DH has been sprayed with red dye!

[Mojit0]

This morning DH was running along the Thames towpath as he often does. He was running quite fast as he's training. There is an area where the path narrows a bit and he had caught up and was running behind a woman. He thought she moved to one side to let him pass, so he ran up behind her, at which point she screamed and suddenly sprayed him with a spray! Most of it got on his t-shirt but some of it also also got on his neck and lower face, though he didn't realise at the time. She screamed at him to get away from her and then ran back the other way. He was saying to her, "It's ok" etc, but he said she was so freaked out and looked so terrified he didn't try and follow her.
Now he has a zig-zag pattern of red up his neck and on the left side if his face and it really won't come off. He went into work and someone told him its probably a dye that the police use to mark criminals! I looked on google and it looks as if you can buy a red spray dye that won't wash off for 7 days! If it's this, it's a nightmare as he has to go to China on business tomorrow.
DH feels bad that she was so scared and her reaction actually scared him. He thinks maybe he should have held back, but he thought she was letting him overtake her. I think her reaction was a bit extreme though -AIBU? I run down that path frequently (although not at 6.30am) and I have never heard of anything like this.

@LostMySanityCanIBorrowYours

What if she is already receiving help, that's possibly why she's out running (brilliant for mental health). It's probably an organisation like Rape Crisis, Women's Aid or the Police who have mentioned such a spray exists.

Men really cant win can they? I've often been walking and heard people behind me but if I feel threatened I change direction or stop etc. Despite all the bad stuff in the world I can't attack anyone who gets close to me. It's just not normal

PaintingOwls

It's victim-blaming rhetoric. Don't go running at 6.30am. Don't get drunk. Don't wear short skirts.

^^This

whisky fgs, it's really not actually very onerous for men to give enough personal space to women on their own, that they won't in danger

It's great that you dint feel afraid. Many women do. For good reason

put AND don't defend yourself

@AsthmaQ

She still cannot go around dying innocent people red and ruining their clothes with no consequences.

If she has been the victim of a crime have the utmost sympathy for her, however it does not excuse her behaviour.

If I get mugged is it okay for me to then steal from a shop because someone stole my shit I can steal someone else's? No. Nor is it okay for this woman to attack people, even if she herself has been a victim of an attack at some point.

I am criticising the victim-blaming LANGUAGE, if you don't know what that is I suggest you Google it.

Unless OP comes back to say that oops actually DH did assault her, he is the victim of an attack. He is not experiencing victim-blaming rhetoric, not least because it's primarily aimed at women. Nobody is saying he shouldn't be out running at that hour, or that he shouldn't be wearing clothes so susceptible to dye stains.

Do you see the difference?

UppityHumpty Is this along the Thames Path near Limehouse? If so there is a blonde woman who sprays people randomly with this shit - many male and female colleagues were attacked.

Just reposting this for OP in case...

Being afraid doesn't mean you get to assault a man who just happened to be running past you

If that had gotten in his eyes and he'd ended up blinded, this woman would be in serious trouble.

She assaulted him! And yet so many people are defending her

*that they won't FEEL in danger

I think the problem is probably, men can't estimate that distance, because they don't feel that fear

He wouldn't have been blinded

He feels very bad about it and normally does give women their space. Sometimes he crosses the road so as not to be "following" them in the street at night. He kind of in a rush this morning as he needed to get home and then into work early.
He's in meetings now but I've left messages that he needs to contact the police. Now I'm worried about them questioning him at the airport. I just thought it would come off. Will he need to go to the station or can you make a statement over the phone? He's not due in until about 9 I think.
When I run I take my time and people overtake me all the time. But I do keep my eye on people and it can be uncomfortable if someone is behind you, especially if they're quite big. I just run with a friend on the river or keep to the streets mainly.

Annahibiscuits the path narrowed. He'd have been in the river if he'd given her more space when overtaking her. No doubt he's overtaken people (male and female) hundreds of times. People who took no notice. He wasn't to know the woman would do this.

he didn't know OP's husband was innocently trying to get past, she panicked

Hold on a minute though Painting by the same token the OP husband had no way of knowing the woman would be scared (having likely being a regular runner and I'm going to make an assumption here - he's probably run past a woman in the past). He had no way of knowing he was going to be attacked. He had no warning

How do you know that @Annahibiscuits?

I'm just not understanding why he didn't report sooner?

No it's not near Limehouse - sorry trying to read everything. It's more southwest end.

It's not victim blaming. Talking as a runner myself, the woman should be running with a partner or join a running club if she is so scared. Every man who is running the same route as her is extremely likely to pass her due to the fact that men are naturally faster runners. It is completely unfair to expect men to change their route or slow down every time they approach a woman on their run. I hope the op's husband can get the dye off and I would certainly consider reporting it to the police, next time she could be carrying something a lot more dangerous.

Mojit0

He will have to see an officer - you could actually phone 101 now and ask for advice, and, possibly get the ball rolling (after you've spoken to him and suggested that). Then he could attend police station or officers could arrange to come around.

He has to sign the statement.

This thread has reminded me I was once walking along the side of a common, not far from the Thames actually. I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and I turned round and it looked like this guy had his hands down his trousers. I whipped my head round and walked faster. He tried to call out to reassure me but I carried on walking very fast. When I got home I reflected that I think he was just tucking his shirt in.

I appreciate that this woman panicked, but I don't think you can go round spraying random men who run past you.

"next time she could be carrying something a lot more dangerous."

Yes, like a knife as a previous poster suggested she should do if she's that scared!

How much of a berth should he have given her, I read that the path was narrowing.

The woman can't just spray someone every time they get close to her.

Anna sure men can give space, however would it not be much more creepy for him to have followed her at a pace of say what 20 feet until the path widened again? Yeah that's waaaaay less weird.

I suffer from anxiety, most people make me nervous. I am just as likely to not like a woman following me. Equally I will go out of my way to stay away from groups of teenagers. I'm just saying that it's ok to be scared, it's not ok to attack people like the woman did.

Banff that makes my point. If it was that narrow he shouldn't have over taken without a warning/signal/shout-out