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Ok so I know this is a first world comment but I see people walking on the street when there is a perfectly good clear sidewalk or walking path available. My concern is safety as they are in the roadway and pose a hazard for drivers.  
 
Why do they do it???

I live on a street with a walking path but a lot walk on the edge of the street and not using the path?

Excellent question. Have wondered myself. At the old place there was a person that marched right down the middle of the street like they were leading a parade. Year round, sidewalks on both sides.

I would agree with you except:  
1. Sidewalks dry. No ice and this happens all year round.  
2. Sidewalks in good condition. The walking path was just put in this past summer.  
3. The person is either walking alone or side by side with another person. No social distancing going on there.

I think some of them are slightly arrogant about it like purposely hogging the road.  
 
If a cyclist can ride on the side walk and a pedestrian can walk on the road can a car drive on a walking path?  
 
If we all use what’s most convenient and not fallow the rules set in place. Where will that get us.

"If a cyclist can ride on the sidewalk and a pedestrian can walk on the road can a car drive on a walking path?"  
 
LOVE IT!

We DO park on the driveway and drive on the parkway sooo.... why not?

I walk a fair bit, mainly in the East End of Brandon.  
 
1) There are some sidewalks which have ice on them, mainly from people who never shoveled the sidewalk in front of their house. There's also a few intersections of where its a bit icy.  
 
2) The walking path on 1st st is in bad shape, mainly back from the last flood. Its walkable but cycling on it isn't fun. There's a spot on the walking path along 34th st near the CN tracks I recall is bad. A few sidewalks should be replaced all over.  
 
3) When I have somebody walking coming towards me, I go as far over off the sidewalk or if its, get on the street. If I am about to 'pass' somebody who is in front of me, I go as far as I can off the sidewalk as I can in order to keep 'social distance'.  
 
4) Not all streets have sidewalks beside them. Van Horne Ave. near ACC is one of those streets. Usually there's not much traffic there and what's there, drivers are courteous and drive on the other side of the street if its safe to do.

But these are people walking in areas where sidewalks and walking paths are in excellent shape. They are all dry. There is no ice on them at all. Some people are still using the road to walk on. A lot of them are not even walking safely. They have their backs to traffic. Vehicles have to slow down and go around them.  
This is what I find frustrating and am very curious about why they feel it is ok to do this.

Downtown street walkers are my favourite. They walk across and on the street when and where ever they please like they own the place.

I walk and run regularly and here are my reasons for using the street, as opposed to residential sidewalks:  
1. Ice - I don’t want to fall.  
2. People have obnoxiously loud, barking dogs in their backyards that actually sound like they’re going to jump the fence and are distracting to my own dog...and again, if he pulls or jerks in any direction, I don’t want to fall.  
3. Blvd trees are a distraction to my dog and when we’re running, I’m not stopping at every nicely spaced tree.  
4. The streets don’t have heaved cracks and less chance of me tripping.  
5. Vehicles parked across the sidewalk, even though they shouldn’t be.  
6. City chews up half the sidewalk during the late summer months and then replaces it with loose dirt and gravel. No thank you.  
As much as I use the sidewalks and paths, there are just some neighborhoods in town where it’s easier to be on the edge of the road. Period.

Code Red Covid.  
 
Being sarcastic.

As I've said earlier in this thread the people I'm referring to are walking in an area where sidewalks are in excellent condition, walking path is newly put down this past summer. When I walk I stay on the sidewalk/walking path and I also skirt icy sections, crumbling/heaving sections in other parts of the city by walking with care around them. This may cause me to step onto the road briefly. But I do not walk for any length of time on the road/street. There are people who are either not thinking about their choice to stay on the road or they have a sense of entitlement that empowers them to walk where they want with no regard for anyone else. If I come across a section where I am uncomfortable walking such as a barking dog I fear may jump the fence, then I avoid the area. There are many places to walk or run safely and stay off the road.  
Except for brief stints on the road to skirt around the obstacle all pedestrians should be off the road. I have even encountered groups of teenagers walking down the middle of the street, blocking the entire road and then yelling and flipping the driver off because they are trying to get by them safely.  
The comment "can't we all just get along" is a loaded comment because it depends on the perspective of the person saying it. If you mean 'can't we all get along' by letting me just do what I want then no we can't. Because doing what you want with no regard for the impact your actions have on others is selfish. On the other hand, Can't we all just get along' by trying to adhere to the rules in place as best you can, walk/run where you are intended to walk/run, be courteous to each other, work together and then Yes we can all get along much better.

I think there should be a law that if persons that ride their bikes and electric scooters on the sidewalks should have to have a ringer bell on them. Some kind of warning they are coming up behind you.I have come close to being hit too many times to count  
 
Edited by rollinstone, 2020-12-05 09:23:24

That would be the considerate thing to do. Sadly it would have to be a rule of law for people to do it. Hard to enforce though

people get so upset and sarcastic when their life is challenged. We do not live in a vacuum. There are a lot of people in this world and what one person does can affect others especially if their actions are not safe. That is why we have rules in place. People are basically selfish and self absorbed. Some people not so much while others live only for themselves not caring how they impact others. People walking/running on the street when they should be on the sidewalk or walking path, drivers not stopping at stop signs, speeding through school zones because they think the 30km/hr is stupid, suddenly changing lanes without signaling or shoulder checking, parking in handicapp parking spots when they are not handicapped, not wearing masks because they feel it infringes on their personal rights and the list goes on. this is how people get hurt or worse killed. And most people will always blame someone else for their poor decision.  
 
I asked a simple question trying to understand why someone choses to walk on the street when a perfectly good sidewalk and/or walking path is right beside them. In truth this question reflects how a lot of people walk around with blinders on, doing what they want with no regard for how their actions impact on others. then they are the ones who get angry when they are called on their poor decision.  
 
I guess what I really wanted to do with this post is to ask people to respect each other more. Take the blinders off and pay more attention to the people around you. Be more courteous.

I totally agree with original post, the other day I was driving down Aberdeen on my way to work at 6 am and almost hit a girl walking on the street. It looked like she was walking down there to keep distance from a friend who was on the sidewalk. My life would have been ruined if I hit her. I stopped to give her a scared look so she knew how close it was. She just smiled and shrugged. Not cool. There are sidewalks for a reason.

As a bigger guy who runs longer distances (5 plus miles) on a regular basis. I tend to run on the shoulder of the road as I really find the concrete of sidewalks very hard on my knees and hips, after a long period of time. I try to run somewhere where there is bike paths. But near my house where I start it’s only sidewalk. I try to be as careful as possible and tuck as close to the curb as possible. But still get the odd person giving me a dirty look.

I'm sorry that I walk on the street, but I find the pavement is somewhat easier on the arthritic hips and knees than the cement. I've often thought that they should use old rubber tires ,ground up as a sidewalk. Just my reason for doing it.

There are no sidewalks in all newer areas of city. People have gotten used to walking in street, just slow down. Be careful to save lives