she always has to walk on the inside, is there a name for such a thing?

corcaigh07

hey guys, think im in the right section. My new girlfriend is great and I really like her but theres one thing im curious about. if she is on the outside of me walking along a street footpath or whatever, she has to switch back inside, its just a quirky thing, maybe phobia is too strong a word. she usually notices she is on the outside fairly quickly.

is there a name for this or is it something undefined? she assures me it has nothing to do with her past like an accident or anything like that and I believe her. she is also quite a normal person other than that!

redtom

ahh, she's just usin ye as a human shield...

poisonated

It sounds like a mild form of OCD.I assume that she is affraid that she is going to go out onto the road or something.

RxQueen

Ha i do that also... have to be at a certain side, and wont rest until i am.. sometimes people joke and wont leave me go at that side, and it makes me all anxi

tbh aint a phobia with me, just a lil qurik (or ocd if you really wanted to label it)

corcaigh07

yea, ill put it down as a little quirk, im farily sure its nothing to do with protection or falling onto the road or anything like that, she just seems to like being on the inside! its kinda cute and definitely funny when she has to switch over

Lobster

The man is supposed to walk on the outside aint he? I heard something about long ago men being chivalrous and walking on the outside rather than letting the woman walk near the gutter in old streets. Anyone else hear this?

Jesus Wept

I think I may have been told this in school

'Why Men Walk on the Outside of a Woman. "In 16th-century England, the habit of emptying chamber pots out of upper-story windows into the gutter made a city stroll so hazardous that gentlemen gallantly took the side nearest the curb when walking with their ladies--a position they have assumed ever since, without quite knowing why."

source

Sexist imo. :pac:

redtom wrote: »

ahh, she's just usin ye as a human shield...

They'll do that regardless. :P



OP, perhaps you are on her bag side.

asdasd

Sexist imo

there is a difference between sexism and being a gentleman. The main reason is puddles and safety, not the 16th century ( to avoid pots you would better off be one the outside)

Amalgam

I heard a variation on the guard hand or 'sword side' facing out, tying in with the above mind you, protecting the virtues of the lady.

The chamber pots, again, some say it was just the general muck, the bloke would take it, instead of his bird. Wagons, dirty water, horse waste\manure etc..

Nothing wrong with being well mannered, to either gender, consider me bisexist then..

corcaigh07

some entertaining points there guys, cheers. Like I said, I dont think its anything to do with protection, she has to walk on the inside with her female friends as well! its not about chivalrous or anything like that. God, its not like the Black Plague is still doing the rounds

QOTSA90

If Im with the lads I really dont care where Im at while walking, but when Im with my girlfriend Im ALWAYS on the outside, its definitely a chivalry thing.

MmmmmCheese

Ahhhh i love chivalry! Feck sexism, its just noble!

QOTSA90

MmmmmCheese wrote: »

Ahhhh i love chivalry! Feck sexism, its just noble!

Exactly, Im not opening the door for you because I think youre incapable of doing so yourself, Im doing it because I was raised to have manners lol

prinz

Yes chivalry. AFAIK it has less to do with puddles etc and more to do with security. The ladies back in the days didn't go about unaccompanied and always had a fella with them for safety/security reasons, so the 'human shield' comparison is fairly apt, additionally, as was the style of the time, the men would wear a sword sheathed on their left hip, which would be drawn with the right hand... again makes sense if the attacker is coming from the males side, and not 'from the inside' side. Now if the fella is to the left of the girl, there's not the room to draw his sword quickly and efficiently if she's close to him, otherwise he'd probably smack her with it. Given that most of the swordsmanship etc was carried out with the right hand, makes more sense to have space on your right, hence the lady was always to your left.

LaMortis

Oh i'm kinda like that too. Same with sleeping closer to the wall when i'm with my boyfriend. Or sitting on the inside in caffees or pubs. But i've been weary of edges and open spaces all my life, so it could relate. Don't know whether it's a mild OLD or could just be slight confidency issues.

star-pants

Ha, I have a male friend who always has to be on my left, or whomever he is with - he has to be on their left. Doesn't matter which way you're going or which side the road is on. Has to be to the left of someone.

Satyr_The_Great

She could just be afraid of getting hit or clipped by a passing car, we all know these boy racers can be lethal, but not just them others too. Maybe she just feels more comfortable on the inside, I know i always walk on the inside too but its not from a phobia, it just how i am.
As long as your girlfriend feels comfortable doing it the way she does it then i dont see a problem.

corcaigh07

i thought this thread died to be honest!

good to hear a few people who can relate to this rather than the chrivary, protection nancys that seem to think all men are bastards! lol, like i said before, its actually nothing to do with safety. I went out with her 2 thursdays ago and she had switch to my left walking down a lane out of UCC, the lane was walled and there was lawns inside those walls so there was no threat whatsoever even if when we were walking around the empty large outdoor space in the ucc campus, she was on the left!

its funny though, everyone has their quirks and this is hers life would be boring if we were all the same.

nodirectionhome

I always have to walk on the left side, think its something to do with my handbag being on my right shoulder.....cant explain it, I'd imagine its slightly OCD ish but my ex always used to find it funny

corcaigh07

you're my girlfriend down to a tee and ya i find it very funny too