The rainy season has returned. For the next six months we will once again see many days with grey skies and wet weather as we go about our daily business, as we residents in the Greater Vancouver area are used to doing every year. Aside from having to be more careful when we are driving through puddles and across roadside streams so we don’t unnecessarily splash pedestrians, I would like to recommend some practical tips in managing that other ubiquitous item that helps us stay dry (or a least a bit drier) at this time of year. I am talking of course about the Umbrella, a wonderful invention to provide us with some portable cover when it’s pouring rain. But without some common Umbrella Etiquette, these personal canopies can be socially frustrating and even dangerous when everyone is paying attention only to their own comfort. With scores of people holding an expanded umbrella overhead as they walk along any city block, it can almost feel confrontational without some agreed social protocols to follow. Let’s start first with the size of umbrella that is necessary.
Size is a consideration
I see more and more extremely large umbrellas used for typical rainy-day walking. One that I measured was a full four feet-wide when fully open. This is typical of what you might see on golf course, but on a crowded city sidewalk it takes up a lot more than most of the others vying for their fair share of space. On many streets a four-foot span is the entire width of the pedestrian sidewalk. Others have to fold their umbrellas or turn them sideways just to pass. Of course, that raises the issue of how high to hold your umbrella, and this is determined by the height of the person holding the umbrella. If you are six feet tall, you can hold a very large umbrella high enough to allow others to pass under, as long as you are the only person underneath. If you are shielding a second person from the rain, you will need to be careful not to block traffic behind you. On a narrow sidewalk it can back up a long way.
Take care on stairs and escalators
A time to be especially careful is when you are walking on stairs or standing on an escalator while carrying a long umbrella at your side while it is still closed. Here it’s important to remember not to allow your umbrella to swing forwards or backwards with your arm as you walk. On a staircase in particular, this action is quite dangerous. Often people grasp their closed umbrella with their fist around the top end and let the remaining length shoot backwards in a horizontal manner with each arm swing, oblivious to the thrust directly into a person’s face on a lower step.
Broken umbrellas can be dangerous
Another danger to avoid is using an broken umbrella with an exposed metal end protruding from the covering. On a busy sidewalk, this can easily scratch another person’s ace or worse, their eye. Like a car, an umbrella needs to be in good repair when it’s moving in traffic. A new umbrella is not so expensive that you can’t replace it when it’s worn out. You will feel better too, knowing that it’s not a danger to others.
Offer some cover to another
Not everything in umbrella etiquette has to be a negative thing. There are lots of times when an umbrella can be source of assistance with a kind gesture on your part. Have you ever arrived a street corner waiting in the rain for light to change, when someone comes alongside side and is getting soaked? This is a perfect time to extend a portion of your umbrella to cover them as well, and to help them to keep the rain off until they are across the intersection and under an awning again. And of course, walking in the rain can be most romantic thing for a couple, and sharing an umbrella makes it even more so. So, as annual rain rituals begin again, let’s try to think of others when we are under our umbrellas.
Thanks for reading!
Sibo Zhang, REALTOR®