Barclay_80

I have a Spanish girlfriend for 10 years and have lived fully in Spain for 3 years now so consider myself quite immersed in the culture yet there is still one thing that I cannot get used to and still gets my back up about the Spanish, and that is pavement hogging.

Does it happen where you live or is it just Cataluyna? I am talking about the fact that on a pavement walking towards each other and the Spaniards will not yield an inch, literally walking through you or expecting you to dive out of THEIR way. As a polite English boy with manners I still can't forgive this ignorant behaviour. I have only just got used to not saying please and thank you in Spanish so much! But my partner assures me it is normal and acceptable in Spain.

The worst is when a whole group of friends or family take up a whole line in the path and still do not move even slightly aside to let you pass.

My only strategy now is to stop dead still in their path and let they walk around me.

Anyone else notice this about Spaniards or is it just me?

Apart from that, I love living and working in Spain!

Anyway, adios.

amideislas

Hee hee. Welcome to Spain.

I find the general feeling is that if I'm here, I'm here. It's your problem to walk (or drive) around me. It's not rudeness, it's simply a matter of whose space you're invading

But I also experience much the same in the UK, particularly in London.

I had some American visitors recently who immediately remarked that nobody "moves out of the way" here. Yes, it's true. It's not my problem that you've come walking (or driving) along. I'm standing here now. It's my space. Deal with it.

One other thing that I find amusing is that so many (most Europeans do this) will park their shopping cart in the middle of the aisle, forcing everyone to move around it. Often, blocking the aisle entirely, so others can't get around it, so passers by simply move the shopping cart off to the side, with occasionally the keeper of the shopping cart offering dirty looks.

I don't know, maybe I'm just a silly old goat, but I always try to find an out of the way place to rest my shopping cart. And I never stand in the middle of the street or sidewalk. But that's just me.

teuchterpete

No different here in the deep south Andalucians are just the same. The problem seems to be that the Spanish only think of themselves. I parked my car in a street in Cordoba. Returned half an hour later to find that a woman had parked her car alongside mine in the middle of the road completely blocking me in. When she returned I asked her why she had done it, she seemed completely taken aback that I should be upset. As she said " I needed to park my car!"
Pete

Rosemary

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Rosemary

Fredbargate

The best trick is to stand in the shop doorway so no one can get in or out and glare at anyone who would try to get passed you.

spainrico

Just the same in Alicante and pavement blocking whilst talking face to face or on phone. Also blocking with extendable dog leads! I am a member of a bilingue group and even the Spaniards admit their manners could do with improving.

cricketman

Spaniards are sociable animals. They expect you to talk to them and won´t be offended if you jokingly say something about them being in the way

Spanish people in general (we have to generalise!) are not afraid of saying - Here I am, deal with it!

It is part of the culture. I prefer it to be honest. We British people are pretty hypocritical, saying sorry while silently judging the other person for their bad behaviour!

Rosemary

I agree with Cricketman, I have in the past jokingly moved my arms similar to doing breaststroke to indicate that I needed to continue on my way and they have laughed and parted for me. Also make sure that you gain eye contact and say hello to them, personalising the situation is all part of the charm of living here.

One thing that I am very uncomfortable with is that due to the smoking rules the bars have people standing outside the window smoking and talking and on narrow pavements this means that other people have to walk into the road or push their way through the smokers breathing in their smoke.

Rosemary

spainrico

Yes I agree smokers are a nuisance for pedestrians. Also people biking on the pavements - mind you that happens in the UK as well.

Lorna at Vicenza

Ha ha. Grinning to myself reading this thread because Italians are exactly the same. When my kids were little people wouldn't even move for my baby in a pushchair expecting me to push her into the road. People don't ever look behind them when they enter somewhere to see if they might be slamming a door into someone's face. Shopkeepers slam your change down on the counter even though your hand might be out or your purse open so they can just drop it in .... and then you have to scrabble around trying to pick up coins. Until a lot of places got numbered ticket systems, people were always pushing in and queue hopping. I still hold doors open for people but now, if they don't thank me I very loudly say PREGO.      

Keith1963

Ha Ha, I like that. I held a door open for an elderly gent the other day, instead of walking in to the bank he held the door as well. So the two of us stood there laughing whilst holding the same door. Then security got involved.

Im glad it wasn't raining.

amideislas

I agree with both CMan and Rosemary. It's not rudeness. It's cultural, and most Spanish I know are very social creatures who like a smile and a friendly greeting. That's all. It's those who get all flummoxed that they don't tolerate well.

Having said that, one of my pet peeves is people parking streetside on the right and opening their driver side door without even looking if anyone is coming from behind, forcing cars to swerve out of the way, or slam on the brakes if they can't swerve into the next lane, to avoid taking their door off. That really gets my goat. I always look in the side mirror before I open the door. Always.

There is a devil on one shoulder that encourages me to go ahead and remove their door for them. Of course I'd never do that, but it has crossed my mind.

And yes, standing in the doorway of of busy supermarket, talking on their phone while everyone is bumping into them getting in and out of the door. Well, to me it seems common sense to not stand in the doorway, but to each his own.

Smoking outside the door? Ever been to Paris? You'd think every building was burning down.

spainrico

Agreed, not rudeness just their different culture and less awareness of other people which I think is greater (typically) with Brits because we are (or were) a lot of people living on a small island and are more spatially aware.

amideislas

I'm not sure if that explains it. The Germans are mega-cramped and exhibit less "spatial awareness" than the Spanish. "Elbow Mentality" is the term often used to describe certain German behaviours.

And in their case, it's also not rudeness, it's because they grow up learning that if you need to do something, you just have to just push everyone aside. And most Germans won't take offence when "pushed aside". They also tend to be pretty direct without the facade of "politeness", which leads to the "rudeness" stereotype, which most Germans can't quite understand. They are just speaking their mind.

No, I think it's just British culture. We are after all, famously polite, and hide our true feelings beneath a guise of politeness. I believe our famously dry sense of humour is an outcrop of that.

scrubbedexpat095

Oh No it's not just you :-) God this is soooooo true and like you I've now got to the point I just stop dead and let them walk around me.

I've been here in Madrid for 20+ years and nothing has ever changed on this theme