It's catching. Like the supposed Mass Hysteria. There is the Spontaneous Family/Friends/Social Gabbing group.
There's probably an analogy in biology for how this happens-and why... (maybe something along the lines of kidney stones forming or thrombosis that ends up causing heart attacks).

Two people bump into each other in town, or in a supermarket. Maybe it's two people, maybe it's four or five. Sod's luck, it might even be eight of 'em. A couple of buggies as well, perhaps some outlying shopping trollies full of 'borrowed' supermarket items. Often as not, even a dog on a string and Granny in a Bath Chair. To top it off, an additional cycle of restless toddlers orbitting the group like snot-ridden hyperactive bees.

Then the core members of the obstruction recognise each other and slam on the anchors.

Stop dead.

Exactly where they were, while other ambling folks behind stack up to avoid walking into them. Everyone is quietly cursing and observing as they exchange shrieky greetings.

Pretty soon, a whole smoothly running walkway/supermarket aisle and/or transit system is backed up and gridlocked because those few people are too engrossed with coffee morning chat of inconsequential importance to give a shit about the rest of the world as it tries to go about its business unimpeded.

Shopping trollies clash, people loudly tut and STILL these gits are forming a human obstruction, an unconscious inconvenience, as regular shopping folks who know WHERE they want to go and exactly HOW they're going to get there, are jammed in because oblivious tarts and dull-witted dickheads are carrying out their social small-talk in public instead of where it should be, in the pub or social club or (for the good of all mankind) on Skype.

The irony of this is that - as I've often seen - if anyone has the temerity to speak up and say 'YOU'RE BLOCKING THE WAY' the riposte is almost always 'WELL YOU'RE IGNORANT'. Ignorant being the new way that dull uneducated folks like to insult people by implying they are dull and uneducated.
( Rotating Wobbly Hat That's not a banana. THIS is a banana., Thu 29 Nov 2012, 23:38, 2 replies)

So your story is
someone got in your way?
(username failed moderation, Fri 30 Nov 2012, 9:57, closed)

No. My story is, some people always get in everyone else's way.
I am not in the slightest bit butthurt about it. Well, just a bit.
( Rotating Wobbly Hat That's not a banana. THIS is a banana., Fri 30 Nov 2012, 11:45, closed)