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User_gary Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

The head, backs towards oncoming traffic

This suggestion or guideline may not apply to all circumstances. The advice here does not apply to travel in one direction along one-way streets. The advice here does not apply if you are at the head or in the middle of a column of people walking with their backs towards oncoming traffic. But the people at the rear of the column with their backs towards oncoming traffic may have cause for complaint. This advice also does not apply when following it means crossing a dangerous flow of traffic.

Please explain to me the emboldened parts.

Though I guess "the head" means "at the front of the columnar of people" but I wonder what they mean by "backs towards oncoming traffic". Though I know "oncoming traffic" means "Vehicles that are moving towards you".

Source : http://whyslopes.com/freeAccess/safety.html
  

Top answer

A column of people is a line of people all facing in the same direction, walking single file. If their backs are toward oncoming traffic, they are travelling in the same direction in which the traffic is travelling. " Where traffic is travelling in both directions, the people would be travelling (facing) in the same direction as the traffic on the side of the street on which the people were walking.

  • A column of people is a line of people all facing in the same direction, walking single file.
  • If their backs are toward oncoming traffic, they are travelling in the same direction in which the traffic is travelling.
  • " Where traffic is travelling in both directions, the people would be travelling (facing) in the same direction as the traffic on the side of the street on which the people were walking.
  • To be at the head of a column would be to lead the column.
  • To be in the middle of the column should be self-explanatory.
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2 Answers
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A column of people is a line of people all facing in the same direction, walking single file. If their backs are toward oncoming traffic, they are travelling in the same direction in which the traffic is travelling. This would be opposite from "facing oncoming traffic."

Where traffic is travelling in both directions, the people would be travelling (facing) in the same direction as the t
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Yes, "the head" means "the front".

As you say, "oncoming traffic" means "vehicles moving towards you". "backs" refers to the part of the anatomy, and "towards" means "pointing in the direction of". So, if people have their backs towards oncoming traffic, then, rather than facing the traffic, the traffic is coming up from behind them.

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