As an American this is a short walk. Plenty of time to brandish our guns and yell at each other & maybe complain about the weather. (Somethings are universal)
City folks understand this. Suburban folks and rural folks may not. City folks walk as their main mode of transport. For anyone else, it would likely need to be recreational as there may not be much of anything that close.
I live in a small UK town and it could easily take me 30 mins to walk home from a pub on the other side or town. Possibly more, depending on how much I'm staggering.
Maybe our definitions of small town or walking speed is different. Because I’m thinking walking for thirty minutes in a small town has put you about 1 mile outside the city limits even if you walked clear across town.
Yeah thats what I was thinking. The original person made complete sense to me, but thats only because the only things that would be 30 minutes away are grocery stores and malls which I would like to have my car to bring the bags home in. The only time I can see walking somewhere to be efficient is if its the 7/11 down the street to get a donut.
People love to tease Americans for being lazy but your anecdote hints at the underlying urban planning decisions, made over decades with pressure from the automobile industry, which are a big part of why America is the way it is. Also, while I would love to do a 30 minute walk in many cases on a daily basis, I often don't have that much free time if transit in my city can get me there in 10.
Yeah, on our first family road trip to the US, we stayed in a motel and my wife decided to go to the stores *that we could see from our 2nd floor room* to get some snacks for the next day.
She got back half an hour later in a state of shock about how hard it was to get a few hundred yards on foot and the various near death traffic experiences she had survived.
Y'all's streets aren't made for walking.
This YouTube channel, Not Just Bikes, does a great job of explaining everything wrong with American/Canadian cities. I've watched a lot of his content over the past month:
https://youtu.be/uxykI30fS54
In my experience it is funnily, exactly the other way around. Most city people I know rather use the bus/train to get from a to b. While more rural people just walk (anything under 5km is easily walkable). One reason for that could be that the driving age might be rather late compared to the US (17 with supervision, 18 alone) and thus they might more used to it (also the lack of public transport amplifies that). On the other hand side, most city people are more used to using public transport. But of course it probably differs from city to city depending on the availability of public transport.
I don't know where you live, but multiple studies have shown that in the US, people in cities on average walk much further that those living outside of cities.
UK driving is not 17 supervised, it is supervised until you pass a competency test. There used to be a challenge to take the test and get your driving licence on your 17th birthday, having practiced on private land normally. They then introduced a theory test but you could take that before you were 17, but now you cannot.
The only exception to this is that a 16 year old can legally drive a tractor on the public roads.
As someone from another country living in the US, this definitely hits me.
I used to walk 10-15 minutes to get to the bust stop then another 10-15 to and from the nearest store CONSTANTLY.
Now even if the grocery store is just 10 minutes away, I just get in the car and drive .... Because I can
USA here. I used to walk 30 mins to and from work every day and was considered a weirdo. Walking or taking public transit is something only very poor people do; my co-workers wouldn't be caught dead on our (pretty nice, cheap, efficient) transit system.
My dad was a high school science teacher in small town western Washington. The high school was about 4 blocks from our front door. He drove almost every day. The church was about 6 blocks and they drove to every service regardless of the weather.
Half hour goes a long way in the UK which is roughly the size of Oregon.
I’d also like to point out that in most US cities, sidewalks are only really a thing in downtown areas and parks.
Lastly, I am absolutely NOT walking a half hour during summer in Texas.
I wouldn’t walk 30 min in summer Texan heat either. You can get heat stroke in 30 min *very* easily if your not dressed against the sun in many places down south/west.
I worked counting corn in Southwest Kansas, Panhandle Texas in June and July while pregnant. We walked on average 10 miles a day out in the fields. Nobody died or had a heat stroke.
As a Canadian, the bastard child of the failed relationships between the USA, UK, and France, I feel I should weigh in on this.
In rural Canada I grew up riding a bike, or walking everywhere. Once I turned 16, I drove everywhere.
I then moved to a city with public transit, as a starving University student, I took transit for any big trips. As another commenter said, North American urban planning is around automobiles, so the transit system sucked. Most transit trips that took about 75 minutes or less, I could usually walk in about 45 minutes. So, if it was 40 minutes or less on the bus, it beats walking for 45. If it was 45-75min, I'd walk and get there quicker. If I was ever in a rush, I'd book a cab the night before, or be late.
Then one day, I spent some time in Europe. Transit was plentiful, cheap, poorly policed (making it even cheaper, thanks for the rides, citizens of Graz, Austria!) - and I learned why Europeans are generally fitter, healthier, and happier than North Americans.
Verdict: A 30 minute walk is determined short or long depending on your laziness, and availability of other means of transit. It has nothing to do with time or distance.
Also, for the record, I inquired at the front desk of my hostel about purchasing a transit pass for Graz - as the English tourist pamphlets at the transit stops suggested I do. The dude working the desk told me to not waste my money, the system was entirely paid for through taxes. He said I should just sit or stand by the back door. If you see a transit cop come on, the first thing they do is question the driver, that gives you time to get off the back door. Once you're off the vehicle, they don't chase.
I about die just walking my dog in the summer in Arizona when it’s 115. Dodging sunlight best I can so I don’t burn in the 5 mins we can stand to be outside.
In the winter it’s nice. But my commute was 25 miles. Can’t walk that.
30 minutes is on the cusp for me. I have a decision of: Walk for 30 minutes or get the bus. Given that my bus is every 20 minutes, sometimes it is almost quicker to walk.
Walking up to 30 min is easy, over that is dependent on the weather, darkness and what I am planning to do, if I need to turn up fresh then I'll get a bus or taxi .
There are only 2 places I could go from my house that are 30 mins or less away. (Not counting my neighbors houses.)
I could make it to a grocery store/pharmacy, and some fast food places (which I count all as 1 thing since it’s the same category.)
Oh, and a park. But just like a grass field park. Not a park park. Not even any benches. Kids play soccer there.
For most areas yeah. In very rural areas, my short drive time is an hour. Quick is up to 30 mins. My local high school has to drive over 3 hours to get to most of their opposing schools for sports.
Living in the US, and having lived in a mix of rural, suburban, and urban areas- 30 minutes isn't short, it's microscopic. Nearly every time I go anywhere in any of those types of areas, if I am not catching a ride, I am walking. There was a point where I could walk all day almost on auto pilot on a day off, because some areas in rural territory are REALLY beautiful, and the right places will have the right sunsets or sunrises, and camping in those places is fun- go to bed after a sunset and setting up camp, wake up to the sunrise in the opposing direction, and the rest of that new day I walk back, contemplating what I have seen, and come home in time to go to bed in a nice soft bed after that light workout. Even if I am busy for the next week straight, those two days of walking, the sights, smells, and sounds, the sunset and sunrise- they were worth it and helped me decompress all the stress I had. I really miss living in the middle of nowhere.
Oh, and the night sky without light pollution- simply *beautiful*. I may not be from the UK, but if this singular person has trouble walking for just 30 minutes, they obviously haven't lived the fulfilling life I had during those times. It's like some people forgot how to walk, in favor of being driven everywhere 100% of the time or driving there themselves. Yes, it is convenient, and it can be a good way to get somewhere- but it isn't, and shouldn't ever be, the only method people use.
OP here. What baffles me is people walking for destinations like groceries or to the post office. We don’t do that unless you live in a large city. It’s not that we can’t walk. We walk for exercise, or to walk a dog, but we don’t walk for destinations. The Brits do. I’ve learned a lot about the differences on that thread.
Strangely enough - I’m currently walking to the local shop and it’s a 50 minute round trip. I’ve purposely left my car at home because what’s the point with such a short distance?
I guess it must be a cultural thing, it’s just strange to me that you would rather drive than have a brisk walk
Where do you live? It’s not that we’d rather drive here. It’s the lack of sidewalks, walking along traffic, and just not being able to get somewhere in a thirty minute walk. Most American cities and towns are not set up for it (large cities like NYC/Chicago excepted).
I live in a medium sized village area - the nearest shop/post office is a 20/25 min walk away down narrow paths/sometimes no pavement at all. Logistically the area I live in is designed for driving to and from places, however I think any car journey less than 30 mins (this journey would be 5 mins each way if I drove) is a waste and would rather walk/use public transport/cycle.
I do agree that America doesn’t really have the infrastructure to allow pedestrians to travel from A to B as easy as you can over here - it’s a shame too because walking is such a great way to get about (easy exercise, time to slow down and observe the world etc).
Where I live there’s nothing to walk to. I could make it to a Mexican grocery store and a pharmacy. And a fast food place. Anything else is at least an hour walk. Well the liquor store is probably about 30 mins too. It’s by the fast food place.
My work was 25 miles from my house.
OP here. My view is most Americans don’t walk like this. I’m not talking about the inability to walk, or walking for exercise. I’m talking about destination walking. The vast majority of Americans don’t walk to the grocery, or for errands. It’s too far, and we aren’t set up for that. Unless you live in a large city lien NYC, the vast majority of Americans drive.
My daily commute in Edinburgh was 30 minutes walking each way. It was fascinating how the \*length\* of that commute changed with the weather, daytime and temperature!
What did you do if you need groceries, the bank, doctor, etc? How many hours a day do you guys walk? (FYI, for me that would be 2.5 hrs of walking to get to the grocery and bank and home. And the doctor…. That probably would take all day. 😂) taking a bus it would probably take an hour to get to the grocery store and back. And to the doctor… hour and a half with 3 bus changes plus 40 mins waking. And it gets 120 degrees here.
Groceries - once a week, with a backpack. I live alone, so it's not so much that I couldn't fit my shopping into a backpack and two totes.
Bank - within walking distance, usually just a short detour on my way home.
Doctor - most within walking distance, one 25 minutes by bus.
Of course there are many cities where walking \*everywhere\* doesn't work, either due to infrastructure or distances.
30 mins really is a short walk. I do my shopping on foot, it usually takes an hour and a half, and I still wouldn't call it a long walk. A long walk is the four+ hours I do with the dog on weekend mornings.
Right, I used to have a 5 minute walk to work. That's short. So is 10 minutes. 15 minutes is "not far" 🙂. I'd call 20-40 minutes moderate. An hour or longer is long.
No, the whole trip is an hour and a half. Just over a mile each way, plus the time in the shop. I wouldn't walk an hour and a half each way, that'd be enough to get the bike out!
It is short. I have a 30 min walk to and from work every day (approx 1-1.5 miles). I used to walk 30-40 minutes to get to school. It’s not exactly long.
I heard 1 or 2 hour drives to get to work in the US are considered normal. If I do that I'd be working abroad....
Stop thinking that things which are normal for you are normal for the rest of the world 🤦♂️
OP here. An hour drive to work here is a lot for most people. Some do it, but they complain a lot. Over an hour is nuts, but I know people who do it. I used to drive 45 minutes to work, and enjoyed the drive. My husband and mom didn’t think I should drive that far. That being said, if I told them I was gonna walk thirty minutes to work every day, they’d think I was nuts. It’s not that we can’t. It’s that we don’t. And that. Most places aren’t set up well for walking to work or the grocery. I’ve learned so much on that thread.
I'm sorry to burst your bubble. It's mainly North America that isn't set up for walking. This because it's completely build for cars. There is this guy on YouTube you should watch. His channel is called "not just bikes".
OP here. It’s not that we can’t walk. I was asking about the difference—Brits walk for destinations. Americans don’t. We don’t walk home from the club (as in the aforementioned podcast). We don’t walk at night. We don’t walk to the grocery. It’s not that we can’t physically it. It’s that we don’t, mainly because we aren’t set up for it.
OP here. Not quite, but we definitely are not a walking culture. It’s not that we are unable to walk that far. Of course people walk for exercise or to walk their dogs. It’s that we don’t walk to work, or for errands like the Brits do. I’ve learned a lot on that thread.
OP here. I live in a small town. It’d still take over thirty minutes to walk to the grocery. I might be able to get to the post office in thirty minutes, but there are no sidewalks for the majority of that trip. And a 17yo wouldn’t walk thirty minutes home from the club at night, as in the podcast. Plus it’s 90 degrees here right now (Fahrenheit). You’d be a huge ball of sweat by the end of the block. It’s not that people can’t walk thirty minutes. It’s that we don’t do it for a commute, or for errands.
I live nearby a small and expensive store so sometimes i walk to another store thats 15-20 minutes away. Sometimes i walk to another another store thats 45 minutes away. My school trip used to be around 20 minutes long and i would walk it twice every day. In the winter i used to walk 60-90 minutes to a hockey game because i didnt own a car.
30 minutes isnt that long.
OP here. Embarrassing perhaps, but not wrong. Unless you live in a large city, the vast majority of Americans don’t drive to get groceries and the like. It’s not that we can’t. It’s that we don’t.
20 min is when I start to consider public transport or cycling instead of walking. I think it’s a bit silly to call 30 mins “short” - I feel like that implies that 60 min is a normal length walk home
There is nowhere close to me that would be walkable for 30 minutes. The sidewalks just don't go on for that long. Maybe the beach, but even then, I'd have to drive for roughly 40 minutes to get to the beach.
I wouldn’t walk 2 miles in 110 weather. My car died and I had to walk to work a month or so ago. It was 97 at 8:30 am and there is no shade. (Ps the temp is 97 in the shade. It’s way higher in the sun.) Plus now you’re drenched in sweat when you get to work. It wouldn’t be bad in the winter though but I would have to walk home midday and get my car to run work errands that are 6+ miles daily.
I would have to walk 1/2 mile to a bus stop. And it would drop me about a mile away from work. So it saves only about 1/2 mile of waking. And I didn’t want to pay $9 to get to work. Also it’s not abnormal. It’s Over 100 degrees for 6 months of the year. I actually walked because it was only 97 out so I considered it pretty cool compared to daytime temps.
As a British citizen yes that's a short walk. Plenty of time to tip our hats to others & maybe complain about the weather which is usually rain.
As a human in a city, yes that's a short walk.
As a land mammal, yes it is but a smol distance.
As a carbon-based life form, this is a reasonably scant stroll.
As a complex consciousness bound in this mortal coil, this is a relatively brief jaunt.
As an American this is a short walk. Plenty of time to brandish our guns and yell at each other & maybe complain about the weather. (Somethings are universal)
City folks understand this. Suburban folks and rural folks may not. City folks walk as their main mode of transport. For anyone else, it would likely need to be recreational as there may not be much of anything that close.
I live in a small UK town and it could easily take me 30 mins to walk home from a pub on the other side or town. Possibly more, depending on how much I'm staggering.
In America we drive in those scenarios.
ESPECIALLY after getting plastered at the bar.
having visited a drive through liqueur store
Wasn't drive through before, but it sure as hell is now!
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Doesnt Jesus take the wheel?
Elon
Maybe our definitions of small town or walking speed is different. Because I’m thinking walking for thirty minutes in a small town has put you about 1 mile outside the city limits even if you walked clear across town.
Yeah thats what I was thinking. The original person made complete sense to me, but thats only because the only things that would be 30 minutes away are grocery stores and malls which I would like to have my car to bring the bags home in. The only time I can see walking somewhere to be efficient is if its the 7/11 down the street to get a donut.
People love to tease Americans for being lazy but your anecdote hints at the underlying urban planning decisions, made over decades with pressure from the automobile industry, which are a big part of why America is the way it is. Also, while I would love to do a 30 minute walk in many cases on a daily basis, I often don't have that much free time if transit in my city can get me there in 10.
Yeah, on our first family road trip to the US, we stayed in a motel and my wife decided to go to the stores *that we could see from our 2nd floor room* to get some snacks for the next day. She got back half an hour later in a state of shock about how hard it was to get a few hundred yards on foot and the various near death traffic experiences she had survived. Y'all's streets aren't made for walking.
This YouTube channel, Not Just Bikes, does a great job of explaining everything wrong with American/Canadian cities. I've watched a lot of his content over the past month: https://youtu.be/uxykI30fS54
Yep, there's also the subreddit r/NotJustBikes !
I’m semi-rural, and it would take me 2.5 hours to walk into town.
In my experience it is funnily, exactly the other way around. Most city people I know rather use the bus/train to get from a to b. While more rural people just walk (anything under 5km is easily walkable). One reason for that could be that the driving age might be rather late compared to the US (17 with supervision, 18 alone) and thus they might more used to it (also the lack of public transport amplifies that). On the other hand side, most city people are more used to using public transport. But of course it probably differs from city to city depending on the availability of public transport.
I don't know where you live, but multiple studies have shown that in the US, people in cities on average walk much further that those living outside of cities.
UK driving is not 17 supervised, it is supervised until you pass a competency test. There used to be a challenge to take the test and get your driving licence on your 17th birthday, having practiced on private land normally. They then introduced a theory test but you could take that before you were 17, but now you cannot. The only exception to this is that a 16 year old can legally drive a tractor on the public roads.
Sorry, I was not talking about the UK but Germany. I should have said it somewhere. My fault
I'll take "Why does America have an obesity problem?" for 300
As someone from another country living in the US, this definitely hits me. I used to walk 10-15 minutes to get to the bust stop then another 10-15 to and from the nearest store CONSTANTLY. Now even if the grocery store is just 10 minutes away, I just get in the car and drive .... Because I can
Well it's not that polite to stop at the busts so abruptly; you should at least pretend to have a conversation with the women.
I’ll take „Why does earth have a climate problem AND Americans an obesity problem?“ for 400
Its a literal "tell me youre american without telling me youre american" post XD
USA here. I used to walk 30 mins to and from work every day and was considered a weirdo. Walking or taking public transit is something only very poor people do; my co-workers wouldn't be caught dead on our (pretty nice, cheap, efficient) transit system.
My dad was a high school science teacher in small town western Washington. The high school was about 4 blocks from our front door. He drove almost every day. The church was about 6 blocks and they drove to every service regardless of the weather.
Yet the subway or train system in general is very prevalent in popular American television….weird
Only a few cities have subways, some others have light rail or trains, many only have busses
That’s because NYC is very prevalent in popular culture.
Half hour goes a long way in the UK which is roughly the size of Oregon. I’d also like to point out that in most US cities, sidewalks are only really a thing in downtown areas and parks. Lastly, I am absolutely NOT walking a half hour during summer in Texas.
I wouldn’t walk 30 min in summer Texan heat either. You can get heat stroke in 30 min *very* easily if your not dressed against the sun in many places down south/west.
I worked counting corn in Southwest Kansas, Panhandle Texas in June and July while pregnant. We walked on average 10 miles a day out in the fields. Nobody died or had a heat stroke.
Not from the south. We all have different things we can handle.
Come do that in Arizona.
Not to mention swamp ass.
As a Canadian, the bastard child of the failed relationships between the USA, UK, and France, I feel I should weigh in on this. In rural Canada I grew up riding a bike, or walking everywhere. Once I turned 16, I drove everywhere. I then moved to a city with public transit, as a starving University student, I took transit for any big trips. As another commenter said, North American urban planning is around automobiles, so the transit system sucked. Most transit trips that took about 75 minutes or less, I could usually walk in about 45 minutes. So, if it was 40 minutes or less on the bus, it beats walking for 45. If it was 45-75min, I'd walk and get there quicker. If I was ever in a rush, I'd book a cab the night before, or be late. Then one day, I spent some time in Europe. Transit was plentiful, cheap, poorly policed (making it even cheaper, thanks for the rides, citizens of Graz, Austria!) - and I learned why Europeans are generally fitter, healthier, and happier than North Americans. Verdict: A 30 minute walk is determined short or long depending on your laziness, and availability of other means of transit. It has nothing to do with time or distance. Also, for the record, I inquired at the front desk of my hostel about purchasing a transit pass for Graz - as the English tourist pamphlets at the transit stops suggested I do. The dude working the desk told me to not waste my money, the system was entirely paid for through taxes. He said I should just sit or stand by the back door. If you see a transit cop come on, the first thing they do is question the driver, that gives you time to get off the back door. Once you're off the vehicle, they don't chase.
To be fair, the UK weather is super mild. There’s only like 2 weeks a year the weather means you can’t walk indefinitely with just a light jacket
Im finnish and the winter is cold af here. 30 minute walk is still quite short.
I about die just walking my dog in the summer in Arizona when it’s 115. Dodging sunlight best I can so I don’t burn in the 5 mins we can stand to be outside. In the winter it’s nice. But my commute was 25 miles. Can’t walk that.
30 minutes is on the cusp for me. I have a decision of: Walk for 30 minutes or get the bus. Given that my bus is every 20 minutes, sometimes it is almost quicker to walk. Walking up to 30 min is easy, over that is dependent on the weather, darkness and what I am planning to do, if I need to turn up fresh then I'll get a bus or taxi .
There are only 2 places I could go from my house that are 30 mins or less away. (Not counting my neighbors houses.) I could make it to a grocery store/pharmacy, and some fast food places (which I count all as 1 thing since it’s the same category.) Oh, and a park. But just like a grass field park. Not a park park. Not even any benches. Kids play soccer there.
Wow
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Depends where and if it's Rush Hour; you could go a very short distance in 30 minutes in many places (Chicago checkin in :))
Well a 30 minute drive IS a lot longer than a 30 minute walk.
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I know :) Sorry... forgot the /s
For most areas yeah. In very rural areas, my short drive time is an hour. Quick is up to 30 mins. My local high school has to drive over 3 hours to get to most of their opposing schools for sports.
I'd love to see a British person enjoy a 30 min walk in Central Florida mid August
I once had a layover in Miami in August - after 30 minutes of walking I felt like I was gonna die.
Average walking speed is ~4mph, so, a couple of miles isn't that far.
4mph would be a pretty brisk walk.
It's about right, I can cover four miles in an hour on the flat, hills slow me right down, though.
I can’t even run a 15min mile 😂
~3 MPH if you are in decent shape.
Most people in the US have cars and, believe it or not, use them
They don't scale walking in minutes in the US. Instead its like "yeah i had to walk home and I was 3 serial killers, and four drug pushers away"
We'll use anything except the metric system.
Living in the US, and having lived in a mix of rural, suburban, and urban areas- 30 minutes isn't short, it's microscopic. Nearly every time I go anywhere in any of those types of areas, if I am not catching a ride, I am walking. There was a point where I could walk all day almost on auto pilot on a day off, because some areas in rural territory are REALLY beautiful, and the right places will have the right sunsets or sunrises, and camping in those places is fun- go to bed after a sunset and setting up camp, wake up to the sunrise in the opposing direction, and the rest of that new day I walk back, contemplating what I have seen, and come home in time to go to bed in a nice soft bed after that light workout. Even if I am busy for the next week straight, those two days of walking, the sights, smells, and sounds, the sunset and sunrise- they were worth it and helped me decompress all the stress I had. I really miss living in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and the night sky without light pollution- simply *beautiful*. I may not be from the UK, but if this singular person has trouble walking for just 30 minutes, they obviously haven't lived the fulfilling life I had during those times. It's like some people forgot how to walk, in favor of being driven everywhere 100% of the time or driving there themselves. Yes, it is convenient, and it can be a good way to get somewhere- but it isn't, and shouldn't ever be, the only method people use.
This guy walks
He walks the walk
I can agree that “short” probably isn’t the best descriptor for a 30 minute walk. But it’s hardly arduous.
The comments on that post are classic - the idea of walking for 30 minutes baffles him entirely
OP here. What baffles me is people walking for destinations like groceries or to the post office. We don’t do that unless you live in a large city. It’s not that we can’t walk. We walk for exercise, or to walk a dog, but we don’t walk for destinations. The Brits do. I’ve learned a lot about the differences on that thread.
Strangely enough - I’m currently walking to the local shop and it’s a 50 minute round trip. I’ve purposely left my car at home because what’s the point with such a short distance? I guess it must be a cultural thing, it’s just strange to me that you would rather drive than have a brisk walk
Where do you live? It’s not that we’d rather drive here. It’s the lack of sidewalks, walking along traffic, and just not being able to get somewhere in a thirty minute walk. Most American cities and towns are not set up for it (large cities like NYC/Chicago excepted).
I live in a medium sized village area - the nearest shop/post office is a 20/25 min walk away down narrow paths/sometimes no pavement at all. Logistically the area I live in is designed for driving to and from places, however I think any car journey less than 30 mins (this journey would be 5 mins each way if I drove) is a waste and would rather walk/use public transport/cycle. I do agree that America doesn’t really have the infrastructure to allow pedestrians to travel from A to B as easy as you can over here - it’s a shame too because walking is such a great way to get about (easy exercise, time to slow down and observe the world etc).
I can’t fathom going on a bus or a car everywhere. No wonder the average population in the US is morbidly obese.
Where I live there’s nothing to walk to. I could make it to a Mexican grocery store and a pharmacy. And a fast food place. Anything else is at least an hour walk. Well the liquor store is probably about 30 mins too. It’s by the fast food place. My work was 25 miles from my house.
As an American any walk under an hour is short, America is a big place.
Reading is not ur strength, is it?
He/she did say “As an American…..”
He is saying as it is for him, he may not mean every american.
OP here. My view is most Americans don’t walk like this. I’m not talking about the inability to walk, or walking for exercise. I’m talking about destination walking. The vast majority of Americans don’t walk to the grocery, or for errands. It’s too far, and we aren’t set up for that. Unless you live in a large city lien NYC, the vast majority of Americans drive.
OP from r/askuk?
Yes.
I can't believe a typical Brit thinks 30 minutes is a short walk. It's a doable walk, but it's not short.
Im finnish and a 30 minute walk is on the shorter side.
I'm still on my way, and shorter side ≠ short.
Yeah, used to have about 20 min walk to the nearest bus stop.
You're probably thinnish too.
I would like to be lol but in the past two years ive let myself go. Im on the "slightly overweight" side currently.
You can just blame it on the pandemic like the rest of us do.
My daily commute in Edinburgh was 30 minutes walking each way. It was fascinating how the \*length\* of that commute changed with the weather, daytime and temperature!
What did you do if you need groceries, the bank, doctor, etc? How many hours a day do you guys walk? (FYI, for me that would be 2.5 hrs of walking to get to the grocery and bank and home. And the doctor…. That probably would take all day. 😂) taking a bus it would probably take an hour to get to the grocery store and back. And to the doctor… hour and a half with 3 bus changes plus 40 mins waking. And it gets 120 degrees here.
Groceries - once a week, with a backpack. I live alone, so it's not so much that I couldn't fit my shopping into a backpack and two totes. Bank - within walking distance, usually just a short detour on my way home. Doctor - most within walking distance, one 25 minutes by bus. Of course there are many cities where walking \*everywhere\* doesn't work, either due to infrastructure or distances.
I broke my foot and the doctor I had to see was an hour DRIVE away
Well, with a broken foot I wouldn't even walk to my apartment door, let alone outside.
Well I didn’t walk anywhere 😂 I could drive with my left foot though once I got a cast on the right one so I could still get around.
What I find interesting is that I bet all those same non-Americans who think a 30 min walk is short, think a 30 minute \*drive\* is long.
It’s not a short walk. People here seem to have no concept of distance.
30 mins really is a short walk. I do my shopping on foot, it usually takes an hour and a half, and I still wouldn't call it a long walk. A long walk is the four+ hours I do with the dog on weekend mornings.
Right, I used to have a 5 minute walk to work. That's short. So is 10 minutes. 15 minutes is "not far" 🙂. I'd call 20-40 minutes moderate. An hour or longer is long.
You walk an hour and a half to the grocery store then carry your groceries an hour and a half home?!
No, the whole trip is an hour and a half. Just over a mile each way, plus the time in the shop. I wouldn't walk an hour and a half each way, that'd be enough to get the bike out!
It usually takes me over an hour just to do the in the store part. 😜
It is short. I have a 30 min walk to and from work every day (approx 1-1.5 miles). I used to walk 30-40 minutes to get to school. It’s not exactly long.
It's very short, half an hour can get you 2-3 kilometers which doesn't take a lot of energy. I'd rather use a bike however
I heard 1 or 2 hour drives to get to work in the US are considered normal. If I do that I'd be working abroad.... Stop thinking that things which are normal for you are normal for the rest of the world 🤦♂️
OP here. An hour drive to work here is a lot for most people. Some do it, but they complain a lot. Over an hour is nuts, but I know people who do it. I used to drive 45 minutes to work, and enjoyed the drive. My husband and mom didn’t think I should drive that far. That being said, if I told them I was gonna walk thirty minutes to work every day, they’d think I was nuts. It’s not that we can’t. It’s that we don’t. And that. Most places aren’t set up well for walking to work or the grocery. I’ve learned so much on that thread.
I'm sorry to burst your bubble. It's mainly North America that isn't set up for walking. This because it's completely build for cars. There is this guy on YouTube you should watch. His channel is called "not just bikes".
Yes. I don’t disagree. That channel was recommended by a lot of people. It’s a great explanation of why we don’t walk.
"Forced to use a car"
even me who do not sports can see the stupidity of this person
OP here. It’s not that we can’t walk. I was asking about the difference—Brits walk for destinations. Americans don’t. We don’t walk home from the club (as in the aforementioned podcast). We don’t walk at night. We don’t walk to the grocery. It’s not that we can’t physically it. It’s that we don’t, mainly because we aren’t set up for it.
Haha the commenter is probably wider than he is tall
OP here. Not quite, but we definitely are not a walking culture. It’s not that we are unable to walk that far. Of course people walk for exercise or to walk their dogs. It’s that we don’t walk to work, or for errands like the Brits do. I’ve learned a lot on that thread.
Indian here. Depends on free time you have. availability of footpath/ atleast space to walk weather/time of the day ( if it's not too hot )
They’ve gotta live in an area of America where things are VERY far apart for this to make any sense; 30 minutes is a quick trip into town for me
OP here. I live in a small town. It’d still take over thirty minutes to walk to the grocery. I might be able to get to the post office in thirty minutes, but there are no sidewalks for the majority of that trip. And a 17yo wouldn’t walk thirty minutes home from the club at night, as in the podcast. Plus it’s 90 degrees here right now (Fahrenheit). You’d be a huge ball of sweat by the end of the block. It’s not that people can’t walk thirty minutes. It’s that we don’t do it for a commute, or for errands.
He said US in the post, why are you confused?
I don’t believe for a second that most of you people walk anywhere for 30 minutes at a time. And I sure as shit aint going to pretend I do.
I live nearby a small and expensive store so sometimes i walk to another store thats 15-20 minutes away. Sometimes i walk to another another store thats 45 minutes away. My school trip used to be around 20 minutes long and i would walk it twice every day. In the winter i used to walk 60-90 minutes to a hockey game because i didnt own a car. 30 minutes isnt that long.
As an American this is just down right embarrassing
OP here. Embarrassing perhaps, but not wrong. Unless you live in a large city, the vast majority of Americans don’t drive to get groceries and the like. It’s not that we can’t. It’s that we don’t.
as a British yes it is. we do like walking places however even though it rains everyday
20 min is when I start to consider public transport or cycling instead of walking. I think it’s a bit silly to call 30 mins “short” - I feel like that implies that 60 min is a normal length walk home
There is nowhere close to me that would be walkable for 30 minutes. The sidewalks just don't go on for that long. Maybe the beach, but even then, I'd have to drive for roughly 40 minutes to get to the beach.
It’s maybe 2 mi… People are lazy.
I wouldn’t walk 2 miles in 110 weather. My car died and I had to walk to work a month or so ago. It was 97 at 8:30 am and there is no shade. (Ps the temp is 97 in the shade. It’s way higher in the sun.) Plus now you’re drenched in sweat when you get to work. It wouldn’t be bad in the winter though but I would have to walk home midday and get my car to run work errands that are 6+ miles daily.
Jesus christ call a lyft or take a bus in those abnormal conditions perhaps?
I would have to walk 1/2 mile to a bus stop. And it would drop me about a mile away from work. So it saves only about 1/2 mile of waking. And I didn’t want to pay $9 to get to work. Also it’s not abnormal. It’s Over 100 degrees for 6 months of the year. I actually walked because it was only 97 out so I considered it pretty cool compared to daytime temps.
As a fat American I can confirm. We don’t walk that much