anyone ever come here again.
So, you only made one choice and that choice was to turn left and from that point on your course was set and you would be veering to the right. The point is when you had to make a choice you went left. Had you been walking a random path and not around a natural object and consistently made the left choice you would have gone ......... counter-clockwise. Had you thought about which way you wanted to go around the park or simply though 'which way do I turn here'?

Some time back I started doing a 6 km (almost 4 miles) run from home. Knew basically where I was going to go, but not the direction. When I reached the end of my street, I suppose I had to choose and I went counter-clockwise which involved a right hand turn at the start but as I made the decision I think I was looking at the whole route in my head not just this first turn. Never thought about it at the time but it is strange. Have noticed I also run ovals counterclockwise. BTW we drive on the left side of the road over here too (Australia) - so you can forget about that having any bearing.
I have since reveserd the direction of that run (i.e. clockwise now), but only because I found doing the hills (7 of them) hard going at the end, so now I do them first and finish off with a cruisy 2 km down hill grade. BUT - Now I'm always dodging runners and walkers going the other way. Seems everyone goes counter-clockwise naturally.

I'd say it's neurological. Do you know that when you look at someones face you concentrate on one side of their face more than the other? I can't remember which side, but it's because one side is more expressive than the other and hence it is easier to read emotions and intent on that side. Other animals don't do this with each other but one animal does do it with people - but not with others of its own kind. So which animal is adapted to read human emotions - the dog of course. Studies have shown their eyes like ours divert to one side of the human face. Of course all this happens at a subconcious level and you are not aware of it just as we are not aware of picking a direction to circle in (except of course where is there is good reason to choose one direction over the other) or a foot to start off on.

Ok, I have many things to ay about this post.

1) You bumped a 6 year old thread.

2) You made a very long post replying to a thread from 6 years ago.

3) Your first post on this forum was a very long replay to a 6 year old thread.

4) You've made one of the stranger entrances to OT that I've seen.

 

[Hygro]

On almost every track I see people run clockwise, but now that you mention it the direction in a circuit people run really does seem to be consistent.

Also, how did Gainy ever turn into a guest account? (That would partially explain why I never see his posts anymore...)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I thought Bozo returned.

I am disappointed.

I expect immediate resignations.

 

[bathsheba666]

When people file resignations, no prizes for guessing how they will approach the collection point.

In our local park, notable for a number of recent incidents of rutting stags chasing people, knocking them to the ground, and trying to gore them, there is a rather large pond. Here I am rarely troubled by perverts moving in the wrong direction.

However, perhaps some did.
And, perhaps the stags noticed.