Skirt Runner
When I run where my boyfriend lives in MD, or where my parents live in NJ, everyone is shockingly polite. I'm always getting waved on at intersections while cars stop for me even if I don't have a right of way, drivers wave as they go by, runners/bikers/people walking dogs smile and wave and say "good morning." In Brooklyn where I live, different story. Drivers are crazy and rude. Luckily I have a nice park about a half mile away so only have to deal with the crazy drivers for a few minutes, who I swear think they get points for hittibg pedestrians or something. I've seen 3 pedestrians be hit in crosswalks in my 3 years living here....craziness!
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
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Smaller By The Day
I hate to say it, but I feel bad when drivers are trying to be considerate. I appreciate it, but I have so little trust of drivers that I refuse to cross in front of their car. I will loop around and go behind their car. I used to trust drivers when they stopped short to give me room to cross, but there have been a couple of times where it was a cocky teenager who thought they were funny. Once you try to cross in front of a car, and they lunge forward at you, that's one time too many.
Improvements
Weight 100 pounds lost
5K 31:02 Sept. 2012 / 23:36 Sept. 2013 (Same Course)
10K 48:59 April 2013
HM 2:03:56 Nov. 2012 / 1:46:50 March 2013
MARATHON 3:57:33 Nov. 2013
I've yet to encounter a mean-spirited driver. Even in Boston, LOL. I always smile, wave, and mouth a thank you.
That is because they drive in the burbs. I have jumped into snowbanks in the past to avoid some drivers, and some have crosswalk issues but I digress.
Most drivers are good. I always wave if someone crosses the yellow line or whatever to give me more room. If I run along the Charles River paths I have to cross a street to continue and most drivers stop.
I recognize this good driver:
Now, the people who walk three, four, or more abreast and don't move, even when I say excuse me or call to them that I'm approaching from the left... Don't get me started.
And with their dogs.
Dave
Village people
People are pretty good, here. There are no sidewalks, so I am on the road. I keep well to the side, but it is nice when drivers give me some extra room.
I think sidewalks are for walking and not running, I would go around walkers (when I lived in a city with sidewalks) and I don't expect them to move.
Hip Redux
You know, I almost never have an issue with drivers when I am running. They are almost always giving me the right of way at intersections, etc.
However, on my BIKE? Forget it. Ugh.
I'm sure there are walking forums where they complain about all the rude runners charging up behind them & forcing them aside.
I always wave or give a thumbs up to drivers who are considerate to me when I'm running. I also try to set a good example by giving wide berths to runners or cyclists that I encounter when I'm driving.
+1
Since I run in the wee hours of the morning, the drivers I usually encounter are the "paper boys". Normally by the 3rd time passing each other, they will slow down and give me some wider berth. Now, if they could just turn off their bright lights.
I had a problem like this with a group of runners. They ran three abreast on the riverwalk which forces the guy on the left into the oncoming lane. The riverwalk is divided by a white line and this guy was always in my lane coming straight at me. I'd move over a little to make way for him, but I noticed he never did shit to be considerate to me and I finally got tired of it. The next time I saw these guys, I made eye contact with that idiot and waved for him to move over because if he didn't, I was gonna steamroll right over him. He got the message and luckily I never see these guys anymore. I hope it's because they're seeing me first.
Funny!
When I run at Paint Creek Trail, walkers, runners and bikers (and the occasional cop on horseback rider) must coexist. I am sure we scare the hell out of the walkers approaching from behind, as the bikers do us sometimes.
But I have seen all of them walk run or bike four or five across at one time or another, so each group has proven capable of stupidity.
No doubt. People like to complain.
Oh, I was driving a few weeks ago and there were a couple runners taking up half the lane. They didn't even pretend to move over.
If I ever encountered a car while I was running, I'd think "HOLY CRAP! How did a car get to the middle of the woods?"
I mostly run on single-track trails. Runners coming the other way, walkers with kids and dogs, faster or slower runners, bikers... somehow we all make room for each other. Some bikers can be a-holes, but the vast majority are courteous and in decades of running trails I can't recall ever being angry for more than a second or two. I usually just scooch sideways a bit and we're fine. If there's a biker coming with terror in their eyes (my regular trail gets a lot of new trail bikers but is pretty challenging, I face-planted twice the first time I tried riding it), I'll step off the trail and let them pass.
What is it about running roads or paved trails that gets runners upset about the inconvenience of moving over or stepping off for a couple seconds?
I know very reasonable people run on roads, including some of my smartest and best friends, but I don't get it. I would seriously rather not run than run on roads. Well, that's not entirely true. There are a couple dirt roads I run on, but I rarely see cars. I don't get why you would run on roads with lots of traffic. Google "jogger hit by car" some time. It's very common. Two people I knew were killed by cars while running (and two others dropped dead of heart attacks while running). I crack up when we have the threads where people claim that runners wearing headphones are a "danger" to other runners. I wonder if those same people who are scared of a 150 lb runner who can't hear them are running next to two-ton speeding steel death machines.
I know very reasonable people run on roads, including some of my smartest and best friends, but I don't get it. I would seriously rather not run than run on roads.
It is often not feasible to run anywhere else. Consider yourself lucky that you can usually run on trails.
I know very reasonable people run on roads, including some of my smartest and best friends, but I don't get it. I would seriously rather not run than run on roads. Well, that's not entirely true. There are a couple dirt roads I run on, but I rarely see cars. I don't get why you would run on roads with lots of traffic.
This is my rail trail.
Since I run alone 99% of the time, I like to stick around public areas. Our trail system is remote and I don't ever run there alone - which means I need to drag someone else. That's just not possible to do for every run.