Odd observation

[karohemd]

Traffic in this country happens on the left hand side. Not only on the roads but also people walking around outside or in the office will keep to that (which often creates confusion in international offices like ours as non-British people will try and avoid other people by stepping to the other/same side).

The one situation where this doesn't seem to apply is stairs. Why is that? Good recent example: When I left Midsummer Common on Saturday, there was a neat line of poeple going up on the right hand side of the stairs to Victoria Bridge and down on the left (as seen from the Common).
The only explanation I can think of is that the majority of people is right-handed so would want to hold on to the railing with their right hands.

ETA: It turns out the French are to blame. Again. *giggles*

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I think you have the explanation there. Even when there are keep left signs on stairs, this tends to happen.

[claire-smith.livejournal.com]

It's a London Underground thing as well. On the escalators, you stand on the right so that people in a hurry can rush down (or up) the left hand side. Very confusing.

[morgenstern23.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that too, and came to the same conclusion.

[eggwhite.livejournal.com]

Just to confuse things further, technically if you're walking along a road you're supposed to walk on the right, not the left. So you're facing oncoming traffic and get to see things before they mow you down rather than as they drive away.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Correct etiquette on staircases is to let the person coming down hold onto the rail.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

That's not that confusing, you have the same rule (walking on the same side as oncoming traffic) in Germany.

I actually had a discussion about this with a few people some time ago and there were very heated arguments about where you should walk. Thanks for clarifying this.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Aha, so my theory was correct, it just lacked a specific reason.

Theroretically, it depends on the handedness of the people coming down the stairs where you should go, as there's usually a rail on both sides. I guess because this would lead to chaos, the majority wins.

[navigatorsghost.livejournal.com]

I hadn't noticed what you're talking about, but now you say it... yes.

Though this does remind me of my own minor conundrum about stairs. Some people are superstitious about being "crossed" on the stairs, ie, passed by someone else going in the other direction, and are afraid it's unlucky. How in the world do those people cope in public buildings, underground stations, etc?

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

It's even more confusing if you're used to London and go to Singapore, where escalators on the underground have signs telling you to stand on the left. (Singapore also drives on the left.)

[belak-krin.livejournal.com]

makes sense to me

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

Blame Napoleon.

The theory used to be that if you were attacked, you could defend yourself with your right hand.

Then Bonaparte came along and said "hang on, surely if your attacker has his crap sword arm out, he won't be able to attack you in the first place," and changed France, Italy and Prussia.

Britain, sniffy about doing something French, refused to change.

[eryx-uk.livejournal.com]

Ah, interesting. I'd never heard that before.

[eryx-uk.livejournal.com]

It goes back further than that, but for the same reason.

Same thing applies with eating with a knife and fork. The only reason our ancestors had a knife at the dinner table is in case someone attacked them, they could defend themselves.

[jonnyargles.livejournal.com]

In fact, Pope Boniface made it Teh Law in 1300 that all travellers should keep left.

I'm still getting Napoleon for the big change, though.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_021b.html

[eryx-uk.livejournal.com]

Aye, Napolean condified it.

[professoryaffle.livejournal.com]

I believe the only exception to this is blind corners where the way the corner turns generally determines which side to be on inorder to be seen best

[dreamsewing.livejournal.com]

And furthering that, men ought walk on the far right/curbside, woman on the left arm so his right is free to reach weapon, but also to keep women from being run over by runaway carriages.

[nevla.livejournal.com]

Bloody French ;)

[fithefaerie.livejournal.com]

whereas i have it all backwards cos im left handed. and i cause problems for folk when i go up or down stairs :D it can be fun tho

Its Underground Training

[gopher-that.livejournal.com]

The stairs probably stems from escalaotrs. On the escalators on the London Underground its an Underground policy to encourage people to stand on one side, so others can walk up/down the other side. In the North they don't have the escaltor training and stand both sides blocking the way for those of us who walk up/down escaltors. I pointed this out once to someone who felt I was barging past, he gave a dumfounded look when (having grown up on the London Underground) I said "you stand on one side walk on the other, suppose I was an PG7 police officer moving at speed to an incident with a H&K, then you would be barged out of the way and not just walked around". I thought he was being rude by standing on the wrong side, he thought I was being rude by walking up it (normally I would run but their were too many people.

It is even all more important in these days that people stand on ONE SIDE only on escalators.