[IrishElk] Walk on the Wild Side

[irishelk]

Wow, pretty new forum! Thanks, Admin!
My puzzles on the old forum were in Limbo, and I'm about to go $p0i1 them over there if anyone still cares. I'm starting fresh. =)
I feel like this one will go rather quickly.

There's a rule that I've never seen written down, but most people seem to know it. The rule is pointless when there are only a few people, useful when there are a moderate amount of people, and useless again when there's a massive crowd. What is it?

[Balin]

Is the rule a social rule, then?
Does the rule relate to crowds of pedestrians? Traffic jams?

[irishelk]

Balin

Is the rule a social rule, then? Yes.
Does the rule relate to crowds of pedestrians? Yes. Traffic jams? No.

[RedWine]

Does the rule relate to all crowds of pedestrians, wherever they would be? Or to crowds in a specific place?
Are escalators relevant? Is public transportation relevant?

[irishelk]

RedWine

Does the rule relate to all crowds of pedestrians, wherever they would be? No. Or to crowds in a specific place? Yesish.
Are escalators relevant? Yes! Is public transportation relevant? No.

[Doriana]

Standing on the right / walking on the left relevant?

[irishelk]

Doriana

Standing on the right / walking on the left relevant? I knew this would go quick. Well done.

*********************SPOILER
I find that almost everyone, at least in my area, knows that when you are on an escalator, one side is for standing, the other is for walking. Our city also does stand on the right/walk on the left...I'd be curious to know if anywhere did the reverse...

But if there's few people, it doesn't matter because everyone pretty much has the escalator to themselves, and if there's a massive crowd, it doesn't matter because no one's moving anyway.

[Doriana]

Nice one.
I've actually seen that rule written down somewhere, I think it was on the London Underground. And although they drive on the left handside in the UK, it's still stand on the right / walk on the left on their escalators

[irishelk]

Isn't that interesting? I wonder why. I find that Americans also tend to walk down streets and hallways like we drive--on the right side, pass on the left. Same for left-side drivers?