On What Side of the Sidewalk Do Parisians Walk?

Finally. A question we can scientifically answer. Conduct this scientific experiment using Google Earth (a free download). Fire up Google Earth, make sure the Street View layer is checked. "Fly to" Paris. Click on one of the camera icons (which are the Street Views), and you'll see there's sufficient resolution to see pedestrians and which side of the street they're walking on! Now, click on as many of the Street Views as you want, in different areas of Paris. You have to click on a large number to get what statisticians call a "representative sample" (or until you really get bored, whichever occurs first). What you want to do is: Count the pedestrians walking on the left versus the right side of the street. Keep a record, this is science. Then you will know which side of the street Parisians walk on. If a sufficiently large number of people post their results here, we'll be the world's leading experts on this question. I suggest you avoid clicking camera icons in known American tourist hot spots such as the rue Rick Steves...uh, I mean the rue Cler - because we're trying to observe the pedestrian behavior of locals, not of American tourists. And disregard those with camera slung around neck, wearing aloha shirts or white sneakers, and carrying little blue & yellow books (you can see the books on Google Earth) - because these are probably not locals and they don't know which side of the street to walk on. I quickly conducted the above experiment, but only for a few camera Street Views. My results were as follows: Parisians appear to walk on both sides of the street. You know what they say about Parisians, they're an undisciplined lot, and that's consistent with what I saw on Street View.

John, I've never noticed that about the sidewalks in Paris. I generally try to just "follow the crowd" and usually walk on the right as well. I'll be interested to see the comments on this topic. Maybe I've been walking on the "wrong" side so far? Cheers!

I haven't noticed any difference in the way people walk in Paris vs NYC or San Francisco.

This is easy. If on the rive droit (right bank) they walk on the right side. If on the rive gauche (left bank) they walk on the left side. On either bank, if they see you are a tourist, they walk right over you. (NOTE to mes amis francais - this was intended to be said in good humor. Feel free to bash back accordingly).

On a good day they walk on the side that does not have dog poop.

Paris doesn't have dog poop anymore. Not since the City bought the self-riding vacuum pooper scoopers. Well, ok, maybe you could still find a little poop. But not like the old days (sigh). The resolution of Google Earth's Street View is almost good enough to see the poop.

Only the Sinister walk on the left side...

Funny, we go almost every year and I've never noticed anything unusual about where Parisians walk.

Europeans, unlike the sheep-like behaviour in some other continents, walk where they want to. Me, I walk on the sunny side of the street, unless I'm hot in which case I walk on the shady side. Sometimes I walk on the side with the place I'm going to, or perhaps the side with the best window displays. Sometimes I walk on the side opposite my destination so I can see it better, then cross at the last minute. I've even sometimes walked back and forth on the same side, for various reasons. Europeans as a whole seem to to do the same, with British even more so than most. ...but at least we get out of our cars and walk, unlike some places where folk have been known to drive across the street...

They try to walk in the shade and also to avoid the fat, ugly Americans.

Yeah Americans and walking (or any other type of exercise) is w/o a doubt an anomaly. Not to take away from your initial question but I couldn't resist a chance to call America for what it has become. A self centered nation. Where money is the ultimate panacea. What a disgrace.

Sinister indeed. Actually, it's a carryover from the middle ages, just like driving on the left is in England, and has to do with being able to protect yourself better from oncoming adversaries. For example, it's a lot easier to shove any oncoming pedestrians out of the way with your right than your left (if you are right handed). Thus you'll find a preference of Parisians to walk on the left side of sidewalks, especially when they id you from a distance as a tourist .

Kent, your reply actually made me laugh out loud - at work. Thanks!

"Kent, your reply actually made me laugh out loud - at work. Thanks!" Debra: Thank you for letting me know. Better not encourage me. Smiles are good.
Laughs are even better!

People walk where ever they like, there is no rhyme or reason to it. Shade has a lot to do with where I walk in the summer. Winter days, I am walking in the sun. I think you are encountering people in "close encounters" in your walks because you aren't walking with a purpose. This happens in Germany too, many people think it is Germans being rude, you have to get out of their way or get run over. It is how they walk and has nothing to do with the side of the street, left or right. Now escalators are a different story. Unless you are in the UK, stay to the right.

Jo, In the UK, particularly out of London folk tend to stand on the right but somewhat anarchically. In London, especially in tube and railway stations, there are even signs that warn, "Stand Right, Walk Left", and if you don't you run a real risk of being bowled over.... EDIT: This is specifically about escalators not pavements (sidewalks)

In my opinion Jo has answered the question correctly. "I think you are encountering people in "close encounters" in your walks because you aren't walking with a purpose." This question about where people walk baffled me, but Jo has pointed out the difference between people walking to work, to a date somewhere, or shopping and someone lingering and enjoying the street scene. It would be the same in New York too. Thanks Jo for your logic.

Dax is absolutely right that in the Middle Ages folk lead their horses, or rode, holding the reins in their left and their swords in their right. It's the same reason that spiral staircases tend to spiral to the left so that your right hand is free when both descending and ascending. Old habits perhaps die hard.

The spiral staircases are built so right handed defenders have both the high ground and room to wield their swords. The attackers coming upstairs have to work uphill and can't freely swing their weapons. I've heard there is a castle in Ireland where the stairs spiral the other way because they were mostly left handed. Truth or hyperbole, who knows? The reason soldiers salute with their right hand goes back to that idea too. Saluting with your right hand shows you aren't holding a sword. They say that's why Britain drives on the left; two knights passing could see each others sword hands. Men are supposed to walk closer to the curb while the women walk away from the street. Why? In medieval times the upper floors usually extended slightly out above the street. Since the method for disposing of sewage was to dump a bucket out the window into the street, the man graciously took the risk of the unwanted shower from above. In DC, you definitely stand on the right side of the escalator and let people pass on the left. They have a name for people who stand on the left but I've forgotten it (it's kind of a sniglet). As for walking on the sidewalk, I'd go with shade in warm weather and sun in cooler weather, but avoiding dog poop is another good reason to choose your side wisely. :)

It's not terribly uncommon to come across a revers-spiral staircase, but I've only seen a couple (where unremembered) that appeared to be orginial. Most are in restorations or castle-like digs built after swords died out.

It's not terribly uncommon to come across a revers-spiral staircase, but I've only seen a couple (where unremembered) that appeared to be orginial. Most are in restorations or castle-like digs built after swords died out.

I seem to remember they walk in the middle and you just have to find a way around them because they never move to either side to let anyone pass.