Walking etiquette in Seville by Anna Gras

It was the first day that I had landed in Seville. I was bursting with emotions; I had not slept in over twenty-four hours, but I was about to officially begin my new life in Spain. I dropped off my bigger-than-me suitcase at my student residence, and immediately set out on the streets of Seville. I felt like I was living in a fairytale, the streets were filled with culture that I would soon learn about, cathedrals that were as old as time, and orange trees waiting to ripen; I then heard a ringing sound coming from behind that I had never heard before, I turned around to find myself almost face to face with a scooter coming at me at what felt like fifty miles per hour. I darted out of the way and let out a small scream, “I almost just died'' I thought to myself.

After living here for nearly three months, I now understand the difference between the walkways and the bike lanes, but it definitely took some getting used to. Walking etiquette in Seville, and in Spain as a whole, is much different than any place I have ever visited. Coming from a Western culture, I would often get annoyed with people stopping in the middle of the street randomly, or even the slow pace that Spainards have strolling in the afternoon. I have always felt some sort of pressure when walking from one place to another, even if I am not under the pressure of time. This idea is most likely derived from the fact that Western cultures have a sort of “rushed” mentality and feel as if they need to get as much done in a day as they possibly can. My cultural bubble has now popped, and I am aware that other places have different ordinariness within the smallest things, even walking. It was fun to be able to teach my family when they visited the different “rules of the road” and see them confused, as I once was about the different walkways and known bike/scooter lanes.

I think that the walking etiquette back in the states will provide some comfort to me during my return. I am glad I was able to experience how a different culture carries their life out in many different ways, and it provided me with insight on how to open up my mind to these ideas.

 https://www.justlanded.com/english/Spain/Articles/Travel-Leisure/Pedestrian-Road-Rules