If, like me, you are often on-foot, in a hurry (in my case because time and I are not friends) and you live in a highly-populated area, you will regularly find yourself facing a thick stream of similarly-hurried people coming at you. This can make the journey from Point A to Point B seem like it takes a route through F, U, C and K.

Oncoming pedestrian crowds can often result in a number of collisions, shoulder glances and even the dreaded Failed Evasion Dance (you know the one, you both try to evade each other in the same direction 3 or 4 times until you both laugh uncomfortably, then start dancing again).

When I am truly in a hurry and have no time to dance, collide or slow down very much, I have found the most effective method for avoiding all of this palaver is simple: do not make eye contact. In fact do not even look at people’s faces, instead, as people get closer, keep your eyes at leg-level and focus your gaze at the gaps you see in the oncoming crowd.

Humans are instinctive creatures and if they recognise that something coming toward them is not looking at them, they will instinctively take it upon themselves to evade. People can also see where you are looking and instinctively assume that’s where you’re going. The crowd will open up before you.

I should advise, though that this technique really works best if you’re the only one doing it. I mean if everyone was just looking at gaps, collisions would probably increase. But hey – they might be nice and you two can live happily ever after.

Happy hurrying!

— IEK