Deranged runners in public spaces....

[SoHereItIs2016]

I am genuinely interested in other people's opinions following a really unpleasant experience when out with my two kids and DP yesterday.

So we have membership to a local, but national attraction. It is a very large outdoor type of space which people generally go to to walk, take kids, picnic, and walk dogs. The layout is in two halves so in one side nog dogs are allowed at all and hence the other half is where you find the dogs.

For info no bikes or scooters etc allowed.

We were about half way round the dog walking half and as we had gone late in the day it was very quiet and we could see in front and behind quite far. We have a 6 month old toy breed puppy ( eg very small) who has no aggressive or overtly bothersome behaviours, we are in the process of completing her off lead training, which is why we went late and only let her off in the parts of the attraction where we had good visibility, not wishing to be in any way a nuisance to others.

So all of a sudden a runner emerged AT HIGH SPEED from the trees, not from main path, as he hurtled towards us both DP and I tried to put her back on lead as well as get the kids out of this mans way as it was fairly obvious he was not going to be sensible and actually slow down/ alter his path so that we could all pass sensibly.

As he approached he the. Started shouting at us to put dog back on lead as by this point she had started trunking over to this fast moving object who was shouting and flapping his hand about. At no point did she jump up, bark, growl or do anything whatsoever other than trundle along next to him. The verbal abuse then escalated to the point she this man was swearing and literally screaming at us all the while still trying to run....please note he was not being impeded in his run in any way.....

Eventually my DP by this time rather peed off with all the shouting and swearing in front of our kids shouted back very firmly to him to STOP running so we could put dog back in lead if this is what he wanted.....man went ballistic carried in verbally abusing me/DP and at one point literally launched himself over out dog due to having distracted himself off his own path.....

Whole,episode was really upsetting and both kids by now in tears, dog shaking like a leaf etc.

Now my AIBU is really why do people undertaking timed/ serious sports use public places where to encounter even the possibility of a hold up is going to cause them immense rage/distress/or where they are so 'in the zone' they lose the ability to be a. Rational human being.

It seems to be happening more and more recently, with runners coming at us en masse. In addition to this last incident we have had a few near misses recently where groups of runners have literally forced my young DC off the road....

I appreciate that we all have the right to use the roads, pavements and public spaces but ultimately they are not sports arenas or running tracks, there are designated places for that which I for example wouldn't go to walk the dog or take the kids to play, realising that the two uses do not mix, and often the person coming at you at speed seems to feel that their right to peruse their sporting goals trumps everyone else's right to quiet enjoyment of the public and open spaces.

And just to make it clear the dog was at no point engaging in aggressive, or disruptive behaviour, she was just trundling along faulty bemused by the shouting flapping jumping man!!!!

So you are saying that if I go for a walk with a friend along a narrow path, we should walk one behind the other just in case a runner appears?? That makes no sense whatsoever.

If you are running towards us, we can see you, and pull in so you can get past. If you are running behind us, we don't know you are approaching, you need to slow down and politely say excuse me, at which point we will also move over and let you past if we can. You do need to be prepared to slow down and make people aware you are there, and give them time to create a space for you to get past. If you can't do this, then go around on the grass or road.

Also, every dog owner will know there is the first time you let the dog off with distractions. My dog had perfect recall in training and in the house and garden, at some point there is the first time you let them off the lead. Mine ignored both runners and cyclists, but did chase a rogue football. We always callled her back as soon as we clock kids with balls after that which seemed to work, but that first day we had no idea how she would react. She's not bothered by much now and just likes mooching around.

What Morris said.
On Sunday I was running close to a reservoir when I approached a family of four, coming towards me on the narrow footpath, walking four abreast.
They saw me in good time, caught my eye, I smiled...and they made no attempt to step to the side. None.
With water on one side and a high wall on the other, I pulled up sharpish, and almost fell on my fat arse as they looked bemused. Then, and only then, they unlinked hands so one of them could let me through.
How they expected me to get round them, I have no idea.

And yes, slower does generally give way to faster. I'm always jumping out of the way to let fast runners and bikes through when I'm on a busy trail. It's no bother, it's just what you do.

I don't expect anybody to give way when I'm behind them. Most people have eyes at the front not the back! I'd only expect abreasters to move over if I was in front of them. But they often don't.

It's not just about speed. Everyone has the right to travel on the pavement, I don't want to slip on wet grass in my not very grippy running shoes. A group taking up the width of the pavement should immediately move to single file if they see somebody else approaching, whether that be walker or runner.

It's much easier to stop to step out of the way if you're walking not running. It's easier to stop if you're running not cycling. It's easier to stop if you're cycling than in a helicopter. Etc.

I agree that if you are a group taking up the whloe of the path you step to one side to allow someone coming from the other direction to pass. The OP did say she expected the runner to "alter his path" so they could all pass without moving out of the way which i presume is what she meant by sensibly.
No the runner didn't have priority here but neither did her "group", but if her group were taking up more than half the width of the path then of course they should have been the ones to move. No-one should have to be forced off the path. I accept it may take time to get small children moved out of the way but if the dog wasn't controllable then he should have been on a short lead in public anyway. Runners shouldn't have to stop running because of an untethered dog where as they may have to stop running because toddlers are in their path and the parents haven't had time to move them..

Just back from the park. All the runners were on the flat grass presumably because it is better for their knees. All the dogs were running up and down the hill on the other side of the path retrieving their balls. All the walkers were on the path. Everyone was happy and we all waved and said good day to each other when passing. It was lovely.

You were a bit dim for not having the dog on a lead, he was an arse for swearing at you in front of your kids.

I've just walked to the station along a busy city centre pavement. I walked fast. Some people in front of me were walking in 2 and 3s and some were walking more slowly. I adjusted my speed when necessary and said excuse me and gave them time to move over, or I walked round the side of them.

What I didn't do was not alter my speed, shout MOVE as I came up behind them and push through their group as they turned and started to stand to one side - because that would have made me look like a complete twat.

Excuse me please