Do men have a problem with women out jogging???

[FluffyPants82]

Hi all
I'm quite new to running and really enjoying it apart from the unwanted attention and comments I get from men ( never women) either from cars or on the street. Some are pretty harmless like " have you missed your bus?" Or " is someone chasing you?" They don't bother me that much but why comment at all? But this morning, i was getting a bit tired so slowed down, almost walking when I passed a parked van with 2 men inside, driver leant out of window and said " what's the matter, your snatch too sweaty?!" Just ignored him and carried on but is this a thing? Have any other women encountered this out running? I don't get this ever if I'm just out walking, only if I'm running . And just to be clear, I don't get all this attention because I'm a supermodel type, far from it- very average and nothing special so I just don't get it.

Some people are just dickheads. Some men are sexist pigs.

There's an old chap near me who tries to be funny with runners. He has about 4 jokes he gives to lots of people (missed your bus? Ooh you'll be late! Etc.) To me it's clear that is endearing.

The me you describe are just vile and feel they can pass comment on any woman in public.

Knobheads obviously do.

Yep, I get it too, Earphones, always wear them now to drown out the bollocks.

Yes earphones all the time is the way to go,however even they did not help when a man grinded a bottle of coke against his groin while grinning at me as u ran past him ugh.

Women's Running and Runner's World have published articles on this such is the problem. My favourite was when sprinting for a PB some knobhead jumped in front of me and purposely blocked my way. He genuinely didn't understand why I didn't find it hilarious. Ignoring and pretending you haven't heard is your best bet but 'Who put 50p in the dickhead??' is also acceptable.

Earphones definitely, I will do that. Nice to know I'm not the only one but then saddens me too that this is not uncommon.

Gawd never happened to me. And I've jogged on and off for years. Could it be the part of the world you are in? Do you have larger than average breasts!?

They're dicks. Earphones are your friend. I usually shout something back but that's probably not good advice

Could it be the part of the world you are in? Do you have larger than average breasts!?

Street harassment of women and girls happens everywhere, villages, towns and cities, across countries. As for the latter question, how ridiculous; would this justify it?

Supermoon- no, quite small ones so not that and like I said nothing special to look at either.
Pigeon - I really wished I'd said something but was so shocked at what he had said, just wanted to get away but we shouldn't put up with it and if it happens again I won't just skulk off.

I'd be tempted to carry a handful of specially printed business cards with the dictionary definition of a dickhead boldly printed on one side and the helpline number of Twats Anonymous on the other side.
Hand them out at your discretion... and run like the wind in the other direction!

Unfortunately, it's very common in my experience.

Are headphones safe when running? Might they make you less aware of traffic/hazards?

I agree these men are twats. Love the "50p in the dickhead" line.

www.runnersworld.com/running-while-female

"43 percent of women at least sometimes experience harassment on the run, according to a recent RW survey, compared with just 4 percent of men. "

Wow! This has never happened to me. Maybe it's the area you live in?
I'd be mortified if guys did that to me!

You might be onto something.

A few weeks ago we were driving behind a white van and a woman was jogging on the pavement. The wanker in the van swerved lasts minute deliberately into a huge puddle drenching the poor woman.

Wish I'd had a dash cam to catch the twat

That's disgusting. Someone once posted on my forum that the women jogging around uni ( which has ssevurity guards patrolling and many safe buildings and well lighted tracks , that they should be careful jogging with headphones in as someone might rape them... there has not in the past decade been a single rape on campus... and women are aware of night jogging and stick to the patrolled paths .. why he thought he needed to warn us was v patronising and slightly creepy and is now a running ( excuse the pun) joke on campus.

Although me and my whole family, whenever we see a runner, always yell ' keeep on running !' - with the windows down ofc ... I don't know why and it's in a motivational way not a ' you're a fat person keep running ' Way x

I get 'encouraging' comments. 'Not far now love' that kind of shit. From women too sometimes

I run about 7k when I run so I'm not super fit but neither, I think, do I look like I'm out for the first time.

It's just fucking weird. In what universe do I look like I need your approbation, random fat middle aged guy?

Very common in my experience too.

I've had:

Men running along beside me making their lewd comments.

Running just behind me (I didn't know they were there) then yelling in my ear to frighten me.

Twice, men have aimed their cars at me and 'pretended' to run me over (once mounting the pavement to do so, the other time driving into the lane for the other direction).

Men spitting across my path.

I'm sure there are more, they'll come back to me.

Then plenty of the usual comments about my body.

It's shit that we have to put up with that.

Please don't shout at anyone running, no matter how well intentioned you are. It's the most jarring thing, I hate it. Being beeped at is also horrible, I jump a mile.
I often wish I had an invisibility cloak.

You have my sympathy.

Last year I started going out for walks/gentle jogs. I made the mistake of stopping and looking in a shop window. Group of men, probably mid twenties so not much younger than me, stopped behind me and started laughing.

One of them loudly proclaimed "Nice leggings, bet you like taking it up the arse, don't you"

It was mortifying, took me right back to being at school. I had to push past them to get away. I was in a pretty vulnerable place mental health-wise so it really got to me. Needless to say, I haven't gone out on my walks since.

Dickheads.

Why do you do that someotherfucker? What a weird thing to do - just abuse someone in the street? Because they're running?

It probably does depend somewhat on where you run. My pathetic excuse for running is on a countryside canal towpath, used solely for recreation - people are pleasant, dog walkers make a virtue of getting their dogs neatly under control, comments are of the 'lovely morning' or 'cold, isnt it' variety.

I don't think I'd like to try it on an urban street.