When walking with someone, shouldn't you always try to walk alongside?

Question

When walking with someone, shouldn't you always try to walk alongside and keep pace with the person you're walking with ? Match your speed to theirs? Isn't that good manners? What does it say when a person will walk faster than you, yet they always slow down to keep pace with everyone else. The person I'm talking about is always careful never to walk ahead of anyone else. They slow down and walk right alongside that person. When this person walks with me, I have to walk uncomfortable faster and faster and I end up talking to their back. I hate that. Do they think I'm lower social status or something?

Answer 1

It sounds like the person in question doesn't like you. If it were me, I would not walk with them any longer.

A general answer to your question is yes, almost always. If you are on a narrow trail in the wildreness, the largest person walks in front, in case of bears, and everyone else walks single-file. If you are on a crowded sidewalk, again, the largest person walks in front, and everyone follows single-file in his wake.

Side by side or single file, the pace should be set to be comfortable for the slowest person in the group.

Answer 2

It is not polite when walking for a person to go faster than is comfortable for the other people. Maybe you are walking with the wrong person , because if he /she always zooms ahead it does show lack of respect for you.