When I was in Belgium, I found myself bumping into people on the footpath. It was the first time that I’d lived in a country that drove on the right, but I had no idea that traffic rules transfered themselves onto pedestrians too – aside from the idea that it’s safer to walk on the side of the road with oncoming traffic. For months, I habitually stepped to the left when approaching someone coming the other way. They habitually stepped right and we found ourselves doing the footpath tango. When I finally realised what was happening, I started stepping right. I took note when travelling and found that the rule holds in every country. People step to the same side as the traffic. Except in Bhutan.
Once again, here I find myself constantly doing the footpath tango and I didn’t get it. I’d be walking up stairs or down a footpath and I’d step to the left to match the official traffic direction only to find my dance partner has followed me. But that word ‘official’ is the giveaway. Bhutanese drivers don’t always drive on the left, even on the highway, so why should they always step to the left. Their walking actions match their driving habits exactly. And my faith in the predictability of the world is in tact.
This sounds reasonable for Bhutan, because cars are quite new to the country. Therefore only a small percentage of the population have regular experience driving.
Most likely the people you run into on the footpath, have never driven before. That will make an instinctive difference.