Are You a with or Against Person?

Updated on October 07, 2011
C.O. asks from Reston, VA
30 answers

I bet you think this is a political post - it's not.

When we walk our dog in the evenings after dinner, I am teaching my boys to walk AGAINST traffic so they can see what's coming instead of having to look behind them...

Reston is SUPPOSED to be a walking community but we do not have sidewalks on some of our streets - go figure!

So do you teach your kids to walk with traffic or against it?

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So What Happened?

I wasn't talking about RIDING A BIKE - I was talking about WALKING....I see people walking both ways...

I do know that a bicycle is considered a vehicle (non motorized) and must go with the flow of traffic.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

The law is to walk AGAINST traffic. And bike WITH traffic.
It's really not a personal decision, right?

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C.T.

answers from Dallas on

Against. I think people are only mentioning the biking because it goes along with the walking rule. No need to get worked up.

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Walk against so you can see what's coming and get out of the way.
Bike with so you are moving with traffic.

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H.V.

answers from Cleveland on

Always Against.
That was how I was raised. I was also taught to always walk with Mom on the street side of the sidewalk and the kid on the inside.
I'm not sure if it is an law everywhere.

I was taught to walk against traffic and always pay attention to my surroundings. Actually saved my life (literally) listening to that.

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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

Yes, lol, I did think it was political. :P
Dunno the "law" but yes, we ride with traffic, walk against (unless on the sidewalk, which of course we do try to stay on).

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

You walk against traffic. You ride with it.

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✿.*.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have always felt more comfortable walking against it, UNTIL a bicycle slammed into the front of my car as I was approaching a stop sign! It scared the living daylight right out of me. The guy was on the wrong side of the street and I was approaching a 4 way stop that had a wall all the way to the street, so I didn't see him at all! Thank god I wasn't really moving or he would have sustained serious to fatal injuries. He was taken away in an ambulance as I stood there talking to police, etc. And they said IT WAS HIS FAULT for being on the wrong side of the street, and then he didn't stop to yield. He ended up trying to sue me and my insurance company investigated and didn't give him anything, because he was legally at fault. Soooo, my tune has changed a lot...we now walk with traffic, so THEY have a better view of us (at stops).

ETA: I mention the biking rule because it is much easier to see someone if they're going with traffic. We live near the beach and people do whatever the heck they want including walking/riding bikes in front of your car while you're moving...so maybe it's my environment and busy/narrow streets...?

4 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Once you leave our subdivision there are sidewalks so I never really thought about it. In the subdivision there is only a small stretch that doesn't have sidewalks and maybe 10 cars go down that a day. If there were traffic dangers I would have the walk against traffic.

Not sure why people are mentioning biking, though around here they do forget they are considered a vehicle just like a car. I swear I want to open my door and cream them when they fly through a red light after it took me three miles to pass them the first time. :(

3 moms found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

I have always been taught to also walk against traffic because like you said you can see what is coming. When I was growing up, we lived in a place where it was country ish and the roads had lots of hills and turns and sometimes the drivers couldnt see us walking so my Momma always said to walk against it so your more visible.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I was taught, and taught my children, to walk against the traffic. But I see folks doing both, too. I'd rather see the cars coming in front of me than just hear them behind me.

And THANK YOU for not having this be a political post! ;^D

3 moms found this helpful

R.A.

answers from Providence on

Against, always. We have hardly any sidewalks on our streets, if they are, they are old and busted. Better safe then sorry.

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

The law is pedestrians walk against traffic...

...and yeah, bikes ride with the traffic, because it's considered a vehicle.

The only exception that I teach my kids, is if there's a blind driveway or a blind curve/road intersection, choose the safest path to cross, even if it means walking on the 'wrong' side of the road.

We don't have sidewalks either, but our neighbors don't care if we cut across their yards ;) I love walking!!

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Against. The way my grandfather taught me.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

If you mean facing traffic, I guess that's against. As a pedestrian, you're supposed to face oncoming traffic because that's the side closest to you that is likely to hit you. Face away from cars on the other side because they're supposed to be a lane away. Sidewalks, IMO, can be facing or not.

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S.K.

answers from Dallas on

Darn! I thought it was a political question!! Hee hee. :)

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S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I know here in indiana you are suppose to walk against it (and ride with it, biking)

2 moms found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Redding on

Against, like it's supposed to be.
There was a fatal accident in my area last year. A girl was walking with the traffic and a pickup with extended side mirrors hit her in the head and killed her. If she would have been on the correct side of the street it wouldnt have happened. I hate it when pedestrians are walking on the right shoulder.

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T.H.

answers from Norfolk on

it's the law to walk against it and to bike with it. i go with the law unless it's unsafe to do so on a certain part of a road or if there is a sidewalk it doesnt matter as much.

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J.W.

answers from Washington DC on

I came hopping on here to see...and I'm so relieved to see that everyone is not an idiot! LOL

Walk against; ride with. And on trails and sidewalks--stay to the right; pass on the left! Sorry, had to add that one in after a yelling match with some morons walking against trail "traffic" and forcing me and my jogger into oncoming "traffic." SO FREAKING ANNOYING! Yes, you beatch, I am the trail police! ;-)

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

Unless there is a sidewalk, we walk against traffic.

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Walk against, bike with.

Throw in roller blades and/or skate board - what should THEY do?

2 moms found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

We walk on the sidewalk in our neighborhood, and that changes sides. sometimes there is no sidewalk and just a wider shoulder, and then we walk against traffic both ways :).

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✩.!.

answers from Los Angeles on

Against... I want to see if I need to "jump" out of the way! And I always put my kids on the inside (furthest from traffic)

2 moms found this helpful

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Against if there is no sidewalk, however, with a sidewalk I tend to use the same side of the street when walking both to and fro. Does that make sense?

1 mom found this helpful

★.O.

answers from Tampa on

I also walk against traffic and ride my bike against traffic for the same reason. Easier to see what it coming your way than for it to hit you while it's on its way.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

We live on a one way street so depends on what way you are headed. However, if my kids see a suspicious vehicle or think the person is watching out for anyone, I tell them to go against traffic--even if it means they run around the block unless they are near our home or a trusted neighbor/friend. Plus we have parkways that are as wide or wider then the sidewalk. If we lived in one of the suburbs that have little or no sidewalk, it would definitely be against traffic. Hate the idea of someone coming up behind me.

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R.M.

answers from San Francisco on

I think against is better, because you can see what's coming and get out of the way.

1 mom found this helpful

C.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Against! otherwise they might be totally unaware and step into traffic.

I like the post from California. I wish we ticketed Bikes here in Baltimore City. They are on the sidewalks ready to mow pedestrians, wrong way on one way streets, running red lights, with no shame.

It must be against the law here too.

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S.L.

answers from San Diego on

Against.

You did ask only about walking, right? Not sure where the bike thing is coming from. I do know here in Southern California, you will get a ticket for riding your bike against traffic or on the sidewalk. As a driver it would scare the living bejesus out of me to see a bicyclist riding TOWARDS me on MY side of the lane. Good way to get yourself killed.

Taught my boys to WALK against traffic.

1 mom found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

The law in MI states you must go WITH the flow of traffic... [yes even walking] I don't like that idea. I prefer seeing what is coming at me and MAY swerve because of a text, phone call, DUI, ADD moment... Whatever.

1 mom found this helpful
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