Is walking "nothing"?

 As I have found from my research, in different periods and historical contexts the practice of walking has often been considered an anti-system act and a questioning of general culture. 

In contrast to what Rebecca Solnit said 

"...and doing nothing is hard to do. It's best done by disguising it as doing something, and the something closest to doing nothing is walking."

(Solnit, Rebecca. Wanderlust, 2001, (p.5). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle edition.) 

some authors have highlighted how the act of walking can be considered anything but nothing. 

Walking doesn't make you invisible, walking anywhere in the world makes you part of that world and brings about a change, whether we want it or not. 

Walking is a statement of intent and can be considered a threat. 

Walking can be dangerous.

"The Pakistani British novelist Kamila Shamsie’s words remain true: “A woman walking alone after midnight is always too conscious of being alone to properly inhabit that space which is solitude.” In a similar vein, the writer Garnette Cadogan’s “Walking While Black”—which you won’t find in Minshull’s recent anthology—describes the “cop-proof wardrobe” that enables safe public walking: “Light-colored oxford shirt. V-neck sweater. Khaki pants. Chukkas. Sweatshirt or T-shirt with my university insignia.” His essay asks us to consider how a literary creation can germinate on a stroll when “the sidewalk [is] a minefield.”"

(Lapointe, Michael JUL 14, 2019 , https://it.scribd.com/article/419478799/The-Unbearable-Smugness-Of-Walking , accessed on 27/12/2022)

In our day and age, while we may wander and walk wherever we please, our presence, particularly if we have a camera, can often be viewed with suspicion and hostility. 

The times when Henry Cartier Bresson could stop a couple and photograph them while kissing, are gone. Street photography, as well as photographic flaneurism, are not easy to practice and I have personally experienced some negative effects. The most frequent is having to explain what is being done and why: to affirm that nothing is being done planned and that one is being guided by instinct and by chance, is extremely a source of suspicion and hostility.

Personally, I still haven't solved the dilemma of what attitude and body language to use and what photographic equipment.

Given that being invisible is a utopia, I've had contrasting experiences: sometimes a clearly professional attitude and equipment have induced respect and collaboration. Other times, a light-hearted attitude and equipment that looks like a tourist have been effective. 

I think a lot depends on where you are, and the general conclusion is that degraded or socially problematic places should be visited with inconspicuous equipment and disenchanted behaviour. However, I've noticed that people would rather prefer to be told you're doing a college project than a news report, a touristic set or, worse, an artistic body of work.