Lone urban entrants sometimes back into a room to protect their gaze.

Evidence

This is a relatively common ploy when three persons are entering together. The lead person turns at the moment of entrance so as to face his companions and literally backs into the setting. Presumably in such situations, one’s companions, who are looking forward, can be relied upon to provide warnings of any imminent disasters. However, it is not unusual to observe a lone individual employ the same tactic, maintaining his gaze from the moment of entrance until he is well within the setting of the area he has just passed through. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 860

Categorization

• SHARE: For a colleague who studies proxemics or urban surveillance: the solo individual who backs into a public setting, keeping eyes on where they came from, is a documented evasion of the observer’s gaze.