>Is there a law of the internet that for every trivial thing you can find someone with absurdly strong opinions leaving comments about it?

There has to be, it's one of the few constants of the internet.

That said: you merely have to experience umbrellas in a high-density environment a couple times before those opinions are the only rational response. Umbrellas are hostile to everyone within reach. (corollary: whenever that number remains at zero, they're perfectly fine)

But it does work in Tokyo, maybe it's the people

I'm specifically talking about NYC.

It's definitely the people.

It's something quite a few people have opinions on; usually in rainy cities with crowded sidewalks. I see very few people using umbrellas in central Dublin, for what it's worth. Most annoying are the tourists who seem to think that it's raining just because it's cloudy, and open their gigantic umbrellas in response.

You have no idea how much umbrellas suck on NYC sidewalks. You literally have no clue. They are awful.

Golf umbrellas suck. Smaller umbrellas are no more a nuisance than than circumventing slow walking tourists on the street.

Umbrellamentalist is obviously the most correct word for this.

Walk around Brooklyn on a rainy day. You'll be on my side before you know it.