Pedestrian etiquette

Pedestrian etiquette is the general courtesy expected from those walking among other pedestrians. Pedestrian etiquette involves staying out of the way of fellow pedestrians and not hindering their ability to travel. Doing this prevents collisions that may potentially cause injury or damage to what you or the other person is carrying or to each other.

Some courtesies apply especially to crowded areas such as a large bustling city, or crowded halls. These are some general rules regarding such places.

Like drivers, pedestrians are expected to stay to the right while traversing a linear pathway. In countries where driving on the left of the road is the norm, however, it is the opposite, though in the UK there is no expectation whatsoever to stay on any particular side of the pavement. .

When the path is crowded, stopping suddenly, will instantly cause a jam in pedestrian traffic, as those immediately behind the stopped individual will need to stop as well. If stopping is necessary, one should move out of the way first.

When walking in a group, if you crowd every "lane" of the sidewalk or hallway, others will not be able to get through.

When walking very close to someone a pedestrian may be liable to step on their heels. This can cause either of the pedestrians to lose their footing and take serious injury.

Basically this means, preventing collisions. When not paying attention, like when talking on the phone, texting, or even reading a book you become much more likely to collide with a passerby. Collisions can be disastrous and lead to multiple injuries and costly damages.

Wandering pets begin to become a large problem in crowded pathways. They get in people’s way and their leashes may become obstacles themselves.

This is a general complaint of people setting things down in the middle of a pathway. When this happens, it bottlenecks the traffic attempting to steer around it.

A sidewalk or hallway is not a good place to hold a conversation. When this happens the way for others is clearly obstructed and people may attempt to push through the individuals standing in the path, possibly leading to serious collisions.

This is unsanitary. It is rude to do so on a walkway that is used by others. People may inadvertently walk into the discharge that was left behind (tracking it elsewhere).

When stepping out of a doorway or around a corner, you should check for oncoming pedestrians before stepping out. This will help to avoid a collision.

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Wikipedia