The eternal war for the right of way rages on in modern society, and this time around it was waged by none other than an old lady from Naples, Florida, who simply wants to walk her trusty pet dog. The problem is that the lady thinks she deserves to use the road instead of the wide, open sidewalk, and this has caused quite a scene around her neighborhood, leading to some harsh online criticisms.
In a dashcam video uploaded to X by user Kathleen Winchell, a driver can be seen abruptly blocked by the unidentified old woman, who initially refused to get out of the way. The old woman was notably walking on the road despite the adjacent sidewalk having more than ample space for her, her dog, and presumably her husband. When confronted by the driver, the woman appeared to be annoyed and pulled out her phone to record, possibly as a way to insist on her right of way.
In the video, you can also hear the driver’s exasperated “Come on, ask her to move out of the road, please.“ Thankfully, the woman moved after taking photos of the car and the driver. It’s not clear what exactly prompted this behavior or if the old woman saw something peculiar in the car’s bumper or front plate, but she clearly didn’t win the right of way.
Winchell, the clip’s uploader, has since labeled the old woman as a “Karen,” even going so far as to air out her grievances with the old woman online. Winchell’s viewers have also echoed her sentiments toward the old woman, with many assuming she’s being petty and entitled with her behavior, especially with the part where she refused to move into the area designated for pedestrians.
People online are calling her act illegal
Sadly for the presumed “Karen,” some people and X users have commented that her gesture and the mere act of blocking the road were not exactly legal. One commenter even claimed that what she did was “Not legal by the way. It’s considered impeding traffic. You can walk in the street but not in the middle of the lane.”
The X user could be referring to Florida Statute § 316.130, which does indeed state that “Blocking traffic or standing in the lane is illegal and can result in a citation for impeding traffic or pedestrian obstruction” if there is a sidewalk present. Still, it’s not clear whether the driver will take the old woman to court or not, seeing as she moved out of the way anyway.
More than anything, it appears people online are simply finding the Karen’s behavior a nuisance, which is likely all too common these days in many affluent neighborhoods. Hence, frustrations were aired out in the comment section, “She must be a delight at parties,” assumes an X user. Another, however, jokes, “Strange. She’s taking a picture of him & his vehicle? He must have had a Trump bumper sticker. 🤣”
