Thursday, March 08, 2012

Moving through crowds




The seasoned commuter is most likely a pro at it and with 57,000 people weaving through London's most crowded concourse at Waterloo station every rush hour, that's hardly a surprise.
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But navigating your way through throngs of people doesn't have to leave you sweating and wanting to punch the dawdling pedestrian in front of you.
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There's no need to get stuck behind a slow walker – but there are now hundreds of Facebook groups (often with violent solutions) dedicated to this urban problem. 
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Simply put your eyes on the problem and take a second to allow your brain to process the patterns in the movements and speeds of people in front of you.
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Remember the tactics that you'll need to walk through a fast-moving railway station won't be the same as those for a packed concert or busy market.
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For moving crowds, walk deliberately and with intent. 
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Where possible, make a conscious decision to look directly up at the point you are trying to reach. 
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This way members of the crowd can see where you're going and move accordingly.
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If the crowd is very heavy look down at the floor several metres ahead to carefully place your feet and hold your arm in front of your chest as a "human indicator" of your end destination.
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For fixed crowds you need to be more patient; people who can feel a constant (but not aggressive) pressure will often step aside, while a gentle tap on the shoulder will often create the space you need. 
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Be prepared to weave through groups. 
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Stand straight, square your shoulders and set your elbows at a defensive angle.
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In both situations you should evade rather than invade by changing direction to slip behind people rather than cutting in front of them.

1 comment:

Alexandra said...

This is really useful, as even in Freiburg people get unnerved including me and am always attempting to keep cool. Thank you :D