By Shonda Lackey, Ph.D.

Have you ever been walking towards your destination when someone blocked your path? Maybe that person stopped right at the stair case as you were exiting the subway. Or, maybe that person stopped to take a picture right in the middle of a crowded street. Maybe there was a group of people walking side by side who took up all the space on a city street. If you found yourself giving mean stares, muttering under your breath, or speeding up and cutting off other pedestrians, you might have sidewalk rage.

Yes, sidewalk rage is really a phenomenon that has been studied and written about in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal. There’s even a Pedestrian Aggressiveness Syndrome Scale. According to Dr. Leon James’ scale, there are some signs that indicate you could have sidewalk rage:

• Passing a slower walking pedestrian in a hostile manner
• Thinking badly of other pedestrians
• Feeling stress and impatience
• Muttering
• Bumping into others
• Having thoughts of violence towards other pedestrians

In the article, researcher, Dr. Jerry Deffenbacher points out that “shoulds” are often at the root of anger. He states that this is the difference between people who become angry and experience rage and those who become frustrated, but not angry. He was reported as saying:

In contrast, someone blissfully free of sidewalk rage may still be frustrated, but thinks more accepting thoughts such as, “this is the way life is sometimes” or, “I wish that slow person wasn’t in front of me.

This theory of sidewalk rage is similar to the REBT theory of anger. It highlights the qualitative distinction between feelings such as anger and frustration.

The researchers in the WSJ article suggested that changing the way you think about the situation may be a better alternative to getting angry at fellow pedestrians. These techniques are consistent with the basic premise of REBT. So, the next time you feel yourself getting angry, try having a sense of humor, or consider that no one has perfect sidewalk etiquette all the time. With practice, you’ll be able to navigate the 34th and 42nd streets of the world without wanting to harm another pedestrian. Happy walking!