People

People. We are them, we live with them, we work with them, we make friends and lovers with them, they are unavoidable. They are also totally annoying, especially when they are outside, in shopping centres, bars, cafes or even just the park or seaside.

Walking along the pavement, in the shopping centre or in the park, people seem as though they are always in a rush to be somewhere else. Often other people get too close, there have been times when someone has almost taken one of my shoes off with their feet, they are that close behind, even when the place is not busy, with space all around. If I have to stop suddenly to avoid other people then they will walk into the back of me.

Stopping suddenly is also a big issue. Trying to keep clear and give other people space doesn’t always work. They stop suddenly for no apparent reason. Occasionally there is a legitimate reason for stopping, but not always. This could be because their phone has started to ring and nothing else matters, especially any other people nearby. If someone sees another person they know, they will stop suddenly to say hello. As well as this people will stop quickly in order to check their bags or to get something out. In addition they might see something in a shop window, stopping quickly and then changing direction, regardless of who is around them.

This changing direction is amazing to watch. One person causing a whole load of chaos as the people around them take cover. These in turn getting in the way of the people around them. The person who caused it continuing to walk on, totally oblivious to the chaos they have caused.

There are those people who always seem to be in a rush and feel the need to push past others, or even knock them out of the way. They don’t take into account the other person; their age, needs or mobility. The only thing that matters is that they can pass and get on with what they want to do and where they want to be.

People problems are not only with movement, some seem to think that they need to be heard more than anyone else. How often have you been in a bar, restaurant, cafe, or even just walking down the street, and all that can be heard is the voice of one person? The people with them can’t get a word in. Even if they do, it seems as though they are not being listened to and even talked over. Conversations don’t happen.

As well as not letting other people talk, they think that their opinion is the only one. If someone gets the chance to speak, and their opinion is different, or they offer an alternative idea, they don’t want to know. Not always disagreeing, but pushing their ideas more, and the reasons why they are right.

The next time you are out and about, beware! People are out there!