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?

I've been running 15 years and completed 50 halfs, I realise now I sound like a running twat, my post really was more about little thank you's. Not running. It's just friendly I think

OOh, ooh, I got a sarcastic "you're welcome!" from a cycling mum the other day. So proud.

She was cycling down the very very quiet road (which is what I thought would be the default for a cyclist tbh, am I missing something?) and I'd stopped with my doggy on pavement and was letting him have a sniff on the grass verge and wasn't taking much notice, but I could see her child was coming along on a bike on the path behind us, and the child then moved onto the very very quiet road and caught up with his mum.

I was still checking if doggy was going to have a poo tbh, but I heard her say "YOU'RE WELCOME!" and she and her child cycled off.

Should I have said thank you?

Why would I thank you for keeping out of my way as you should be doing? You’re going faster so it’s obvious you would move

I think as the runner I should be the one to run in the road as needed. It's easier and I can usually quickly get back onto the pavement. I don't expect thanks. I would do this normally and it's a lot safer now with less cars in the road.

What would be useful is for pedestrians to at least attempt to move to one side, not walk in the middle of the pavement so no one can get past etc. Often there's parked cars and although I'll always try it's not always feasible to jump in the road. Obviously most are observing social distancing but there's definitely quite a few pedestrians with no awareness of others, just as there are runners who are as bad.

I saw a tweet the other day criticising runners for going on the grass in one of the London parks recently, but I've been in that park and they're only doing it because people are walking 3-4 abreast in the middle of the path.

People that expect ‘little thank yous’ sometimes turn into bitter old ladies disappointed that that the world hasn’t given them their due to which they were entitled...just sayin

And yes, please move into the road if you are travelling at speed. The 50/50 thing is only if you are walking and doesn’t apply if the other pedestrian is old or with children. Thank you so much on behalf of a grateful nation.

The roads on my estate are so quiet the runners are running down the middle of the roads! If there's a car they pull over but as cars line both sides of the streets, they still don't come near the pavements. If they're running towards me, I always give a 'morning/afternoon'!
There are more pedestrians around than runners so it's safer for the runners to be on the roads as there are so few cars.

So what exactly is it you want thanks for ?

Agree OP. I’m out with my toddler and constantly stepping out the way for people and rarely does anyone say thanks. I’ve started picking people up on it

I always would say thanks. But if I lived elsewhere I think I'd be wary. Have read so many posts on Mumsnet with people who are furious because someone spoke to them or made smalltalk or whatever, I thought the etiquette elsewhere was to avoid eye contact at all costs.

Not quite sure why some people presume that someone walking has more right to be on the pavement than someone running. Pavements are for sharing. It’s not runners who take up the whole pavement by walking 2,3 or even sometimes 4 abreast, or who gather at crossings blocking them for everyone else, or who have their kids on bikes or scooters taking up the full space,
going at a snails pace and blocking the space for everyone else.

And the OP is talking about moving into the road to give 2m of space, not moving out of the way so as to avoid “barging passed” someone.

@personanongrata well done. Misogynist and ageist in one fell swoop. And highly primitive response. Meaningless!! I shall carry on saying thanks and smiling at people, like a bitter little ole lady. Grumpy rude people gonna grump I guess 😂😂

Glad there are some other cheery polite people on here!!! Nice to know. We all need to stay as happy as we can be, I think.

Depends if the runner is being courteous. Last week I was struggling home with 4 bags of shopping (don't drive) on a narrow path. Had to keep stopping g to put bags down. I didn't hear a runner coming up behind me untill they where almost on top of me. He ran onto the road at last second ignoring distancing rules grumbling to himself. No he didn't get a thankyou because frankly he was being an inconsiderate A hole.

Well I agree there. Runners are by definition fit, and should always go in the road if someone needs to. He was an a**hole

As Arun we, I always go on the road as I'm faster.

When walking, I sometimes do, sometimes the other person does it before. If they do, I always say thank you, plain good manners.

I've noticed that many more people say thank you when I step out of the way whilst walking then running. I do think people resent runners because deep inside, they wish they had the fitness level to do so too!

@Lenny1980 it's been established for quite some time that faster moving things manoeuvre to avoid slower moving things. It's not a new rule.

I've moved into the road and don't expect a thanks. It's unnecessary.

Why would I thank you for keeping out of my way as you should be doing?
Well no, there us no such thing as 'should be doing'. It's courtesy to do so, hence expecting an acknowledgement.

It's no surprise the number of people saying yabu considering the number of people who fail to say thank you when driving when others let them through. Many people who believe it to be standard that others should accommodate them.

I do the same, but don't expect any acknowledgement. Generally I'm trying to minimise interactions with others, so I'm not looking at them for their response.

Yabu to expect specific thanks imo.

If you're going out running, especially when you know you need to keep 2 metres away from people surely you're aware this would mean you'd have to run on the road to avoid them?

That's your decision to go running on pavements rather than countryside.

I wouldn't think to thank someone running past me on a road and I'm very polite. I'd expect it.

I think folk are feeling a bit nippy just now and are looking to pick faults in others for the most minor things tbh.

Well somebody has to move. So it is 50/50 if I should or they should. So...nice to say thanks, no? FGS? Not really difficult is it.

Eh? You're running, they're walking!
The faster you're going, the easier it is to divert away from someone else. You just run around them.

As a runner do you thank a cyclist who diverts round you when passing?
No of course you don't.
You just let the person going at the greater speed do their thing!

@dontdisturbmenow thanks for making my point far better than I could have made it myself. Nobody HAS to say thank you. It just seems NICER. I am gonna carry on doing it. It really isn't difficult!!

OP - you are getting a hard time here.

But, I agree with you. A little bit of give and take and courtesy helps the world go round..... :)

How about runners that I have to drag my pram off the path for onto grass thanking me? It’s so much easier for them to step off the footpath - the vast majority of them do not. Pisses me right off.

I appreciate people distancing themselves at the moment, for both our sakes so will always do a little smile and nod.