Whenever I see someone walking in the middle of the road I get irritated

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Okay, I am curious and yes a bit agitated. Back when I was a teenager everyone who did not drive a vehicle or rode a bicycle used the sidewalk when walking. Now today, I see a lot of pedestrians walking in the center of the roads, even with a perfectly good sidewalk right next to them. When I asked one of the streetwalkers (knew them personally) why he was walking in the middle of the road, he told me he didn’t want to trip on the sidewalk. I find that stupid to be honest. He would rather get hit by a vehicle than suffer minor injuries from what he was basically telling me. For the life of me, I don’t understand it. Many times while I was driving, I had to circle around a group of street walkers who refused to move out of the way. To make matters worse, another vehicle in the opposite direction was coming and one of us would have to wait to avoid a collision. It is truly frustrating. My temper boils whenever I see someone walking in the middle of the street with a sidewalk or grassy area close by. Now if there is no other place to walk, then along the side of the road is fine, but not in the middle. We were taught that pedestrians have rights, but so do drivers. I have been both a pedestrian and a driver, and not one is above the other. In order to minimize accidents, we have to look out for one another. This means that drivers should keep their car well maintained, their lights working, and pay attention while driving. Pedestrians should not walk in the center of the road, should wear clothing that reflects the light, and pay attention to their surroundings. The list goes on and on. Do people walk in the center of the streets where you live? Are you comfortable with it, or is it something you’d wish would stop? Or do you walk in the streets when there’s a sidewalk near by? If you do, what is your logical explanation for walking in the road?