"DO NOT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A WALKWAY"

Dear god in heaven !!! The is the most irritating thing from my recent trip to Europe. On countless occasions, on very crowded streets, sidewalks, and corridors, people would just stop without moving to the side. With absolutely no reagrd for the hoards of people behind them. WAKE UP !!! HELLO !!!. I cant tell you how many times I said " Please dont stop in the middle of a walk way."

So please everyone, let me know how to say this phrase in all languages so I can tell these brain dead people to get the heck out of the way. !!!!

Dear Janda,

May I suggest that it's easier to just walk around them?

Italian: LASCIARE LIBERO IL PASSO (this is the usual form that people write on garage doors in Italy).
Romanian: LASATI LIBERA INTRAREA or
LASATI LIBER PASAJUL

...or another italian version (more literal):
NON FERMARSI IN MEZZO AL PASSAGGIO

...and another romanian version (more literal):
NU VA OPRITI IN MIJLOCUL PASAJULUI

Dear Janda,

If the people blocking the path are tourists, it won't help to learn the local language.

If the people blocking the path are locals, then you may assume that that is part of the local culture and it would be impolite to ask them to move.

I found that Excuse me always works.

It seems to me that people do that everywhere.

Yes people do it everywhere and I love nothing more than to bump into them pretty hard, mumble an apology and make a comment about stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

Of course I don't do it to frail looking little old ladies. My Mom reared me better than that.

Hello! Janda, it's the same here in Boston, with the bewbies and tourists, If you are rushing to a dental appointment, between the gappers and the rude people who use cell phones on the street, can set you back alot of time. What's with cell phone users that they need to not look where they are walking and, into, or WHY they are so loud.

Face it--all around the world there are just a lot of people who don't care about anyone else. They are the center of the universe and everyone must adjust to their immediate desires--so they stop in the middle of walkways; push in front of lines; run red lights; try to carry a ton of crap inot aircraft passenger compartments; etc.; etc.; etc.

Janda, just say aloud : Pardon, Excuse me, Mi Scusi and keep walking by..

The good news is that distracted tourists delaying your passage by five or ten seconds was the most irritating thing from your recent trip to Europe. Now, please get back to that great trip report you promised to finish.

Say "PARDON", and jab the offenders in the ribs. This works in a variety of situations, here in the US, as well.

I tried saying all the polite things and walking around them, but after awhile I just got mad and wanted to shake them !!!

DH and I had guests from out of town, including one ten-year-old who seems permanently unable to keep his shoes tied. (intentional rebellion, very possibly)

At one point, we all stopped suddenly because his father told him to TIE YOUR SHOES!

A local person of indeterminate gender was thus inconvenienced and cursed us all completely and profanely. Normally, I would have been extremely apologetic, but he/she was the recipient of one of my favorite replies when met with proud unpleasantness: "Have a nice day!" (dripping in sarcasm, of course)

JandaO, I've been frustrated by those folks before too, but now that I've recently been one of those folks I may cut more slack in future.

But "Excuse me" would probably work best and be most easily understood.

It might help if you stopped thinking you owned the place.

if the walkways are as crowded as you describe, how would one move to the side?

i can imagine your distress that these inconsiderates caused you to arrive late at the Van Gogh, miss your dinner reservation, or worse yet, your daily Spritz Aperol.

Thank you for saying what I was thinking, "uhhhh". If the people walking could move to the side -- meaning there is room to the side to move to, wouldn't it be just as easy for you to walk around them to the side?
Why have this people stopped? Is it because the sidewalk has become blocked and they suddenly can't move? Do they not have a right to do this? Or are you saying they are deliberately doing it to annoy you? If they stop because the sidewalk is so crowded (as you say) then I can't imagine where they are supposed to step aside to.

Yes, crowded sidewalks can be a problem. Do you have a solution??

alice13,

Oh please give break.
I dont own the world, but I do expect people top use their brains.

There is always an alley or door way to jump into in very crowded areas if needed. I can always find somewhere if I need to stop. Instead of in the middle of a walkway !!!!

This can be a dangerous problem when it happens at the top and bottom of an escalator. Here in DC, tourists (and numbskulls) will ride the Metro escalator to the top/bottom, and then just stand there trying to decide which way they need to go. Meanwhile, the escalator continues to discharge people right on top of them.

The Pentagon City Mall escalators are very quick, and will fling you off the end at 20 miles an hour. Heaven help you if the person in front of you can't get out of the way in time!