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Running heckles

8 replies

Weighnow · 22/04/2024 18:57

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bradford-west-yorkshire-68848474

A big problem, apparently. Is this a regional thing maybe or it only targeted at women in certain age groups or appearance?

I've been running 4/5 times a week for the last 17 years. I've occasionally been heckled when running in a group, often mixed, which is no where near the same issue, but I don't think it's ever happened to me when running alone.

Am I too old/unattractive to get heckled? Or maybe men in my bit of the SE are more enlightened? (Seems unlikely!)

Safya Khan

Police in Bradford inundated with female runners' abuse stories

A campaign to stop the abuse of female runners in Bradford has revealed some of the harassment they face.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bradford-west-yorkshire-68848474

OP posts:
Celt1967 · 22/04/2024 22:09

Is this a cultural problem , s religious problem or a problem with all men in general ?

Weighnow · 23/04/2024 07:51

Celt1967 · 22/04/2024 22:09

Is this a cultural problem , s religious problem or a problem with all men in general ?

Oh, interesting thought, with the article being about Bradford.

OP posts:
Pedallleur · 23/04/2024 08:36

Young asian men. in other areas it could be young white men. really any woman out running/cycling/driving is seen as fair game by certain sections of the population.

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sharpclawedkitten · 30/10/2024 08:35

I think there have been other threads on this but I found this one. I rarely experience any sort of stupid heckling from men and boys but yesterday I had a club session and was early so went for a short jog around the block to warm up. Two teenage boys were walking on the opposite side and said something along the lines of "keep going" but then they said something else that I can't remember now and I just ignored them. Then I got "oh you're very passive, why don't you reply to us". I kept going, but I felt like telling them to f off and that I and other women didn't owe them any engagement!

(for the record, they were white)

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 30/10/2024 08:40

This is why I have a treadmill and now drive a big 4x4.

LockForMultiball · 30/10/2024 08:57

I've had the yelling from cars, but no more when running than when doing anything else on my own. One time they just yelled the word "TITS" out of the car window as they rolled past. Observant of them, I suppose, and actually understandable at least, unlike those times you get a garbled, doppler-shifted sentence trailing off into inaudibility as they zoom past. Seems to have tailed off now I'm late thirties, though.

I think that men who don't do this often have no idea just how often it can happen (to some women, in some areas, at some times of day, etc.) — the hecklers tend not to do it to women who've got a man with them, so decent blokes don't really see it. DP has always been both baffled and furious any time I've mentioned blokes yelling stuff at me. Once, he was waiting in line at the chippy and I was hanging around outside vaping, probably as it was pretty packed in there. Got yelled at incomprehensibly from a car, so ducked back in to see if he'd finished, mentioned the vehicular troglodytes, and suddenly a whole chip shop queue full of men were outraged and seemingly ready to storm out there on my behalf. I think it's a small proportion of blokes that get it into their heads to shout stuff at women they don't know, and probably only at a certain stage in their lives, and the rest recognise that it's not on.

Edit: I've no idea what ethnicity or "cultural" background is arsehole a culture? most of them were, but whenever I've seen their faces, it's just been men who look much like any other local men. So in most places I've lived, that would be mostly white.

henlake7 · 30/10/2024 10:17

I think being in cars makes them braver TBH, like your average internet twat. They think they can shout abuse and make a quick getaway free of consequence!

I used to run around local parks and graveyards and only got positive comments. Even when I was 15st everybody was cheering me on!😊

Allnewtometoo · 30/10/2024 10:19

I had this quite a bit when I used to run, also when I was cycling. Not generally from people in cars though. Often from teenage lads in groups, but also men in general thinking they can pass comment.

Being much older and fatty I'm not sure I'd have the same problem now.

Eta - all white males . Norfolk.

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