about late-night joggers?

[Hassled]

I walk home from evening meetings quite often at around 9pm-ish. Nice quiet residential area, about a 20 minute walk, street lights, a few passing cars and dog walkers so I don't really feel vulnerable. Until, that is, I hear the sound of someone running up behind me and think panic, shit, this is it. And then it turns out to be some thoughtless twatty jogger who doesn't have the cop to think that maybe running up behind a solitary female on a dark street isn't the most thoughtful thing they could possibly do. I want to trip the next one up, or push them into the road or do something equally twatty. Cross the road, fuckwits, so you don't scare the shit out of lone pedestrians.

Get a little bit of a grip and stop being so much of a wuss that you get scared by the sound of jogging. Problem solved.

There are no pedestrians on the other side of the road - we're talking pretty empty streets here. And I'm not scared by the sound of jogging as much as I'm scared by the sound of someone about to attack me. It's surprisingly hard to distinguish between the two on an empty street in the dark.

9 to 9.30 isn't late night jogging . It's only just past peak jogging time.

Weaving backwards and forwards across roads dressed as a flippin Morris dancer, lovely idea. Not. Get some trainers on and join them instead of whinging about it

I think yabvu! The joggers can't keep zig zagging across the road every time there's a pedestrian in front of them! Well, they could, but why should they?? Your paranoia is not their problem!

Anyway if someone was going to attack you they'd sneak up behind you, not come thudding along - so the sound of thudding feet means you're safe!!

YANBU

But there's a flaw in your plan. The bells will wake sleeping babies. Someone must think of the children.

Have you thought about getting a selfie stick and walking home with your phone showing you everything over your shoulder?

OR all these joggers have apps showing how far they've run (I know because the bastards clog up my Facebook) - maybe they should also send out a signal in a certain radius to tell your phone 'genuine jogger nearby' just before they come into earshot.

OR instead of bells it could be some sort of lullaby and then the sleeping babies will be ok. Do they still do Baby Einstein music? They should play that, calming and educational for all.

I would have thought that the footfall of someone about to attack you would be much faster - more akin to sprinting than jogging.

Also, unless you live in a very high crime area (unlikely by your description) how about working on the assumption that you are not likely to be attacked and just unclenching a little?

Yep, YABU. And for those who say you never see a happy runner, you are not looking hard enough. I regularly grin during a nice run and often see a few other happy runners out too. (And I used to think I HATED running)

Lowry - I like the way your mind works :o. The jogging industry hasn't given this nearly enough thought. If I heard "thud thud heavy breathing thud" and then Twinkle Twinkle, I'd be fine.

Gransnet! Oo, Worra, you are naughty.

Am also laughing lots at 'You never see a happy jogger'. It's true!

My ex used to go running late at night, purely, he said, as he didn't have any other time to do it. I pointed out if he got up before 11am occasionally, he could go earlier... I also pointed out to him that he probably scared people half to death panting away behind them in the dark.

Let's start a business!

All real joggers please apply here for your licence that allows you to buy our Non Threatening Music. No one with a criminal record thanks. (Sorry Cheryl Baker) You must have a counter signatory from MN of course so we know you are naice.

YANBU and I know exactly what you mean.
Also the night joggers have earphones in usually so even if I did screech WTF as they run up right behind me, then they can't hear anyway.
Thoughtless use of public space and it scares me and pisses me off too.

Perhaps I've had one too many wines, I'm literally crying with laughter at the idea of joggers and chariots of fire playing when they approach. My image of it is spectacular!

Walk backwards.

Problem solved.

But AnnieMoor it's not Christmas.

Where is this town bereft of more than two humans in any one street after 9pm?

I suspect you might be walking through an industrial area OP. In which case, don't some joggers tend to go there for the very purpose that there are less people around to annoy when running?

I probably would avoid running behind someone walking, if I saw them early enough, but it might be that if you are in dark clothing and its dark, they simply don't see you?

I now have visions of sort of ice cream van music accompanying joggers as they run round empty streets, warning of their presence. Not sure how it would work, but perhaps someone could invent it? Or maybe a version which does a polite cough, or something equally un-attackerish?

Whilst grinning madly off my tits on runner's high, I always shout 'scuse me, coming through!'

I might start a threat about the number of people who can't hear me because they've got earphones in then do exaggerated Oscar-worthy leaping as I run by.

My ex called all joggers 'twats.'

He never left the sofa.

But it could be .

As someone else said why should your right to be out for a walk trump their right to be out for a run. Maybe the jogger was nervous in case some of the people they passed by suddenly turned round and attacked them, would it be reasonable for them to consider the people walking to be "twatty"? You sound very very unreasonable.

Yep - YABU

and still sniggering at What are they supposed to do, hum Chariots of Fire loudly?

YABU. It's not about you. They are out for a jog.

I really can't work out if you seriously expect joggers to cross the road for you. If so, YAB totally U.

Give them a run for their money, Hassled. Jog home.

"You never see a happy jogger" What rot. The people I've met through running are the kindest, funniest, most smiley people I know. There's something about running, with al those endorphins and the way that most of us are only competing against ourselves rather than each other, that makes a running club a very supportive place and runners properly easy going.

And I've never heard a runner being so miserable as to complain about having to share the pavement with those pesky walking people.

What are they supposed to do, hum Chariots of Fire loudly?

Yes!! This should be made into a law. Then joggers willl get fit and brighten up the days of people they run past