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.

[MaisyPops]

Goldfishjane
Endearing because he's a lonely elderly man who lives alone. He talks to anyone around the village at bus stops too. He says it to everyone male or female and it's never said in a threatening way, more a grandad joke sort of way.
I don't find it funny (and it's a bit annoying if I'm in my running zone) but see it more that this is a lonely man just trying to get human interaction.
To view him as some kind of sexist aggressive man would simply not be accurate.

[frenchknitting]

I used to get this a lot. Mainly just irritating "witty" comments (e.g. "you can go faster than that!" - yes, maybe i could be running faster, if i hadn't got up at 5am and run 19 miles so far).

The only one that really unnerved me was a man shouting "bouncy tits" right in my face. I was shocked by it, as his (i assume) wife or gf was right next to him, and he screamed it really aggressively.

I've noticed people only say nice things when I'm running with a running buggy though.

I've had worse when cycling. E.g. water (i hope) thrown into my eyes from a car, people driving right at me, etc.

[SomeOtherFuckers]

@BoldKitties I told you ... it's something we've done since I was a kid, my mum was a runner so she'd to it to kind of 'send vibes' .. I know it sounds stupid but no one has ever heard

[lampshadehat]

Why can't men just be quiet? It's so annoying that they think everyone wants to hear what they have to say. Agh just shut up!

[Willow2017]

Seren
I would have paid to see that 😀 well done you I bet he thinks twice next time.

[Mulledwine1]

It has very rarely happened to me, fortunately.

I always think we will have true equality as a society when women can go for a run with exactly the same freedom as men - not needing to worry about silly comments, running in lonely places in case they get attacked, not running in the dark, only in well lit areas etc.

Until then, we don't have equality.

God knows why some men feel the need to intimidate women all the time.

[Mulledwine1]

I've said this before but this is why parkrun is so important as a safe space for women to run.

I hope the (male) councillors on Stoke Gifford Council who got rid of Little Stoke parkrun read this and similar discussions.

[EtonMessi]

[Lancelottie]

Can we have those printed as cards, EtonMess? Though 'RandomUnoriginalTwat' would be better.

[Stormtreader]

This stuff is why I dont run outside since I have no-one to run with, its not safe on your own as a woman, especially a large woman.

Its all just enjoying having power over someone, I bet black men got far more comments shouted at them in the past as well when public racism was acceptable. It's reminding women that they are being constantly watched and judged by men.

[nInachu]

Ive had hassle, generally if I run early in the AM, its ok, its only in the afternoons/evenings that men tend to act like idiots. I just wear earphones and ignore. Its sad really.

[DancingGoose]

God i've had this numerous times when cycling home after work. I go along a mixed use path by a canal and get loads of shit. I've had men/boys shouting at me, spitting as I pass, jumping in front of the bike, other cyclists screaming in my ear as they pass to scare me - and my all time favourite - shooting fireworks at me from the other side of the canal. I also stick headphones in and turn up the volume to drown them out as much as possible. Utter dickheads.

[echt]

Do you have larger than average breasts!?

What the fuck??? Victim blaming much?

[SillyLittleBiscuit]

I've been shouted out by someone using a megaphone, had men run alongside me, had a cyclist cycle alongside me congratulating me for running - who then took offence when I told him to go and congratulate the male jogger on the other side of the road, had teenagers comment on my (yes, larger than average!) breasts, had men try and block my path, been called fat or variations of many times. Of all the men I know everyone of them would insist they wouldn't do something like this yet it happens .. who's doing it?

The shouting 'keep running' if with window open would add to my list of things people do that piss me off whilst I'm running. WTF?

[problembottom]

I used to get a lot of hassle when I was out running in my teens and 20s. Ranging from what sexual things they'd do to me to making woof like noises to commenting on my assets. All from men, never a word of abuse from a woman...

I barely get any now in my early 30s which is annoying as I'm so much more confident and would love to take them on, which I never had the nerve to do in the past.

[StrangeLookingParasite]

The other week I ran past a bloke who shouted keep at it you fat bitch. Now,I had headphones in but fairly low volume for road safety. I'd had a bad day and was running off some stress and it has taken a lot for me to run outside again. Without thinking I stopped, ripped my headphones out, turned around and walked towards him and screamed you fucking what?? He looked terrified. In hindsight it was a really stupid thing to do but it didn't half feel fantastic.

I love this so much.

I used to ride my bike everywhere, and had lots of comments, most memorably, 'go on a diet!' screamed by a couple of arseholes in a cheap convertible who obviously thought they were the dog's bollocks.
It's why I would never own a gun, even if it was legal. Cos I'd shoot them and think it a good thing.

[styledilemma]

I wish I hadn't come across this thread.

I've been working my way up with running (mainly treadmill) for a couple of weeks now and was thinking about taking it outside - braving the big outdoors.
I'm not so sure now.

[EmmaWoodlouse]

The most annoying thing that's ever been said to me while running (by a notorious old hippy who used to hang around in my town) was "Running's very bad for you, you know, you should take up walking" - and then a long monologue about places he'd walked to.

The person who shouted out "ironing board!" probably thought he was being annoying, but at the time I was rather proud of having lost a lot of weight through running and was secretly pleased that that was the first thing he'd noticed about my body shape!

The worst sexism I've come across has actually been while rowing. DH used to have a heavy old wooden rowing boat and we'd make day trips of it, taking it in turns to row. Without fail, if I happened to be rowing, rich oafs on big white launches would shout out, "Why are you making her row, you lazy git?" or similar - like a woman can't row, or a man should be expected to row all day in the sun!

[PoisonousSmurf]

I try to avoid streets, but will run in the park. Only first thing in the morning as, that from noon onwards, it seems to be filled with weirdos who think they can say what they think out loud.
If I did run on the street I'd have a couple of stones on me to smash car/van windows if they pissed me off.
Then I'd run very fast in the opposite direction...

[scubadoobie]

Male runner here...... I get some guff but with a Forrest Gump angle because I have long hair and a beard. Some people are just arseholes. That means that some men will be arseholes. It'll always be this way, unless I become 'Dictator of the Universe'. The only things I give other runners is a smile and a hello.

[SmashingInAthleticWear]

I run with over-head headphones - not massive ones but obvious enough that people don't seem to bother shouting, and if they do I don't hear them. Though I did get some prick call out "love them bouncy legs!" last summer.

Also once had a bloke on a bike pull up alongside me, gestured for me to take my headphones off, than asked if he could chat to me! Do I look like I want a fucking chat while I'm a) puffing and panting away and b) listening to music?

Usually it's fine though! Please don't let these bellends put you off!

[DissonantInterval]

It's grim in some places. I can't run because of joint problems but I do walk very quickly for an hour when I can. I wear sporty stuff because I can walk quicker in it. And I get comments too (never from a man on their own. Always 2 or more in a car or van.)

I feel really exposed and vulnerable because of it when I go out. And I keep to busy areas for safety as I'm on my own usually. It's really off-putting and as someone who has always had body image issues, very difficult to deal with sometimes. It hasn't happened a lot but I'm always sort of braced for it. I swear i'd never talk or shout to anyone out walking/running. Well, unless they were about to step out in front of a car i guess.

[Nocarbsorsugar]

I think it's massively different to walking.

Same as if someone came into the gym wearing a suit.

I do run but mostly in parks or country runs. I get fed up of hot sweaty people in full kit running on the pavements. They look ridiculous and inappropriate to my mind.
I wouldn't call out to them though. It's a perfectly legal activity.

[Lancelottie]

But to get to a park or country run, or anywhere without a pavement, I'd need to get in the car, which seems to defeat the point.