Behavior: Some Pedestrian Observations

Man in motion in a metropolis may be man at his meanest. In a car he jousts for the right of way. In the subway or on a bus he jostles for a seat. On the sidewalk he just walks where he likes, on others' heels, up their backs, into their paths. Or does he? According to Michael Wolff, a doctoral candidate in social psychology, an outstanding characteristic of pedestrian behavior in a big city is consideration.

Even pedestrians in Manhattan, says Wolff, cooperate with fellow walkers. They might not exchange pleasantries like their small-town counterparts, but they "do take into account...

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