To think runners are getting a lot of hate atm

[HerstoryInTheMaking]

All over social media I am hearing a lot of nasty and snarky comments towards runners, especially from people who would never usually exercise outdoors anyways.

Aibu to think social distancing is a two way street and that those walking should also attempt social distancing. I as a marathon runner try my best to avoid people often walking in a group along a path who refuse to budge an inch.

Well I've just been out for a run. And the people who are the most annoying, other than the couples who refuse to go single file is the people with prams on an empty pavement who see me coming and cross the road right into my path so I have to cross the road to the pavement they've just vacated. I don't know if they are trying to make a point about runners but two of them did it today and it is a bloody nuisance. I actually told the second couple with pram to wait on their own side, probably not a very friendly thing to do but why would you do that?

BubblesBuddy

She” is Winesalot. I thought that was obvious from the conversation.

"Who is she? The cat's mother?" is usually a rhetorical question. As here, it is intended to draw attention to how obnoxious it is to talk about someone as if they are not there.

If you have never encountered this phrase before, I suppose it may explain much.

I think parkrun needs to get going again. Keep the runners out of everyone else's way (and vice versa) on a Saturday morning!

I think the problem with higher cardio exercises like running and cycling is all the heavy breathing that goes along with it.

Surely, there has got to be a vastly increased volume of potential Covid-19 particles being exhaled spreading at a much faster speed compared to someone out for a gentle stroll?
The government needs to get it's scientists to come up with some data on this so that we can all be more informed and know one way or the other.
I for one would not risk sharing my airspace with runners/cyclists if I knew it was more dangerous.
Just as I am sure the runners/cyclists would not want to cause unessesary spreading to others.

Perhaps certain areas in the parks could be for walkers only?

The other weird thing is both runners and walkers tend to think they are cars and all stay on the paths. The only people who need to be on paths are buggy pushers (arguably). Everyone else should use all the available space in parks.

It is a real pity that we live in a world where the car is given such precedence that pedestrians and cyclists come a poor second and are left sniping at each other.
Governments seem incapable of anything but short termism, but if a long term lesson is to be learned from this, it is that more people should be walking running and cycling as part of their daily lives and fewer people should be making unnecessary car journeys.
Obesity and air pollution were silent killers long before C19, and the effects of those two health crises have left far more people than would otherwise be the case poorly placed to deal with the virus and left us overly reliant on reactive health care - the NHS will make me well - rather than proactive health care - I will be as healthy as I can be to try to avoid unnecessarily using NHS resources.
Hopefully, if it is true that more people are out doing sport, they will continue to do so.

Just saw An expert on BBC (Dr Christian Hasbeth (?) apologies if this is wrong) who explained that the virus is not carried on breath but on coughs and sneezes. He pointed out that known science modeling accepted in the UK (I have paraphrased) says those droplets carry less than 2 metres before falling to the ground as those droplets are heavier.

I have seen just as many walkers coughing and sneezing than runners. But yes, I don’t think anyone would want to spread this virus. And I think if there was an issue, it would have been included in the guidance.

They also said the same applied for vaping. The droplets do not carry two metres.

I have not seen anyone demonizing vapers on MN like they have ‘runners’. Yet you would think that the vaping walkers I have come across would be a huge risk.

I agree - vaping should stop in public places too! It’s certainly been discussed on the radio!

DD and DH got abuse because they were walking beside each other, not in single file as the runner demanded everyone should be doing.

Obviously there is no call for abuse, but I have found this frustrating on pavements when walking. There's not much space so if two people walk side by side when they can see someone coming towards them it makes it much harder for me to keep my distance. I think rule of thumb on a pavement is keep hard left or hard right if someone is coming towards you. And do it in good time to avoid the sidewalk shuffle.

When running I've been in a large park, so it's been easy to anticipate other people and run a circuitous route off paths etc.

There's not much space so if two people walk side by side when they can see someone coming towards them it makes it much harder for me to keep my distance. I think rule of thumb on a pavement is keep hard left or hard right if someone is coming towards you.
I agree. I can't stand people pavement hogging. It's especially annoying at the moment with social distancing. Common sense says everyone keeps to one side, but some people insist their need to walk side by side trumps every other user who should be in the road/on the verge to accommodate their highly important conversation.

Do you think when all this is over we’re going to be a much less tolerant society with everyone permanently angry at everyone else?

The idiots with the prams, who take up the middle of a pavement and don’t think the rules apply to them are far worse

This is very recent and was mentioned on one of the evening news programmes.
If you can understand Flemish, there is material available online.
It a useful to keep ourselves informed.
Runners around where I live are very considerate. There are quite a lot of them compared to people walking. Those walking are also considerate towards others.
So I haven’t heard of joggers being criticised first hand.

DD and DH got abuse because they were walking beside each other, not in single file as the runner demanded everyone should be doing

They should have been single file. The runner may not have "demanded", they may have just pointed out the blindingly obvious. Even in normal times you shouldn't be blocking the entire path. And these are not normal times, so you should aim to take as little space as possible.

Most runners I have met in the last three days ( I hadn't left the house before then) have not practiced social distancing, expected myself and the kids to move out of their way, and breathed really heavily as they passed. Cyclists on the other hand moved well out of the way and most had scarves on their faces as well, likewise fig walkers have been very considerate

🐕

I preferred fig walkers. I have a wonderful image of a man dragging along a giant fig on a lead!

Im a runner, always considerate and will give way, happy to run in road, but walkers / couples / families make zero attempt to help. Stay 4 abreast, leave a child straggling miles behind, cycling on pavement etc it’s so frustrating! Also my normal routes are choc full of walkers / families now who appear not to have a clue re social distancing, wouldn’t see a soul on a ‘normal’ Saturday aft here- I don’t begrudge it, but help me out!!! it’s so annoying. With all the runner bashing I also get the impression there’s a definite Whif of superiority from some I pass. Hey ho.

I think the government are probably all very pleased that we're all on here debating whether or not runners are a problem and ignoring the fact that the government underfunded the NHS for ten years, were slow to respond to the outbreak, and initially went for a herd immunity approach.

But nevermind all that, I went for a run today so obviously it's my fault people got sick and died.

TossACoinToYourWitcher
It's not either/ or.

I dislike our government and their track record on health and also think there's a weird minority on MN who have a chip on their shoulder about anyone exercising so act like the bitchy girls who mocked others for trying in PE. Unfortunately bitching about those who exercise has been a thing on here for a while, just now instead of mocking cyclists for wearing cycling clothing and saying they look hideous, it's a case of blame anyone exercising for breathing or for having the audacity to expect our family gathering to move to one side.
Obviously if we all die it's because some people went running and dared to expect others to have common sense, and not because people went to the shops when they fancied chocolate because "essential is subjective and maybe in that moment the chocolate was essential for someone else do don't judge hun... If you aren't in favour of people nipping to the shops for snacks you're essentially causing the nation to have terrible mental health".

Redwinestillfine and I have just come back from a walk and very few families moved out of their cluster to give me 2 metres despite the path only being 2.3 m wide (probably because I am a single person walking). I also ended up in the middle of a three dog fight as three sets of owners stood talking and their dogs started fighting as I walked past (not one on leash) and owners having to come and retrieve dogs and come within two metres of me, and most of the many families on bicycles did not move to the other side of the path as they over took at all. Even the parents. The joggers were all keeping to 2 metres. I am sure you realize that idiots are not limited to running.

There were also groups of teenagers sitting on exercise equipment that the council have put up signs saying closed. And about 7 families with young kids down in the shallow parts ( some close together) of the river wading with picnics.