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Pedestrian Etiquette
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It's true. Vast numbers of people, walkers or runners have embraced insularity.
It's that 'all about me, my time' thing. Shit! I even have a sister who is so self centred, she'd drive 200 miles to see a friend of hers but won't make a 5 minute diversion to visit relatives nearby.
🙂
So Dan77, what do you do if you happen to come across another runner and one of you needs to move out of the way, is it fastest runner wins???
It sounds like you think you own the path when you are running so what if the other runner thinks the same? And please don't tell me all runners are some sort of saint and are all perfectly considerate and caring to all other runners... there are plenty that are complete cockwombles, as with any group or demographic, a certain % will always be and anyone that thinks they have a right to force anyone else off the path or out of there way falls into that category.
Sounds like the Macc Lads remix.
Marty101 - worst case of inconsiderate runners I came across was one, no names no pack drill, a Billericay Strider, who thought it was quite ok after a 20miler to warm down back down the course and us slow joggers still to finish had to get out of his way!
Ooh, what a twat. If you warm down on a race course it's normally so you can cheer on the runners who are still going.
I've been in a 10k where guys have done that - run straight into the path of anyone that dares to take more than 45mins+ on the course. That is about the only time I've ever shouted at anyone to 'move out of the way you f*cking dick!!'
Pedestrians don't bother me, I usually just run around them. It's hilarious running around here when it snows, for some reason the pedestrian assumes I'm on the 'best bit' of snow, i.e. the least slippy bit cos I'm running on it, so they move over to my side, so I move over to there's, then they realise actually the snow is exactly the same on both sides and want back over to their original side. It's like a little dancing on ice routine!
So now I just run onto the road if I see a pedestrian coming toward me when its snowing
!
I knew a guy who looked like Clark Kent; or was it Harry Potter? who only played football so he could kick people. The idea of someone thinking they could make him yield ground because he was slower than them doesn't bear thinking about.
When he used a cash point, he had this 'come on, just try mugging me' attitude to anyone nearby. He was a full blown psychopath,
and a professor of geology.
🙂
On the towpath people tend to move to one side way before the runner gets anywhere near then. Unless it's really busy in which case you have to slow down.
On streets I think pavements are for primarily for walking on. People can be courteous of course but if someone is walking their kids along or leaning on s Zimmer frame it's not for them to accommodate your me time / starvation segment pB attempt
I ran from the Aldwych to Winchmore Hill last week, going through kings cross, Caledonian Road, Holloway, Finsbury Park, Tottenham, and Edmonton and everybody I encountered were more than happy to share the footpath with a runner and I was happy to avoid getting in their way. I guess a friendly attitude carries you a long way in the mean streets.
If people are spread out across the whole path, then I do expect them to move - I don't see that I should put myself into the path of cars because they are too lazy to move, the path is for everyone - there should be room for people to overtake or pass if coming from the opposite direction. However, I don't experience it any more when I am running than when I am walking. I live near a school and more fool me if I go out any time near school run time - either walking or running - double buggies and those infernal scooters. The mummies (sadly it is generally the mothers) just expect me to run or walk in the gutter and get run over.
If there's plenty of room or it's a quiet road I'll pass by going into the road and then get back onto the pavement once past. I only get annoyed if they won't give me any room and a car is coming.
When I am driving, I would like to see runners stay on the pavement and not act like cyclists. If there's no pavement, you can't use it, but if there is one, please do.
In return, will drivers please give way to me as a runner (or walker) if you are turning into a side road that I am already crossing, or, hurry up and turn into it and go, so that I can cross. The number of drivers who turn into the road and then crawl past so that I can't cross is amazing. Why do they do that? Get past and out of the way!