Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Deranged runners in public spaces....

285 replies

SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 19:51

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!!!!

OP posts:
Runner05 · 13/03/2016 20:59

Bluemoon I love zombies run!

What a pillock.
I work near the location of a half marathon and in the summer whenever I go for a walk it's teeming with people practicing.
I've lost count of the number of times runners have run up fast from behind me and hit me as the zoomed by (they never say sorry), or spat on the pavement right in front of me (delightful) and I've been pushed off the wide path by groups of runners who seem to think the world will end if they only run two a breast so that I can also use the path. Angry
I've come to the conclusion after a couple of years of this that people training for marathons are generally become rude self important gits the moment they squeeze themselves into their go faster spandex and £300 bespoke trainers Hmm

kawliga · 13/03/2016 21:00

I had no idea that "flapping" in a public place made it fine for dogs to chase me (or even that it would make them do so). Not everyone knows about dog behaviour. I'd be alarmed if even a small dog ran up to me

Well, I guess OP would consider you to be someone with only half a brain.

There was a twattish dog-owner on here blaming a mother for quickly picking up her baby when her large dog jumped on the baby and smothered it. According to the twat, everyone with half a brain should know that quickly picking up your baby is a way of signalling to the dog that you want to play.

peaz1 · 13/03/2016 21:00

I went running today in our local park. It was busy, lots of dogs off their leads. Some dog owners were chatting, not really keeping an eye on their dogs which frustrates me especially if they are 'excitable'.

TBH it was annoying, but they (the dogs) need exercise (as I clearly do) and as I didn't like it I just ran out of the park and ran around it. Not a dog in sight. Obviously this runner didn't want to, but he has to expect dogs to be in a 'dog zone'.

I am not a dog owner, btw.

PovertyPain · 13/03/2016 21:00

I'd like to know why some joggers feel they have more rights to the paths than walkers? Seriously, you have no more right to make me stand aside than I have to stop you.

lorelei9 · 13/03/2016 21:01

OP
I have been noticing this too, just in the local park, people trying to do a good time will just yell "coming through" or "out of the way" or something, I think it's really rude and wrong and I'm worried about an elderly person being knocked over.

that said, I found your post confusing. Was your dog meant to be on a lead in that part of the place? I only ask because you mention leads and also there's a section in my local parks that says dogs must be on leads.

it doesn't change the fact that he's an arse but I just wondered.

in terms of his behaviour attracting the attention of a dog, I have more than half a brain and I had no idea that would attract a dog. But I don't run round the park like a mad thing shouting and waving my sweatshirt around so that's okay!

theycallmemellojello · 13/03/2016 21:02

kawliga yep I'm inclined to agree that that comment was a red flag. Possibly red flags are yet another dog-attracting signal, but what do I know with my half-brain?

Original poster
SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 21:02

Kayleigh I am not a twat, and my dog wouldn't have have affected the runner in any way whatsoever, but most people who yes have half a brain would not want to deliberately draw attention to themselves if all the wanted to do was just jog past.

Ps I do gold him in contempt for aggressively verbally abusing me in front of my kids when there was zero justifiable cause. Prior to this I would have thought nothing about him quite honestly.

OP posts:
lorelei9 · 13/03/2016 21:03

btw I hope you don't mind me adding this
I'm getting annoyed with runners in public spaces in huge groups - sometimes they appear in groups of about 40 - in narrow London streets at rush hour FFS - this is in central London!

and they have to move en masse and at their speed so if you are trying to cross the path where they are coming through, you can't. WTF is that about?!

CocktailQueen · 13/03/2016 21:03

Op, sadly, in my experience, some dogs may be nice but many - the majority? Certainly the ones we remember encountering - dog owners are not sensible, or mindful of other people, or polite. Too many negative incidents to relate.

Original poster
SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 21:04

Dogs, like humans, will be attracted to loud noises, especially aggressive tones, and movement. If peop,em are unaware of this then I feel it is a sorry state of affairs!

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheep · 13/03/2016 21:05

Joggers have as much right as walkers yes - but they are going faster - so walkers move aside - I mean it would rude to expect them to walk behind you until you could be bothered to move Hmm

same as - as a jogger - I move aside for bikes - and incidentally dog walkers coming towards me

He was an ass - but lets not turn it into a runner bashing thread - we are doing our best to stay fit

kawliga · 13/03/2016 21:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 21:08

Seriously Where re all these awful,aggressive dogs, and shitty owners!!? even tho I have had dogs in the family for the last 30 years I can honestly say I have very very rarely been approached by a scary dog. There are a Few dogs locally who walk with muzzles on so I always feel a bit wary, only because the muzzle might indicate an aggression issues. But honestly, with some basic good sense MOST dogs will not want to be aggressive to random peop,win public, just like MOST people we encounter don't either.

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheep · 13/03/2016 21:08

I also have a bike

and a 4X4

and I don't like dogs

I am on the wrong thread aren't I?

ohtheholidays · 13/03/2016 21:09

He was being a Dick!

If he's so afraid of Dogs then why the hell would you run on the very side where Dogs are allowed?! Fucking Arse.

You did nothing wrong OP,his outburst was not a normal reaction in the slightest.If you know who he is or where he lives I'd be giving the Police(my DH is in the Police Force and they wouldn't be happy with the way he acted) non emergency number a ring.You can't go round screaming and swearing at people just because you feel like it

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 13/03/2016 21:09

Zero justifiable cause... Hmm, then like i said, I'd love to hear his version of events

Original poster
SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 21:10

Kayleigh well your opinion is very much in the minority's here, even from others runners. My dog hurt no one, I hurt no one, we were going snout our business. The runner is the twat for verbally abusing a family with no JUST cause. He basically obviously has a gelato problem with dogs and felt like having a go at us with ours.

OP posts:
kawliga · 13/03/2016 21:10

Dogs, like humans, will be attracted to loud noises, especially aggressive tones, and movement. If peop,em are unaware of this then I feel it is a sorry state of affairs

This is another hallmark of the twattish dog-owner. They think other people should go for training to learn all about dogs before they step out of their front door. There was a woman on here who grew up with dogs and her dc loved dogs, yet the twat still told her to go for extra training on how to behave if she doesn't want dogs jumping on her dc.

Ubik1 · 13/03/2016 21:11

Yes we have large group of runners too. It's ok if they have high visibility vests as you can dive out of the way avoid them. But some just seem to plough through and past you.

Justaboy · 13/03/2016 21:11

There's a type of person who is just like that. Sometimes they are lycra clad on their bikes, it's as if the world has to revolve around them they sometimes are in cars as well where they're even more dangerous.

Train spotters behave in much the same way they had to slow quite a few trains on the Flying Scotsman trip the other day and they were O-So important trying to get their best shots they put themselves in complete danger.

likeaboss · 13/03/2016 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
SoHereItIs2016 · 13/03/2016 21:13

Kawliga sadly it is sad state of affairs as this type of ignorance is exactly what get people bitten by dogs, stampeded by cows ( yes there are deaths each and every year due to lack of understanding about livestock safety) we live in a. World which we share with other living breathing creatures, as we are the more sentient and intelligent species it would serve us well to be more informed and take sensible precautions with animals in general.

OP posts:
kawliga · 13/03/2016 21:15

Do not be complacent because everyone here is on your side. I too was on your side when I read the OP. In my first post I said YANBU. It was only when you called the runner brainless that I saw your true colours. And it was wrong to call the runner 'deranged' in your thread title. Have some respect for other people. It will be better for your dog if his owner respects other people.

LaPharisienne · 13/03/2016 21:17

OMG people!

Tiny toy puppy bouncing at the feet of a male runner is not the same as a two big dogs jumping up at waist height at a pregnant woman on crutches, or a big dog leaping on a baby!

Oysterbabe · 13/03/2016 21:17

Every time you post your dog did less. To start with it ran over to him and ran along next to him. Now you were all just minding your own business and nowhere near when he started screaming for no reason. I guess he must have mental health issues then.