Dear Diary,
As a lifelong pedestrian, I've been very puzzled by something I've observed hiking as much as I have this past year.
I've made it a point to walk on the right about as far back as I can remember. (But of course, dear Diary, you know well how inadequate my memory is.) Normally I've found this a reasonably safe proposition. But since this pandemic got going, more and more people have insisted on walking to the left, specifically to my left at that. It's gotten to the point that I worry one of these people will succumb to road rage and attack me for my obdurate right-side walking.
At first I encountered this mostly in situations where the street was on my right and these people's left, so it was easiest to see this as a rational response to the occasional need to go into the street to maintain social distancing. But I don't think it was ever entirely that way, and I was recently really, though thankfully not literally, struck by a guy who clearly would have pushed me out of the way if I hadn't allowed him to continue walking within an inch of a building to my right and his left.
I think we can rule out one obvious explanation. In normal times one could imagine Seattle overrun by people accustomed to walking on the left in their home countries. But during the pandemic Seattle hasn't been overrun by anyone.
Another obvious explanation is too weird to believe of rational Seattleites, except that, well, these are weird times. Maybe these people think there's some prophylactic effect from switching sides of the sidewalk. Like the old advice to turn clothing inside out so demons couldn't see you. Maybe these people figure the virus has Americans pegged as right-side walkers, and won't notice them if they walk on the left.
Anyway, whatever the reason, I really hope these people get over this before pedestrian traffic in this city returns to normal, or there will be a boom in pedestrian collisions, and maybe even some murders.
What an unpleasant thought. Oh, well. Tomorrow, dear Diary, southern Ballard.
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