It should be simple. This is North America. We do not follow English custom on roads, sidewalks or stairs. We stay to the right when moving slower than those around us. Passing is on the left.
Well, most of the time anyway. There are those who simply can’t take their eyes off of their phone screen. Not to look around, not to avoid others, not to be polite, and most certainly not to let anyone pass since it might interfere with that all important kitty video.
Really? These are people who might never read a book, journal, or newspaper, but they put themselves and everyone around them at risk. You see the same thing all the time in crosswalks, on sidewalks, and occasionally even in bicycle riders. I have seen drivers looking at their phone rather than the road in front of them. Perhaps the only group that I have not seen paying more attention to reading their phones are motorcyclists. That might be just that the number of motorcyclists is minuscule compared to drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists (I almost wrote bivalves which might, in an absurd way, make a modicum of sense.
Back to situational awareness. I am not sure whether or not I am reacting to years of spending time in foreign locations that were not always safe, being concerned because of my age, or just irritated by the rudeness exhibited by those who don’t seem to care a whit about those around them. It wouldn’t hurt any of these individuals to tuck phones away, look at their surroundings, perhaps even see people as something other than objects interfering with their right to take up however much space might be needed in order to look at their phone screens.
The only person I have EVER seen distracted on a motorbike (and I’m around plenty quite a bit) was a girl riding a moped on the highway and turning into my neighborhood. Literally holding the damned phone in her hand and looking down on it while making a turn into MY lane because she was too distracted to bother to stay in hers. If I had been closer, she could have run right into me. If she had been turning onto the highway or a busier, faster street she could have died. Having ridden on a moped in SoFla and a motorcycle here (and neighboring states) I have to say that if you’re messing with your phone while on two wheels, that’s Darwinism in action right there. 90% of cage drivers DO NOT RESPECT motorbikes. You HAVE to be on your A game.
The scariest experience in a while was a dude in a semi going ten under the limit and halfway in my lane. I beeped and held the beep and it didn’t even register with the guy. The truck behind me ALSO beeped and luckily when he held on both of our horns (and his was WAY loud) startled the jackass who held up his hand – PHONE IN GRASP – in apology. I’m so glad Georgia made it illegal to use phone while driving, but I gotta say… doesn’t seem to be making a damn bit of difference.