Can people say thanks when I run into the road for them?

[Fizzysours]

I am a runner and going out once a day. I try to choose a quieter time. I ALWAYS run into the road to give pedestrians of any age plenty of safe space. It's usually really obvious to see that I have done this as our area is fairly quiet. A quarter of people say thanks or a cheery morning. By 'thanks' I mean a smile, a raised hand or ANYTHING. It would be nice if more people could manage the tiny pleasantries that make everyone's day a bit friendlier, especially when we are all so divided?

on monday my 3 yo and DH were a fair way ahead of me and baby. far enough to not look like we were together. lots of people out walking up and down our road and my 3yo was saying hello to everyone with a big smile. all these people were being very complimentary of him as they passed me obviously not knowing I'm his proud/adoring mummy ☺️

I’m disabled. I have chronic fatigue. If you see me on the path I may be walking really slowly. I may not even acknowledge you or smile because I’m physically unable to expel one jot of energy, which isn’t about getting me to the car in one piece and without collapsing. Other people may be depressed. Or have lost a loved one. Or myriad other reasons. Saying thank you is ideal. Just not always possible.

cologne4711 that walking your describe as not exercise ' is my exercise. Just because it doesn’t fit in your idealised version of what constitutes exercise, it doesn’t make it any less so.

OP I agree completely with you. I run, and I thought the exact same thing the other day. No, I don't expect people to profusely thank me, and going out into the road, is, as PPs have said, for my benefit too.

But I do feel irked when I make a specific effort for people - and yes, I think as a runner I should do this. Like where I stop, move clearly out of my way to accommodate others and no-one indicates their thanks.

It's just a nice thing to do, to say thanks, and I do it when it's done for me.

The recent attitude to runners amazes me. Absolutely if people are charging around rudely, I get it but people making no effort at all to move aside on the pavement when they are walking 3 & 4 abreast is so rude.

Especially slow languid walking which doesn't really constitute "exercise".

Rather an embarassingly ignorant comment. It absolutely does constitute exercise, and a very important form of it.

No. I'm paranoid. I'm holding my breath when people pass me, especially runners and their heavy breathing. I might smile maybe but I can't speak. Social niceties are out of the window for me now.

I've been running for about 4 years, but I must admit I've never had anything but courteous experiences where I live. In terms of more runners out than usual, that's probably due to people wfh and flexing their working hours to run at different times to usual for them, rather than suddenly lots of 'new' runners (although I'm sure there are a few of those too - including my own daughter, who is taking the opportunity to finish her C25K while she's off work for the Easter holidays).

But we're lucky here - a lot of dedicated cycle/pedestrian paths with 'keep left' the overriding rule, so you know who is expected to pass on which side. And while the paths themselves are not quite 2m wide, they are if you include the grass edges, so that's what people seem to do. I also tend to not breathe out if I'm passing anyone (but fit runners don't really 'pant heavily' anyway most of the time - at least, they shouldn't be, unless they're going up a hill or doing a dedicated interval training run!). And you're past someone so quickly if you're going in opposite directions - the other day one research study on the dangers of being infected by a runner going past you said the risk was virtually nil.

To be honest, right now most of the local runners round our way are making the most of the golf course nearby being closed - we're all running around and through the middle of that and having a whale of a time! (Shouldn't think the golf club are very pleased!) But it's actually common ground, which those of us who live in the area have the right to use... it's just that usually we have to stick to the edges because of flying golf balls, so we're having our fun through the middle of it, up and down the various hillocks and bumps, while we can (and grass is better for the joints than running on the roads!)

It cant be any fun going for a walk if you're so sacred you have to hold your breathe every time someone passes.

MrsFrankDrebin

Where do you live that has a ‘keep left’ rule? Whenever I mention keeping left to people it is like I have taken away their freedom. It makes traversing the paths predictable for every user but I grew up in places where it was marked on paths to remind people.

I assume a runner is moving into the road to keep pace and avoid contact. I would therefore assume it’s for their own benefit and wouldn’t need to say thanks.

Yesterday I went for a walk, I walked into the road for every single person. In some cases there was a super wide pavement but they wanted to walk in the middle. About 12 times I went into the road, not one acknowledgement.🤔

R u jokein if this is only worried then ur lucky

YANBU!
Interesting how some people assume that moving out of the way is purely about self-preservation. Surely you are also protecting those you are passing too? If you were infected but not showing symptoms and especially if they were vulnerable (which you also probably would not know), then yes, you are potentially doing them a favour as well as protecting yourself. It is frustrating how many people don’t see this and assume it is some kind of stand-off.

It is the people who don’t see any reason to move away from others who scare me the most because how many other precautions are they ignoring?

Bloody hell - there are bigger things to worry about, get over yourself.

Yes yes yes. Thank you. I feel like this. I'm so fed up of feeling like the second class citizen as a runner when I was running well before these people suddenly decided to start walking. I gave up moving today. Nobody does it for me. In fact a family of 5 crossed to my side to walk towards me when their side was clear. Why should I move for them. Rude people are getting on my nerves. Rant over.

Interesting how some people assume that moving out of the way is purely about self-preservation

That's not my take. My take is that it's about not wanting to slow down or stop because they are running. They could stop and leave the onus on the other person to make their way round or at least slow down so that some mutual body language would indicate which method would be used to pass. But they don't, they run in the road because a walker, who is by the nature of their endeavor, would take too long to make that move and be out their way and they don't want to slow down or stop. So not self preservation in the way you mean, but self preservation of speed etc.Even pre covid, the only time I have ever seen a runner or cyclist stop when they couldn't just run on the road, i when they are stopped at the level crossing, even then you can see them wondering if they've got time to get over before the barrier closes. Coming down a narrow path off a hill, they will either barge you off the path or run so close that you can feel their breath on your face, and god help you if you encounter a mountain biker.

Lets all clap for the runners tonight....

Why are all these pesky folk that aren't allowed to drive anywhere else, walking round their own neighbourhood trying to get some vitamin D and exercise - how fucking very dare they...

Live in the countryside, people are friendlier... I grew up in London (30 years) and then moved out...

Oh please, get over yourself.

It's your choice to go for a run and have a need to overtake other people so why would I say thank you for keeping the correct distance?

No one has thanked me for getting out of their way and walking into the road (which still has the odd car whizz by) and I'm OK with that.

But then I don't need someone to go "oh well done for keeping the correct distance Welsh tart and walking into the road in a safe manner... so brave!".

I have various health issues so normally I have a head full of panicky thoughts and stress as I waddle along dodging other people and joggers who aren't keeping the 2m distance than keep check about making sure I thank a passing jogger keeping the correct 2m distance so I make them "feel better" about themselves.

No not really, there are so many runners atm - I think it’s common sense to move away from people as your breathing heavier. I run and I don’t expect everyone to say Thanks.

see your point but just do it to avoid filthy looks and most definitely don’t expect thanks. The atmosphere out there is mean and scared and running means u just move through it all quicker but just When did runners become the Pariahs of this new shit storm of a world anyway? My daily run means navigating entire families across the whole pavement , waiting at end of narrow steps whilst people meander and sometimes stop to take photos of the Views whilst I look like a loon jogging on the spot for them to finish knowing if I even dared try and share the narrow confines they would shout at me. Then almost got run over by two cyclists who seems to have forgotten that a pandemic does not mean you can suddenly cycle on the pavements.

Nope. I am constantly trying to get away from joggers who insist on jogging right near me. You are the one breathing heavily not me, so do the sensible thing and protect others.

YANBU I always say thanks (even before all this) if someone moves for us.

prawn despite my comments on this thread, runners are much further down the scale than cyclists.

Just watching my neighbours go for their 2nd 2 hour (at least) foray into the hills today.

Live in the countryside, people are friendlier... I grew up in London (30 years) and then moved out...

You are surely joking - nobody in London would give a flying fuck - it's the country folk who sweat the small stuff.

As a walker I'm used to runners running up behind me unexpectedly (they never seem to want to veer off the path onto the grass) so I'd be delighted and definitely thank you if you ran out of your way for me.