My mother has provided some great advice over the years, but this one I never liked. It was, "a man should be on the side closest to the road when walking with a lady." Now maybe in the days of a horse and buggy that saved the date from being splashed by mud but today all I can see is that if a car climbs the curb, I get hit first. Then again, I would be quite a cad if I did it the other way around--so my tip is per my mother--the man should walk on the side closest to the traffic.