What is the sidewalk rule on TikTok?

TIKTOK is an ever-evolving world full of new trends, and a new fad about where men should be walking on the sidewalk is gaining popularity.

This new TikTok trend is as dated as they come, but some women are raving about the results.

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What is the sidewalk rule on TikTok?

The sidewalk rule means that when walking, the man walks with a woman on the curb of the sidewalk.

It’s being blown up on TikTok because women have recently rediscovered this chivalrous gesture that predates modern plumbing.

The TikToks with the hashtag #sidewalkrule has 139,000 views.

However, there are hundreds of videos that show up under a search for “sidewalk rule” that just weren’t tagged.

Most videos feature women dancing, twirling their hair, singing, using heart-eye emoji filters, and other creative ways to show their enthusiasm for men who know the rule.

Others are from men proclaiming that they know and consistently practice the sidewalk rule.

Where does the sidewalk rule come from?

According to 101.5 WPHD, the sidewalk rule has its origins in 16th-century England, when people dumped the waste from their bedpans down the gutters, which ended up in the streets.

This and the elaborate dresses of the day meant women roamed about and avoided human waste.

Therefore, of course, any good gentleman would step onto the outside of the sidewalk in case a horse and carriage spurted garbage in their direction.

Today the rule is a question of respect for women; While we no longer have sewage on the roads, there is now a chance of an oncoming car going off the road or splashing a puddle.

What similar rules are there?

The rule of a man asking a father for his daughter’s hand before proposing to his bride-to-be is another prominent example of a rule that arose before we have its official history.

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In the past, this was done so the man could share whatever official title he might have and to ensure that the father was willing to place a dowry on his daughter’s hand.

Today a man asks because he wants to be respectful to his future father-in-law, not because he claims his bride as his property.