I suspect we were both being unreasonable here but I am feeling terrible about it and trying to figure out how I should have handled it.
I run. I try to be a responsible runner and to be aware that other people can be nervous of runners these days. I try to run in quieter places or at least places with wide paths, to stick to the putter edge of the path and to run on the road it I can when I meet groups, couples etc
I started taking DS for runs about a month ago and we always go to somewhere that has very wide footpaths, run in single file and follow the same distancing I do on solo runs.
DS is 9 and autistic.
Today when running a man came towards us, he went to the middle of the path with his arms out and his dog on a lead just off the edge of the path on the road.
I got confused. I checked that DS was behind me so we weren’t taking up too much of the path or blocking him. So I just asked the man which side he was on. He shouted at me that runners need to be 4 meters on to the road. I got on to the road a little but he seemed to loosen the lead and his dog came at us. DS started making panicked sounds and going further in to the road. I caught DS. The man kept going on about 4 metres. Which would have put us well in to the middle of the road. We were quite far into it because of the dog anyway.
I stupidly argued with him and said he needed to share the path him on one side and us in the other. There were no cars at the time I should just have taken DS to the middle of the road to avoid the argument.
I got past, calmed DS down and we ran on.
Further on our loop I could see him coming towards us again.
A man ran past him and he didn’t stick out his arms or lengthen his dogs lead.
I warned DS to ignore him but that we would go on the road.
The man did the same thing again and shouted that dogs can’t have corona so if is ok for his dog to make us stay 4 metres away for him because runners breathe heavily.
I again told him, while holding on to DS on the road, that he needed to share the path and we ran on.
I do understand that the man who was probably 70 would be nervous because of the virus.
I am partly mad at myself for getting drawn to an argument and not staying calm. But I am partly livid because using a dog to frighten a child on to a Road is a lot more dangerous than running past someone with a 2 metre rather than a 4 metre distance.
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
AIBU?
Runner v dog walker
55 replies
Inniu · 27/05/2020 17:12
OP posts:
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
BeebSleeve ·
27/05/2020 17:51
This reply has been withdrawn
This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.