Sidewalk Chicken

Remember that scene in the movie Footloose when they are playing "Chicken" with the tractors and at the end a few of the actors yell, "Yee-Haw"? Okay. Now, replace the tractors with designer handbags and sidewalks and replace the "yee-haws" with an air of bother.

I think you now have an appreciation for the game of chicken that I play when I go shopping. Why is it that I am always the one to step aside or move so that there is room for us all on the sidewalks outside the shops? I don't recall this being an issue when I lived in ND or Iowa because I always shopped in large malls with lots of room. Here, I can be found shopping at the shops that have beautiful window displays with very narrow sidewalks to view such windows. Yet, when I walk down the sidewalk with Tim at my side and we see another pair approaching us, we like to predict if we will move of if they will move. It is always up to me to play CHICKEN because Tim will always move aside...such a gentleman. He likes to say things like, "Doesn't look good" or "I think you are going to lose this one, Sara." And, he is usually right.

These women and MEN! Rarely step aside. I am not sure why. I know why I move. I move because it is polite. I move because it is awkward not to move. I move because there is not enough room for everyone to walk side by side...that would leave four across and there is not room. We counted how many people stood strong with this game of CHICKEN. TEN! Ten out of eleven did not move to the side. I give them plenty of time to step aside. When we are playing the game, I wait until the very last minute to move to give them plenty of opportunities to step aside.

Amazing.