Personal space please

[RaggedEdge]

I was in the Giant Eagle market district off 279 yesterday. Nice big store, and yet being Father's Day, lots of people. But at least three times I had people come up and get right behind or next to me without any respect to my personal space. Is this a south hills thing? Was it just coincidence? I was in a store and unfamiliar with the layout so maybe that's it.

I always try give a buffer of one forearm and hand (say 24"?) around me and others. At what point are you uncomfortable? Keep in mind, still got the self awareness of CC on the brain but even without I would have been annoyed.

[TonyF]

Sometimes controlling our environment is beyond our control.

[CHEMICAL]

It's a cultural thing and the most people I notice that do it are from the city or busier areas. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that they're just used to being all crammed together so it doesn't really dawn on them or what but I know what you mean. I have a guy at work that walks so close to me every time he comes in to sit down that he actually steps over my feet when there's literally 7 feet of space that he could walk in to get to his chair. Drives me nuts.

[Daycrawler]

I don't like strangers rubbing up on me either! Well unless she's hot
City people do tend to be unaware of personal space. However for the most part I try and keep a personal space around my self even if that requires moving away from the offender....

[BobFromBucks]

Spend some time in Hong Kong or Tokyo and Pittsburgh South Hills will feel like Nebraska.

[CenterTree]

My IDEAL personal space would be about 40 acres +

[Sgt.K]

With situational awarness firmly in place (or thinking back to my pre-carry-mentality days), my personal space requirement is *significantly* less than the U.S. average and likely less than the world average - in the range of 0 to 2 inches. I remain vary aware of where my 1911 is, and who or what is within arm's reach of it, but my personal comfort beyond that is hard to affect.

[JenniferG]

I like for people to keep at least twice the distance of my arm's reach. I do not like to be crowded or hemmed in. I couldn't live in Hong Kong or Tokyo. I lived in Brooklyn NY at the Navy Yard for almost a year back in the late 70's and that was enough for me. I rode the train back for Thanksgiving in '78 and it was standing room only to Trenton from Penn Station, that's when I discovered how badly people stink too!!!

[jaseman]

Of 279? Sound like you were up at that too-large Market District in Robinson. That whole area sucks. Be it personal space in traffic or standing in line. That's more West Hills than South Hills (live in the South Hills). That whole area is just too crowded.

Anyway...
My rule of thumb for personal space is arms length for comfort, at minimum in a crowded space. Too close is if I put my hands on my hips and my elbows are hitting you. In which case, I put my hands on my hips, and make sure my elbows 'accidentally' find your ribs once or twice. "Oh, excuse me, did I hurt you?" Ussualy only takes once before someone realizes we're not cell mates.

[Emptymag]

Next time, try farting.


Loudly.