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Primitivo - uncomfortable occurance - San Ramao to Melide

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Time of past OR future Camino
2015 - planning done and now future
Hi All, My son said I was paranoid and we HAD been walking a long time in very remote parts of the Camino Primitivo, and still my "mom, NYer self" has not been able to shed this, so I am sharing it. In the last ten km after the downward side of the mountain, we were on a stretch of road. When most cars passed us, they would move further from us and keep going if they came from behind. If facing us, I would always wave and look the driver in the eye. I am walking with a 13 year old son, and have been dressing in bright colors - orange scarf and bright print rain jacket that I grabbed before we left home. Not intentional and has certainly been useful. Anyway, this one time this car comes zooming from behind and then slows eerily as driver passes us. He fully looked us up and down and then slowly drove away. It really made me weak-kneed. So much so that I had my son (we argued) call the Albergue that we were headed to. I asked him to say...here is where we are, we are still coming, how far are we, etc....just to have someone on the phone (I don't speak Spanish and my son does). Anyway, I felt that if something happened ( what if the car came back?), at least we had a touch-stone and a time. I have been processing this ever since ( why didn't I take the license plate number?, etc.,). The odd thing was - well, that the whole thing was odd. The guy was driving a large silver Mercedes and may have just been grumpy to share the road with pilgrims. I can still see his face though and he just didn't seem to be a local (whatever that means!), so it still feels haunting.
 
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Another reason to always walk facing traffic.
You can see what is coming toward you and, hopefully, take evasive action if ever needed. Cars coming from behind sneak up on you and you may not hear them coming.

Hopefully, you can shake the bad feeling you had about the one driver and enjoy your Camino memories. Chances are very high that it really was just a non-event.
Happy for you to be blessed to walk the Camino with your son. A life memory for both of you.
 
He fully looked us up and down and then slowly drove away. It really made me weak-kneed. So much so that I had my son (we argued) call the Albergue that we were headed to.
You had nothing to worry about. The driver glared at you because you were BREAKING THE LAW. When walking in most parts of Spain you MUST walk facing the oncoming traffic. I have known police cars pull up and move pedestrians across the road so they're facing oncoming traffic.
Walking on the 'wrong' side is madness - especially on blind bends. Traffic will be on top of you before you - or they - know it.
And the same principle applies when walking in the UK.
Buen camino - and be safe!
 
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Stephen is correct. In Spain, the law requires you to circulate on the left side of the road, as far from the edge of the tarmac as possible, facing oncoming traffic. This could quite possibly have been the reason the man looked at you so aggressively, but you cannot entirely discount other motives, either. If it made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, then you were right and prudent to take the precautions that you did.

And, while I'm sure your son is a great kid, I would definitely trust my own instincts over a 13-year-old's chiding about being paranoid! (I am basing that on my memories of how naive I was about the world at his age, so no insult intended... ;) )
 
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Teresa, while it may not have been something ominous such as someone considering an abduction, my experience in rural areas in the U.S. is that now and again males do this slowing down/cruising to have a look at you to determine if they want to approach you (as in street harrassment or, as happened several times when I was younger - to press you to get in their car - regardless of which side of the road you're walking on). It is frightening and anger-inducing and you were right to be concerned about this behavior. It may have been about walking on the wrong side of the road, but if so, why would this person not have said that to you? As someone else said, I wouldn't go with a 13 year old (or maybe even a male's) interpretation of this.

Glad you got on the phone and made a call. I keep my cell phone in hand in isolated areas and carry pepper spray as well - and don't care if it's only legal for use on dogs in Spain. I think it helps send a message when you're actively viewing or responding on your phone that you're in connection with someone else who could track them down if need be. Glad you're safe and have a good rest of your Camino!
 
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I agree, in Galicia and Asturias in many roads there is no enough room for car and pedestrian. So walking facing oncoming traffic you can leave the road towards your left in case you see potential danger and this way the car can keep its right.
 
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I was walking with the traffic on a rural stretch of the Camino with my 13yo son last Spring. A tractor pulling a manure spreader went by us, and then the farmer actually stopped his tractor, got off, and came and explained to me that I was on the wrong side of the road. He was concerned about my safety. So, I thanked him, and moved over to walk against the traffic for the rest of our walk.

Later, I saw cars honking at the pilgrims walking with the traffic. I don't think the pilgrims knew why they were honking-- and we were on the other side of the road, so we couldn't tell them.
 
On the Norte we constantly saw people walking on the "wrong" side of the road i.e. walking with the traffic. I can never understand it. It just seems common sense to me to walking facing the oncoming traffic. Thank you @Navarricano for telling us the law; I now can say something, gently, to alert people.
 
Walking on the 'wrong' side is madness - especially on blind bends.
I agree. But I would add that the one exception here is when one encounters the blind corner while walking on the correct side (in Spain this would be the left side). We encountered one such blind corner on the Francés where there was no shoulder on the road. It would have been sheer lunacy trying to negotiate that corner on the left side. We crossed over to the righthand side of the road (the 'wrong' side) to negotiate the corner. Then, when it was safe to do so, we crossed back to the left side to continue.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I agree. But I would add that the one exception here is when one encounters the blind corner while walking on the correct side (in Spain this would be the left side). We encountered one such blind corner on the Francés where there was no shoulder on the road. It would have been sheer lunacy trying to negotiate that corner on the left side. We crossed over to the righthand side of the road (the 'wrong' side) to negotiate the corner. Then, when it was safe to do so, we crossed back to the left side to continue.
Absolutely correct! But, as you say Icacos, stay on the 'wrong' side only until you've cleared the blind corner :)
 
You had nothing to worry about. The driver glared at you because you were BREAKING THE LAW. When walking in most parts of Spain you MUST walk facing the oncoming traffic. I have known police cars pull up and move pedestrians across the road so they're facing oncoming traffic.
Walking on the 'wrong' side is madness - especially on blind bends. Traffic will be on top of you before you - or they - know it.
And the same principle applies when walking in the UK.
Buen camino - and be safe!
Actually we were Very Much Facing Traffic! I know you are trying to tell me without reading what I said! It was a small road and we were on the left. What are you saying we are doing wrong?
 
You had nothing to worry about. The driver glared at you because you were BREAKING THE LAW. When walking in most parts of Spain you MUST walk facing the oncoming traffic. I have known police cars pull up and move pedestrians across the road so they're facing oncoming traffic.
Walking on the 'wrong' side is madness - especially on blind bends. Traffic will be on top of you before you - or they - know it.
And the same principle applies when walking in the UK.
Buen camino - and be safe!
Hi Stephen, it's the same in Holland. Walking facing on coming traffic.
Wish you well, Peter.
 
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Teresa, I also didn’t understand the replies you got from your post. You did nothing wrong! You never once said which side of the road you were walking on. The point was that there was a possible abductor on the camino, and you were understandably concerned. You did the right thing! Jill
 
Teresa, while it may not have been something ominous such as someone considering an abduction, my experience in rural areas in the U.S. is that now and again males do this slowing down/cruising to have a look at you to determine if they want to approach you (as in street harrassment or, as happened several times when I was younger - to press you to get in their car - regardless of which side of the road you're walking on). It is frightening and anger-inducing and you were right to be concerned about this behavior. It may have been about walking on the wrong side of the road, but if so, why would this person not have said that to you? As someone else said, I wouldn't go with a 13 year old (or maybe even a male's) interpretation of this.

Glad you got on the phone and made a call. I keep my cell phone in hand in isolated areas and carry pepper spray as well - and don't care if it's only legal for use on dogs in Spain. I think it helps send a message when you're actively viewing or responding on your phone that you're in connection with someone else who could track them down if need be. Glad you're safe and have a good rest of your Camino!
I think you are one of the few that gets this. Thanks for listening! Our Camino has been great and continues to be so.
 
Settle people. There may have been an initial misunderstanding about what side of the road Teresa was on, but generally the posts are just commenting on each other and don't relate back to the initial post.

We don't know if the incident was sinister or not, as Teresa rightly pointed out in her original post, we really have no way of knowing, but she was wise to be cautious. Let's just leave it at that.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Teresa, I also didn’t understand the replies you got from your post. You did nothing wrong! You never once said which side of the road you were walking on. The point was that there was a possible abductor on the camino, and you were understandably concerned. You did the right thing! Jill
I have and continue to meet great and kind and frindly people to the max on both the Norte and Primitivo routes. I am sure I was putting my note out there as a "Be Aware". It really was a one car road so there wasn't much to do. In walking to Santiago one walks on the left unless there is a trail on the right. And this part was trail-less. As you said, when and if we've done something that needed correcting, it was done kindly ( as in a word or grammar correction!). As I have known for many miles that we were doing nothing wrong in terms our path/method of road use, we can put that whole thread to bed!
 
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I think you are one of the few that gets this. Thanks for listening! Our Camino has been great and continues to be so.
I hear you and wish you and your son well, Teresa. I was out hiking the very rural/isolated mountain roads around here after reading your post and wondering why people on here were assuming that you were an inexperiennced hiker and were not facing traffic.......In fact, on all smaller backroads when you're walking on the side of the road that faces traffic the lane you're in, cars coming from the other direction are ALWAYS coming up from behind you - it's kind of how the physical world works.

It bothers me that there are so many extremely bright, accomplished and knowledgeable people on this forum, but yet there is so much assuming going on and so much dismissing and minimizing of women's safety issues. You brought up a valid concern and it seems like people piled on to tell you what you experienced was due to something you did wrong. I can almost hear the attitude that you've brought your New York or United States fears with you and that it's you, not the reality of the situation.

I have yet to hike in this particular hike in this particular country of the world, and am not afraid because by listening to what women alone have shared (and men who grasp the issues) I have a better understanding of the realities vs. the rosy picture. Your situation is compounded by having a child to protect (even though he's a probably a larger child).

I will continue to listen here for safety advisories until I leave, but am very sorry to see - despite all the obvious evidence that there are issues - women's experiences getting blown off as invalid and worse, trying to correct them instead of trying to support them and help them realistically.
 
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I too assumed (wrongly) that Teresa was walking on the wrong side of the road but in none of the post above have I seen anyone minimizing or dismissing Teresa's fears, I saw people offering a simple explanation for the incident. Teresa was right to post this but I see no reason for any other poster to assume what others are thinking when they read this post nor are they trying to put any rosy gloss on the incident. There are safety issues on the Camino especially for women but accusing posters of piling on the OP is not helpful to anyone.
 
I too assumed (wrongly) that Teresa was walking on the wrong side of the road but in none of the post above have I seen anyone minimizing or dismissing Teresa's fears, I saw people offering a simple explanation for the incident. Teresa was right to post this but I see no reason for any other poster to assume what others are thinking when they read this post nor are they trying to put any rosy gloss on the incident. There are safety issues on the Camino especially for women but accusing posters of piling on the OP is not helpful to anyone.
This really is self-evident and what I wrote is based on watching this Forum for quite awhile. Your response is offensive. Thanks to everyone who has helped. I'm done here.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Actually we were Very Much Facing Traffic! I know you are trying to tell me without reading what I said! It was a small road and we were on the left. What are you saying we are doing wrong?
I then send you back to your original post in which you said: "Anyway, this one time this car comes zooming from behind and then slows eerily as driver passes us." If the car is comming zooming from behind you were not facing it.
 
I know this doesn't apply in Teresa's case, but we did see many people walking on the right-hand side of the road on our Camino. I attributed it to two things: Perhaps they were from a country where driving on the left is normal, and while engrossed in conversation with other pilgrims, they simply forgot where they were and reverted to their customary side of the road for walking. Others, having becoming used to walking on some of the minor roads which make up the Camino where there is little traffic, have gotten lax about paying attention to traffic and that carries over when they get on busier roads.

The advice about bright-colored clothing is right on, in fact the law in many European countries. My wife and I are getting ready to embark on a Camino-like pilgrimage here in the US, and we'll be wearing safety orange or safety green clothing and backpack covers when walking along roads, even though it's not required by law here.
 
......If the car is comming zooming from behind you were not facing it.
I'm not sure I agree with you @Anemone del Camino. If one is walking on a very narrow road - and many of the Camino roads are narrow - one can be walking on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic, and still a car coming from the opposite direction can come zooming up from behind. The OP did say it was a small road; perhaps she meant a narrow road.
 
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I'm not sure I agree with you @Anemone del Camino. If one is walking on a very narrow road - and many of the Camino roads are narrow - one can be walking on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic, and still a car coming from the opposite direction can come zooming up from behind. The OP did say it was a small road; perhaps she meant a narrow road.
Wait, if I am walking on a one way street and a car comes from behind, how could I be facing it, no matter what 'side' of the road I'm on? "Comming from behind" is the key statement here, no? And as someone who has just walked the Primitivo, I can tell you there are spots where when you are on the left side facing traffic you do risk getting killed by oncoming trafic (up the hill as you are nearing Esclampero comes to mind, but that is one of the very few spots I remember, but this is a different matter, the Norte has a lot of these turns in the road). As long as you don't have eyes behind the head you cannot have a car zoom from behind while you are facing it. I think ;0)

Initial post: "we were on a stretch of road (no mention of small or narrow, just a road) ... Anyway, this one time this car comes zooming from behind and then slows eerily as driver passes us." In her first response later she says : "Actually we were Very Much Facing Traffic!" My last post on this, but logic fails me, clearly.

As for wearing bright colours: fantastic idea. I had never realised how useful this was until this walk on the Primitivo when I turned back and saw some bright orange. Thought it was a local maintenance person of somesort: electric, what have you. He was through branches of trees and a good 200 meters back. Yet I saw him. Turns out it was a pilgrim, a wise one. I am now on the market looking for a super light orange or yellow running cap of some sort for my next Camino.
 
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