i actually prefer the inside of the bed, the bottom bunk, the seat with my back facing the wall in the restaurant. Not because I want someone to protect me... I live in canada. what someone going to do? say excuse me, please? I dont have that sense of fear where I feel i need protecting from anything.
However, I feel more comfortable and relaxed in closed in spaces. I even love little dark caves. Childhood thing.
However, the sidewalk thing... if someone is *always* on the outside of me i find it restricts my movement as zig zag around and look at things. People actually get in the way when they do that rigidly. If they can do it so I don't notice that's what they are doing? fab. but it does get irritating when I start feeling hemmed in by someone who insists on always being on the outside. Doing it as is organic and flowing, mixing it up as we move around, but I have been with really "must. walk. on. outside. edge" and they have fucked my natural piddling about with meandering. It starts to feel like someone walking sideways next to you being a human fence.
and as the song goes ... "don't fence me in"
But I do love those who can pull off smooth manners like that without me noticing. That takes some skill. Just like I do very subtle things that I personally consider old fashioned, and the point is that they are to be seamless and unnoticable. at least, that the way I like to perform them
