What side do I walk on?
 

Because Australians drive on the left they seem to walk on the left, too. But with so many tourist in town, I noticed many people walking on the right. Three years ago, I was walking down the sidewalk (trying to remember to walk on the left) and a young Australian man said loudly, "This is Australia, we walk on the left here," to everyone on the sidewalk. Sometimes I feel like I'm dancing on the sidewalk as I move from left to right. Any comments?

The young Australian was a dud! Walk wherever you want to.,

Take a walk on the wild side ;)
Seriously, you should walk on the left but it isn't written in stone. I'm sorry someone was rude to you

Back in the early '70s when Brisbane was barely an overgrown country town, they had white lines painted down the middle of the sidewalks (called footpaths, of course) on some major inner-city streets. No kidding! It was explained to me, in all seriousness, that this was to avoid arguments (or worse), especially after 6PM when the majority of folks walking the sidewalks were under the influence due to the six-o-clock swill.

WK

Wow, can't believe this! The very same thing happened to me when I first went, I was walking down some path or sidealk and I got the same comment, and he wasn't polite about it either! Never realised it had happened to others, live and learn!

Hi there,

Painting a white line down the footpath is not a uniquely Australian thing. In the 70's here in Auckland we had a Mayor who pushed through the same thing. It was to increase flow on the footpath.

Ignored then and ignored now. But it is generally practiced here that you keep left on the footpath, though certainly not bay all.