I have just been clapped at by a jogger! Is this rude or what?

[5Foot5]

Walking home from work in the dark just now and I was on a stretch of pavement that is fairly narrow, though the road beside it is not desperately busy. Anyway, I thought I had heard a clapping sound, three short claps, but didn't really think anything of it. Then a few seconds later the clapping sound came again and I was just wondering "Who is doing that clapping, hope it isn't some drunken idiot messing about?" when the clapping sound happened right behind me and a jogger in hi-vis vest muscled his way past.

Is this some new sort of "etiquette" employed by joggers these days?

I must admit it struck me as rather rude. If he felt he couldn't get past me without stepping in to the road then what was wrong with saying "Excuse me". If I had heard an "Excuse me" then I would have known exactly what was going on and would have moved to one side, whereas a short series of claps does not immediately suggest to me that someone wants me to get out of the way.

Has anyone else encountered this technique?

Sounds very arrogant to me.
more like ignorantly clicking your fingers for service than politely approaching someone.

Just Googled to see if this was some new thing (I run but have never heard of it) but just found this. I'm sorry to be no more help!

While I was running today I heard someone clapping, it was just my thighs cheering me on.

Very rude. I'm in a funny mood today though and would have been tempted to clap back and shout, 'run faster!'

Odd. Is this the human equivalent of a bicycle bell?

Dis he want you out of the way, or was it a warning to say i'm a jogger, not a mugger?

That does sound weird and rude. I just check for traffic and drop off the pavement into the road if there is someone in front of me going more slowly. I thought everyone did that.

Never heard that before - runners do sometimes alert us of their presence from behind with 'excuse me please' which works perfectly, and I'd have thought was easier than clapping. I once had a cyclist cheerily calling out 'ding-a-ling' - I guess he didn't have a bell, that worked well.

Just a thought but if he/she was running up behind you they might have been trying to alert you that they were there rather than scaring the crap out of you by running up behind and passing you very close by? I would rather the clap and be suddenly aware of someone running behind me (was attacked by person who ran up behind me).

Maybe he was clapping himself in a self-motivational type way.

Either that or he was happy and he knew it.

Perhaps he was mute?

Very rude. I would have been tempting to stick a foot out. And I am a jogger.

I had this with with a cyclist on a narrow path, dinged his bell to make me let him past.
It was over six years ago and I still remember stumbling out of his way, pregnant and tired during my half hour walk home, and I just wish I had turned round and told him to fuck off. He had no right to be cycling on a footpath anyway, it wasn't even next to a road.
So, I think only the pig ignorant do this, next time you see this jogger I hope you tell him off, I can totally understand not doing it at the time out of shock but if you see him again please do point out he is a waste of skin.

I think he was warning you he was behind you. It was dark, maybe he didn't want to scare you.

I hope you didn't move!

When I Am out running I always go around anyone I come across and if I can't safely i slow down until I can

I think it's supposed to warn you without freaking you out.

Sofa was it a canal path?

When I run and I see someone up ahead of me I try and make my presence known. A cough or something just because I know how having someone shoot past you (if you don't hear them approach) can be scary.

I get this when I'm horse riding and really appreciate it. Runners/cyclists give us a shout or make a noise to let us know they are coming and not make the horse (or us!) startle. I think it's polite. He was trying not to scare the shit out of you!

I'd assume he was warming his hands up

I do a lot of running and have done for years - if I see someone in front of me (especially if it is another woman) I tend to make sure they don't jump out of their skin - eg a quick cough in the distance and then an "excuse me!" as I get closer, so they know it is a female and isn't some random mugger going to pounce on them or whatever.

I can honestly say, I have never known of someone clapping, that's a bit weird IMO.

Perhaps he was too knackered trying to breathe let alone shout to you? Not excusing it at all just thinking why he might have chosen clapping. He's an idiot as shouting would have been far more effective!

at 'happy and he knew it'

It sound like he was aware that a man running towards a lone woman on a dark path could be alarming. He probably didn't expect you to move, just to let you know he was coming up behind you. I expect he didn't say excuse me, as this could be misconstrued as a ruse to attempt to stop you.

someone too knackered to talk but not wanting to scare you. prob couldn't stop as he would never be able to start again

I would have tripped him up.

I run along a fairly well used route but I never push past anyone and I'm perfectly happy to walk or stop briefly if I have to.

If his training is so important that he can't pause for a second then he should go to a running track or run on a treadmill. Twat.