People Who Do A Fake Jog Crossing The Street When A Car Stops For Them Usually Have These Specific 11 Personality Traits
Serhiy Bondar | Shutterstock The moment when a car stops for you when you’re trying to cross the street is the tiniest bit awkward. Obviously, it was incredibly nice for that driver to stop and let you cross, even if you had the right of way — not everyone honors that these days. But there’s still a little bit of discomfort that comes with having to get out of that car’s way. For some people, that manifests as a quick jog, to make it appear they are crossing faster. And people who do a fake jog crossing the street when a car stops for them usually have very specific personality traits.
Frankly, a lot of people struggle with self-confidence, which would be the thing that would allow them to strut across the street like they own it. Writing about self-confidence, clinical psychologist Barbara Markway said, “Your genes, cultural background, childhood experiences, and other life circumstances all play a role.” So, if you feel the need to do a fake jog, there’s a chance that you’re not even making the conscious choice to do so.
People who do a fake jog crossing the street when a car stops for them usually have these specific 11 personality traits
1. People-pleasing
fizkes | Shutterstock
There’s really no need for someone to feel like they have to please the person who stopped their car so they could cross the street. It was just a nice thing to do, and a simple wave or nod of acknowledgement would suffice. But people who are people-pleasers put everyone else’s feelings before their own, so they might fake a jog to make it look like they are doing their best not to take up too much time.
As licensed professional counselor Marissa Moore explained, some people want to be viewed in a positive light so much that it hurts them. “Some people want to be liked so badly that they will sacrifice their wishes and desires to prioritize fulfilling other’s desires,” she said. “Excessive self-sacrifice can lead to resentment and an unhealthy dependence on other people.”
Doing a fake jog when crossing the street in front of a car likely doesn’t mean someone has completely given up on themselves and turned to “excessive self-sacrifice,” but it is a sign that the tendency is there. They want others to think the best of them and not feel inconvenienced in any way, so they make it look like they’re moving out of their way as fast as possible.
2. Self-conscious
New Africa | Shutterstock
Another possibility is that people who do a fake jog when crossing the street are self-conscious. They don’t like being the center of attention, and nothing says “center of attention” quite like having to cross the street by yourself in front of a stopped car. It’s like walking across a runway, and they don’t want to face that kind of judgment, even if it’s only perceived.
Clinical psychologist Arlin Cuncic shared, “Self-consciousness refers to a tendency to be preoccupied with your own appearance or actions, particularly about how you think others might perceive you. This heightened awareness of the self can contribute to distress, discomfort, and anxiety.”
Self-conscious people are worried about what others think of them, and crossing the street when a car or two has stopped can feel like a moment when the spotlight is completely on them. Doing a fake jog in this situation might not make a lot of sense because a driver could easily judge them for that too, but it makes them feel better and like they are less of a burden to move faster.
3. Polite
G-Stock Studio | Shutterstock
People who do a fake jog crossing the street when a car stops for them are usually incredibly polite, perhaps the most polite among us. They’re very aware of the fact that someone else stopped their car just so they could cross, and they don’t take that for granted. Instead, they show their appreciation by moving quickly and not taking up any more time or space than what is absolutely necessary.
Philosophy professor Aaron Ben-Zeév explained that being polite is sometimes more for show than out of an actual sense of kindness. “Politeness is not intrinsically positive — in fact, it has two major problematic elements — superficiality and deceptiveness,” he said. “Most kinds of politeness are concerned with superficial rules, which often vary between cultures.”
The truth is, it’s entirely possible that someone’s polite behavior is just superficial. Someone who does a fake jog may not be genuinely polite deep down, but feels the need to act that way because of what is socially expected of them. Whatever the case is, that person is exhibiting some serious politeness by not taking up others’ time.
4. Conflict-avoidant
Hryshchyshen Serhii | Shutterstock
Chances are that if a car stops to let someone cross the street and they walk across at a normal pace, that driver isn’t going to get mad at them and start shaking their fist out their window. However, someone who does a fake jog may still dislike conflict. They don’t want it to seem like they’re creating a problem, even if it is only perceived, by taking an inordinate amount of time to cross the street.
Health journalist Cindy Lamothe explained that avoiding conflict can actually be a form of people-pleasing that doesn’t do a person any favors. “When you avoid the slightest disagreement, you’re compromising your true feelings and storing up frustration that can end up negatively affecting your health,” she noted.
Still, striving to avoid annoying anyone who stops their car shows more courtesy than it does shutting down emotionally. The person doing the fake jog knows the likelihood of them getting into some kind of actual fight with the driver is minuscule, but they still want to show plenty of respect for them.
5. Anxious
pathdoc | Shutterstock
It’s possible that someone who does a fake jog when they cross the street is actually feeling some anxiety. They’re not entirely comfortable with the situation, and they worry that the driver of the car that stopped is judging them, so they move quickly. When you get that feeling of tightness in your chest and your thoughts start racing, it can be hard to convince yourself otherwise.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life... [generalized anxiety disorder] usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety that interferes with how you live your life. It is not the same as occasionally worrying about things or experiencing anxiety due to stressful life events.”
Someone who feels anxiety when crossing the street could be experiencing either that more typical anxiety that everyone feels from time to time, or could be dealing with generalized anxiety disorder. Whatever the case is, something makes them feel a bit anxious about a car having to stop for them to cross, and it just doesn’t sit well with them.
6. Rule-follower
Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock
People who do a little jog when crossing the street are probably natural rule-followers. Of course, there’s no law that says you must do a fake jog when you cross the street in front of a car, but for these people, it feels like they are fulfilling some kind of social contract. That person made their life easier, so they are trying to do the same in return.
In a study published in Nature Human Behaviour, researchers discovered that “people expect rule-conformity.” Just because there’s no official code of social conduct out there, there are definitely rules that people think you should follow. They noted that people followed these rules because they felt it was “socially appropriate.”
It could easily be compared to waving to a driver that stops for you to cross the street. It’s just a social custom that people have come to expect. These people want to keep society moving as smoothly as possible and do what they can to not cause any disruptions or distractions, so they do a fake jog in an attempt to make someone else’s life easier.
7. Socially awkward
Motortion Films | Shutterstock
While this may not apply to everyone who does a fake jog when crossing the street, it’s quite possible that many of them feel socially awkward. It is an uncomfortable situation when you think about it. A car has stopped, so you don’t want to take forever crossing the street and place a burden on them or make them regret their kindness. It’s just one of those circumstances some people don’t know how to handle.
Licensed professional clinical counselor Dr. Nicholette Leanza said, “It can be very difficult for socially awkward people to read other people’s body language or behavior. Since social cues and norms can be very hard for them to decipher, this can develop a lot of anxiety within a person and may make them want to avoid social situations.”
Socially awkward people don’t feel comfortable in social situations, and they often don’t know how to react. This can manifest when doing things like crossing the street. They’ll wonder if they should wave, smile, or even fake jog, and they just might end up doing all three. They just don’t read the situation well.
8. Time conscious
iona didishvili | Shutterstock
People who do a fake jog crossing the street when a car stops for them usually tend to be very conscious of their time, and are sensitive to how they may be causing others to spend their own time. Obviously, it takes less than a minute to cross the street, but they may feel like that time is weighing on them and they are wasting the driver’s time. This isn’t really accurate, but they’ve got it stuck in their heads.
Professor Jim Taylor, PhD, described himself as a “timeist.” He said, “A timeist is someone who discriminates against others who waste their time. And I really hate it when people waste my time!” He added, “In every experience or encounter, we implicitly or explicitly conduct a risk/reward analysis of time-worthiness and then act accordingly.”
Of course, crossing the street when a driver stops for you to do so does not count as wasting their time. Someone who’s more sensitive to time and how valuable it is is more likely to hold others’ time in high esteem and do whatever they can to make sure to help them use it wisely, even if it means fake jogging across the street.
9. Not entitled
iona didishvili | Shutterstock
It makes sense that a person like this does not feel entitled at all. Think about it — usually, when a car stops to let someone cross the street, it’s because pedestrians have the right of way. This means that person crossing the street technically has a legal right to take as much time as they want. But by making it appear that they’re hurrying, they’re showing that they don’t think they’re any more important than the driver.
Cuncic noted, “People with a sense of entitlement think they deserve special treatment. They expect to get preferential treatment and special favors in life without regard for why they should be treated specially. Their view is ‘the world owes me.’”
This is the exact opposite of how those fake joggers feel. They may have the right of way, but they know the road doesn’t belong to them. They’re sharing it with drivers, and they show them the respect they deserve. Their priority is to cross the street as quickly as possible so they don’t hold anyone up.
10. Socially aware
Jose Calsina | Shutterstock
Being socially aware can be a useful trait to have, and it’s one that people who do a fake jog crossing the street when a car stops for them usually have. Instead of just ignoring the people around them, they acknowledge them. Much like someone waving to a car when crossing the street, they’re signaling that they know that driver stopped for them when they didn’t have to, and they appreciate it.
Resiliency and wellness scholar Robyne Hanley-Dafoe offered a helpful definition of what social awareness is. She said, “Social awareness is the ability to read the room, see things from other people’s perspectives, sense and understand the emotional needs of others, and show empathy.”
Obviously, in the brief amount of time it takes to cross the street, a person isn’t necessarily going to be able to do all of those things. But they are able to read the situation and understand how it feels to be the driver that stopped. They want to show that the driver matters to them, so they hurry up a little.
11. Dutiful
ANNA GRANT | Shutterstock
One final trait of people who do a fake jog crossing the street is that they do what they were taught and remain dutiful to those actions. Whether their parents taught them when they were growing up or they just picked up on it from the general behavior of others, they understand that offering some kind of acknowledgement when a car stops to let them cross the street is the appropriate thing to do.
This links back to that person being a rule-follower. They know they’re supposed to do what they’ve watched others do their whole life and not deviate from these social norms. Repeating the actions they’ve seen others do is just natural to them. For some, that will look like fake jogging, and for others, it will look like something else.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
