The world where the sidewalk rule existed is a world of patriarchy and inequality where men and women were seen as unequal so men had a duty to protect women. Observing the sidewalk rule is a display of benevolent patriarchy, and that’s just the simple truth. As the majority of the western world have rejected patriarchy, and that’s perfectly fine, unfortunately what that means is that chivalrous things like the sidewalk rule will die a natural death. You can’t eat your cake and have it too. You can’t say you want to dismantle a system that oppresses you but you also want to keep some parts of the system that benefits you. It doesn’t work like that. You can’t have equal rights without equal treatment and equal responsibilities. Do I think men should do the sidewalk rule for women they love? 100% Yes. Absolutely. I think men should always protect the women they love. But do I think every woman should have a right to this from every random man, or demand this from every man? No. It’s not a right, sorry dear. It’s a privilege. If you ever get it, be grateful. If you don’t get it, stop crying and move on, no man owes it to you. Welcome to 2026. If you are not a child, a disabled person, or an elderly person, on what grounds actually should a random man put his life at risk and allow himself to be killed for you by a car on the streets? A world of equal rights is a world of equal responsibilities, equal duties, equal expectations and equal treatment. Again, welcome to 2026. Chivalry is a privilege today, not a right.