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7/18/12 10:38 A

Sydni, that's awful!! What if he lost control of his car? Then his little joke wouldn't be so funny! Sheesh!

I get a lot of red light and stop sign runners. The worst offenders are the cops, believe it or not.

Mary, that incident gave me pause for sure. I have been looking for a safer place to do hill repeats ever since then...The BF was like, "you would have outrun him" and I was like, "no way, I am no match for insanity!"

Edited by: MBSHAZZER at: 7/18/2012 (10:41)

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7/18/12 10:24 A

I hadn't had any big issues except for animals, but that changed yesterday. I was turning onto another street, on the sidewalk so I was not actually in the street, but there was a car that didn't slow down at all at the stop sign. I hadn't seen that before, but now I know to be more careful. Also, when I was done running and walking along the main street in my neighborhood, and walking on the street because there was no sidewalk at this point, I see a car coming that has moved over so as not to be close to me when they pass by (nothing out of the ordinary). But when he gets close to me, he swerved toward me and then swerved back, his eyes being on the road the entire time, and then he was laughing with his friends. I of course reacted my moving out of the way as soon as I saw him start to swerve, but when I realized what he did, I wished I would have had something to throw at him. I'm hoping that since he was driving through the neighborhood, I will see him again. He better watch it....

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7/17/12 8:12 P

MBSHAZZER that is just terrifying!
Here I am worrying about coyotes and you are running in zombie territory!!

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7/16/12 11:16 A

I live in the rudest place on earth (Miami). I wave and say hello to everyone I run by (not too many since I run early in the AM).

Part of my run is on a boardwalk which can get crowded with people who refuse to move, even with repeated "excuse me's".

To add to the fun, remember that Memorial Day face-eating zombie cannibal story? That occured where I do my hill repeats. Is nothing sacred?!

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7/13/12 10:21 A

SALTYCHOCOLATE that is such a good point, I've seen runners dart out into an intersection barely looking for cars. In fact, a marathoner was killed here last month, he ran into a very busy intersection downtown.

Be careful runners!

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7/11/12 4:11 P

My biggest issue is cars not stopping at stop signs or at cross walks; I've learned to run defensively. A few times when a car hasn't stopped I've yelled out "Thanks for stopping!"

On the other hand, one time a runner shot out into a cross walk from a blind spot - didn't even slow down, didn't even look to see if a car was coming. Fortunately, we were driving slowly and we know that that particular area has a blind spot. Still, when you're going to cross a street, cross walk or not, you really need to stop for a second and look both ways, just to be safe.

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7/10/12 3:20 P

I'm glad I'm not the only one with bat problems, or any of the other ones for that matter. Some of my family has suggested that I carry pepper spray while running, for safety since I'm running alone and it's still dark out a lot of times. I wonder if it will work on bats.....haha

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7/10/12 12:10 P

When I run on the dirt road near my house, I carry pepper spray because of dogs. I actually had to pepper spray a dog in front of its master because he didn't bother to call it off of me. I would rather have sprayed the owner. Make sure you check the laws in your state and town before you buy pepper spray.

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7/10/12 7:10 A

I remember dodging bats. I did that years ago when I ran. There was this certain area that always had lots of them. I finally learned to take a different way. Now I'm more confident in my running and I go during the day.

It's nice to see that we all have similar problems when we run. I had the 4 ladies walking and taking up the whole path yesterday. I was NOT going to go off the path. As I got really close to them, 2 of them moved off of the path so I could go thru. Another issue I hate that happened yesterday, was 2 people were standing on the path talking. Why can't you go on the grass if you're going to chit chat? Some will never get it I guess.

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7/9/12 4:26 P

I can completely relate to all of the pet peeves mentioned. I also hate when dogs are not on leashes. In the neighborhood I used to live in and go running in, I always worried about whether I would run into a dog not on a leash because it happened so often. A few times it was a large yellow lab, and I still don't know if he belonged to the house he always sat in front of or was a stray. He was scary and would come after me if he saw me coming. I'd usually be ok if I would stop, turn around and walk the other way slowly because he didn't seem to want to go too far from that particular home. The other dogs I ran into not on leashes were smaller and not so scary, so I felt more comfortable yelling at them or continuing to run my route as planned. I never saw any people with these dogs. I figure if your dog can't calmly sit in their yard without running after people, then maybe it shouldn't be out there all by itself. My parents have a dog that they will sometimes let out in the yard as long as they are watching him and they know that all he is going to do is lay down and sleep because he has no energy to do anything else since he's old.
Now where I run, I've actually come across one particular man who walks his dogs. He has them on leashes I think, but one either always gets away or he doesn't actually have it on a leash. This dog has run at me several times, barking and trying to bite my ankles. The man does nothing, does not call the dog off, does not say anything to me. Makes me so mad! I'm not a confrontational person so I have never said anything, and now I'm running in the mornings so early that I don't encounter him, plus I saw a 'For Sale' sign in front of his house. :)
I think we can only practice so much etiquette, but it's up to other people to do the same. Maybe looking at other places to run could work for you to change it up and see if you have a better experience. I only wish now that I wasn't so afraid off the bats that are still flying around outside when I go run. They have dive-bombed my head before and scared me so bad, and now I'm just paranoid and jumpy when I go run.

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7/8/12 7:42 P

I've seen it all! For the most part I see women running/walking in in a cluster blocking the entire trail and not moving for runners who want to pass. I've also seen men who look like Mr. Clean running with their woman, Mr. Clean has his elbows out and is barreling down the track, does not politely go single file but plows right through anyone coming at him.

My favorite (NOT!) are dogs on long leashes that form a moving clothes line across the trail.

Seriously, I get so annoyed, and I encounter this any time I run on one of the more popular running trails.

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7/8/12 7:40 P

I just want to smack groups like that ... individually and the entire group all at once. They act as a single organism. I AM a single organism. Hmmm. Who has the right of way? ME!

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7/8/12 5:47 P

It's not just women who do the "run in a group WE ARE OF ONE MIND" thing. I was running my morning run on a path when a group of 10/15 runners (mixed group), all grouped together, were going to pass me, and instead of breaking up so they were in twos to pass me (which would have been plenty of space), they stuck together and waited for me to start running on the dirt through the vegetation so they could pass. Not only was it rude to make the lonely runner have to run off the path, but I was worried about not spotting poison ivy or something while running through or tripping over an unseen root through the grass.

I tried to find a small cartoon that demonstrated this perfectly, but I have no idea where it is. Basically, a group of people are walking together and the lone person is pushed off the sidewalk with the group saying "Sorry, bro, there was nothing we could do" because they simply couldn't GET BEHIND ONE ANOTHER to let the lone person pass.

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7/8/12 3:52 P

@menomom

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7/8/12 2:58 P

I'm a woman in my late 40s, and it's mostly women my age who think they should be able to walk side-by-side and not get out of your way as you try to jog past them. The mistake they're making is that I'm also a cranky old woman, and I will run their butts over.

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7/8/12 11:04 A

I tell people I train to not assume the cars will get out of the way, like a lot of runners do. They are bigger than you...

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7/6/12 9:24 A

When I'm on my bike, I usually give people a "Good Morning" as I'm coming upon them. I guess to some folks "On your left" is rude as I've gotten some pretty hostile reactions. I've also invested in a small bell for my bike that I flip twice as I'm coming up on runners. Even with headphones, they can usually hear it.

I've been nearly hit by idiots while running and biking. I now run/bike defensively and just assume everyone is out for target practice.

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7/5/12 4:23 P

Zorbs, I'd give you a like, but there is no such button here.

PUT ON A SHIRT!

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7/5/12 3:07 P

i live 20 minute drive from a nuclear power plant which has 25k people working there
so at 3pm there a shift change & thousands of cars come through our area & its grid lock for 1 hour on the road i run on which i dont mind as it has a pavement & no houses for miles so theres no people

but the nuclear power plant has a come to work on your bicycle scheme so theres hundreds of people on bicycles & most of them stick to the roads even though the traffics at a stand still but loads of them ride on the pavement (fast) to get round the traffic & they wont move for you even though in the uk adults are not allowed to ride on the pavement

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7/5/12 2:31 P

I agree with you all on many of these. I ran my first 5k in June and couldn't believe how many runners would run side by side so you couldn't get round them. It was on a bike path around the lake. Then people would stop to walk right down the middle. Please move off to the side so the runners can get by. I usually don't have a problem with running around our big lake. 99% of the people are very friendly and we exchange hi's or gestures. But there are those snobs that won't look at you and won't say hi or anything. If you run around our small lake, be prepared for strollers, dogs, small kids on bikes, etc. Not a great place to be. I personally don't mind running on quiet streets, but busy streets make me nervous.

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7/5/12 2:03 P

I'll keep the race etiquette in mind(I'm already familar and read about those), but its the day to day running etiquette that tends to be a mystery of sorts.

I run on the sidewalk with traffic because in some places, there isn't a sidewalk or bicycle lane on the opposite side to run on. Some areas would require me to cross at a busy intersection(where I almost always come across someone who doesn't yield to the pedestrian who has the walk signal) or to jaywalk or theres less business driveways or streets to run past. If there's no sidewalk at all, then its definitely against traffic...I told by a law enforcement friend that running w/ traffic is okay if you are on a sidewalk especially if its safer for you to do so and on a lot of the streets I run, this is the case.

And I know concrete is the worse surface to run on, but on sidewalks(pretty well maintained sidewalks) I'm less likely to have parked cars to pass or actually be running in the path of the car traffic since bike lanes don't always exist on busy residential streets.

ANd I'm definitely not looking to start a conversation with people I pass, but people don't need to be rude when I do say good morning(I might just start being rude to the inconsiderate people I come across). It feels like almost a safety thing to acknowledge people when you are out running...to say something and make eye contact.

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7/5/12 1:57 P

I always think, at least they are out there. I love to see people who are in transition working out and not worrying about what other people think.

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7/5/12 12:51 P

Great topic and thanks for all the inputs!

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7/5/12 12:37 P

timothy: I have no muffin top and I'll wear just a bra top if I want to or not, thank you very much. You have the right to make fun of anyone passing by who is not dressed to your high standards, and I have the right to wear whatever I damn well want.

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7/5/12 11:33 A

Lord, this is a hot topic for me! I've been running a looong time and I've seen such a change in etiquette, from walkers/runners/bikers and drivers.
First there's texting now. Drivers are so distracted and so in a hurry (I don't know why everyone is in such a hurry) that you have to be extra, extra careful with cars. I have a problem at one intersection where they don't even stop at the stop sign and pedestrians don't have the right of way, at least to them they don't. And yes, even the cops don't stop.
I never run on sidewalks either. Concrete is horrible for the knees. Runners are suppose to run against traffic on the roads. That's what I was taught.
I always wave and say "hi" no matter what. If they look at you weird or don't respond, who cares. Maybe they'll realize how unfriendly they are.

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7/5/12 9:12 A

Ah...we stray from the original topic, but that's ok.

Since I run in New England in the winter, I will add to the list of peeves drivers who head out to work in the morning with a tiny face sized hole cleared in the ice on their windshields, making ME -- on the side of the road on the side of the windshield they've not yet cleared -- just about completely invisible. Yikes! I see this over and over! People -- take the time to clean your windshields!

And it's not just winter, yesterday a woman rolled through a stop sign over the white line on the right early in the morning and came as close to hitting me as has ever happened. I rarely yell at drivers, but this was one of the rare occasions. She didn't see me at all.

Another etiquette issue -- if you're doing Galloway run/walk in a race, that's fine (I do), but if you follow his advice to take walking breaks from the beginning, that means you're going to be doing a radical change of pace when there are still a lot of people around you near the start. Please run at the edge of the course and make sure no one is right on your heels when you switch to walking. Or just run through a few intervals to the point that the runners thin out a little.. or both!

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7/5/12 8:53 A

Oh, I hear you there. I hate the "I bring my dog around like it's my child" thing. I'm just surprised at how many people "don't notice" that a dog is a service dog. You'd think the big harness would be an indicator...

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7/5/12 8:41 A

Of course I am not talking about service dogs. I am talking about that sweet, overly-friendly golden lab. Service dogs are usually obvious because of the harness. They aren't on a retractable leash. Maybe a service dogs should have a vest indicating such.

I worked at the Apple Store in the mall. No animals except service dogs, right? Women would come in with these pocket-book dogs. And no one seemed to think this was an unusual thing! I never got the memo where dogs are now fashion accessories like a bracelet or sunglasses.

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7/5/12 8:30 A

:) Timothy, I love your post.

1 exception - #3. PLEASE find out if it's a service dog before going off on someone for bringing their "pet". Nothing more fun than getting snarked at for "breaking the rules" when your dog is working.

Just a little peeve since I recently (Tuesday night) raced with a friend who is totally blind and runs with his guide dog. (Incidentally, the only blind person to ever run this particular race. It was awesome!)

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7/5/12 8:19 A

I'll ditto EVERYTHING Lab-lover said.

Other pet peeves:

Drivers who encroach on the crosswalks.
Drivers on cell phones.
Drivers on cell phones who encroach on crosswalks.
POLICE ON CELL PHONES WHO ENCROACH ON SIDEWALKS!!!!

I had one of those last ones who did that. His hood got palm-slapped. He actually started to get out of his car to confront me. I reminded him of three tickets I could write him: Driving on the phone, encroaching on the crosswalk, and, since he was getting out of the car for a confrontation, aggressive driving. He should just sit back down or I would take his picture and call his desk sergeant, "Kid."

OK, Etiquette I practice. If I come on a driver trying to get out into traffic from a driveway or side street, I will go around behind them if I can. I will pat my chest and indicate with my hands what I am doing. Same thing when I am making a turn at an intersection.

Coming up on walkers or slower runners, I will call out "Passing on your left/right!" Oddly, most will move in the direction I just said I was passing on."

Coming on walkers who are blocking the way by walking multiply abreast I will call out "Coming through, please." Most will yield; some don't care.

Some other rules for races:

4) It is so nice that you girls (and this is almost always girls, some times women, and rarely men) want to enjoy a day walking in the sunshine for fitness and doing it for a cause. Do not string out four and five abreast across the course. Do not start in the front. Do not walk down the middle. Please! No more than two side-by-side, start in the back, stay to the side of the course. And get ff the cell phone!

3) Your dog is your running partner. To me he is a potentially dangerous animal descended from wolves who will protect his pack, you, at all costs. I know. I know, "He wouldn't bite anyone!" Newsflash -- every dog will bite. He just hasn't yet. Leave Rover home.

2) It's so nice you want to involve your children in your fitness. But in a race, your stroller is a danger to other runners. They could misjudge it and trip on it incurring an injury. Or they could get heel-clipped by it. And it is dangerous to have your little one exposed to the dangers of someone tripping on your stroller. So, if you can't afford a sitter you can't afford this race. If your spouse does not support your running enough to stay with the baby while you race, you guys need a heart-to-heart. Leave the stroller home or on the sidelines on race day. If you really must, if you insist on bringing it out onto the field of athletic competition, start back in the pack with the girls walking four-abreast down the middle on cell phones.

1) It ain't that hot and neither are you! Wear a shirt!. Ladies, this goes for you too. Your sports bra is not a bikini top or running top. I do not want to see your muffin top (men and women both) or the dolphin tattoo you got 10 years ago that now looks like an orca. Put on a shirt. Men, worried about nipple rubs? Band-Aids. Nip-guards. Then a shirt. I saw a guy once at the 5k: no-shirt and nip guards. If you're not wearing a shirt, you don't need nip-guards and it's only a 5k so there is very little danger of nipple rub anyway. PUT ON A SHIRT!

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7/5/12 8:00 A

i find it's a lose lose situation for me, if I yell on your left, walkers yell at me for startling them, but they are also startled if I don't say a thing. And then they're mad because they don't like being startled.

If someone does something really stupid (let the dog's leash slack and cross to the opposite side, so I almost trip on the leash and break my neck), I will generally say something rude when I pass.

Generally I don't bother saying on your left anymore because I've pretty much never had a good outcome with that, I don't say anything, if a walker is so out of it that they can't hear my elephant steps behind them, well, too bad for them.

Edited by: ZORBS13 at: 7/5/2012 (08:01)

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7/5/12 7:31 A

It's a shame they're like that. I'm very lucky in that our running community is VERY friendly here. I almost always give a quick "hello" if I come up to someone. "On the left" if I'm passing, etc.

The BIKERS are what kills me. They ride on the sidewalks (ugh) or on the rail trail (this is ok) and never WARN you they're coming up on you. Not every bike makes enough noise to hear over hard breathing, and I can't tell you how many times they've scared the daylights out of me!

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7/5/12 6:39 A

I have been running for about 4 years and run all around my community and surrounding towns. For what it's worth, I almost never run on sidewalks, even when they are there... the only exception being when I am on an extremely busy street -- we have a main artery that runs through down and on the rare occasions when I run there, it is in the sidewalk. But in a subdivision? I run in the street facing traffic. I much prefer the continuous surface - many sidewalks have ups and downs for driveways and people/roots/trees interrupting them - so the street feels like a better option. It sounds like when you get pushed off the sidewalk, you need to step into the running with your back to traffic, so I wonder if you have the option of running on the other side of the street. If so, that would feel safer -- at least you'd see cars coming.

As far as interactions with people, I always give a nod or a wave or a " 'morning" to runners and cyclists that pass me. It's a momentary thing, not an invitation for conversation. I live in a small community so that seems typical. Some people reciprocate, others don't - and that's fine. If I'm coming up behind someone I say "on your left" or "on your right" to ask them to move over for me (which most, but not all people understand). I don't expect (or want) any one to stop to talk to me, and have a personal peeve for people who stop me to ask directions. I don't want to be rude and ignore them and but I really focus when I run, and that completely throws me off.

Hope that helps!

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7/5/12 3:08 A

I'm somewhat new to running, but sometimes I wonder what happened to common courtesy and just decency.
I run around my neighborhood and into a neighboring neighborhood. Its all residential...mine being older w/ no sidewalks and the other being sidewalks and a older HOA. I never have any issues in my neighborhood, but its too small for me to just run in it...its quieter and I run against traffic if there is any.

But I get into the other neighborhood and I'm on the sidewalks running w/ traffic, but I'm very aware of my surroundings and keep my music low. I don't know how many times I've run into someone hogging the sidewalk and see me coming, but don't even move over to share it while we pass. Meaning I have to step onto the roadway to pass them. The lady walking two dogs while yapping on her cell phone oblivious to the world around her has so far only gotten dirty looks, but she's endangered my safety on numerous occasions.
And I'll usually say good morning in passing(I've got my headphones on listening to my podcasts, but I'm not so in the zone that I can't say something nice in passing) because its a nice thing to do and I either get ignored or dirty looks... its like the end of the world if I say good morning to couple running together. its not all bad...I do have a little old man out walking that waves to me and has stopped me because he's been concerned for my safety(coyote spottings...not new at all) or to say something kind.
The dog crap in the middle of the sidewalk or on the sidewalk at all(theres plenty of dirt/grass space along the sidewalks) is a whole different story...

So when you are out running, what are some of the unwritten rules/etiquette that you go by?