out for a jog and women yells at me to stop

[suchclearwater]

Really feeling quite confused. I feel like I have done something wrong but I don't think that I have. Or have I? I was out jogging in some fields (a popular area for joggers, dog walkers etc) and came near two women. I was at least 5 metres away from them and keeping that distance as I was passing them when one of the women shouted, Stop!' at me.I stopped and said I am at least 2 metres away from you and she came back with, well I have a chest infection so that isn't good enough. She then went on to say that all us joggers were just panting and spreading our breathe everywhere. I honestly didn't know what to say. In the end I just jogged about another 4 metres away from her and carried on but was left feeling slightly mystified and a bit cross. I don't think I had done anything wrong. Her tone was really aggressive. What do you think? Should I have apologized or something? I don't think I should have but clearly she did.

We had someone shout ‘you’re killing me!’ as we cycled past her.....on her own bike!

If you are ill, you need to stay indoors. Simple.So she was totally in the wrong. Folk are just bonkers right now - combination of personal anxiety and believing all kinds of crap being whipped up on local FB boards. It’s an odd time.

Not reacting was the right reaction though or else you become another entry in the ‘terrible tales about horrible joggers/cyclists’ that seem so popular right now.

You did nothing wrong. Some people are just using this virus situation to be aggressive and rude. Next time just wear ear phones and then you can just ignore any comments coming your way.

@MashedPotatoBrainz This is the post. Not too sure what happened.

She was completely out of order. If she’s unwell she shouldn’t be out.

It amuses me when people complain about runners, especially when they moan about people who have only started running during lockdown - how many of these walkers were regularly walking laps of the park before this? Surely it should be runners complaining about all the people in parks that have suddenly decided they need to walk every day.

You did NOTHING wrong OP. That woman was an absolute moron.

I would have told her to go fck herself. Cant bear idiots like that. If she's THAT worried then she should stay indoors. You followed the rules just fine.

She should have stayed at home

If she was nervous you were too close, shouting at you to stop was the stupidest thing she could have done.

This report talks about length of time being exposed to potential virus shedding / droplets - someone walking or running close by you is a very very low risk especially outdoors.

www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

@ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords indeed! All my usual running routes are now blocked by little darlings on tricycles, their families having driven to my local green space from who knows where.

This virus has really brought out the loons.

Don't give the silly moo another thought OP.

If she has a chest infection she shouldn't be out in public. You did absolutely nothing wrong, karma will bite the nasty cow, don't let it ruin your day :-)

silly woman
yanbu

people need to be kinder/ or at least more pleasant

The virus is so new it will be years before there is concrete proof of anything but logic would suggest there is more risk from a sweaty person breathing heavily running next to you than a walker.

To be honest it is not only joggers. I can't get over the fact that 99% of people seem to have zero consideration for anyone else. I walk an hour each day and pass many people and in all this time I think maybe a handful have moved out of my way. I have ALWAYs had to move and no one has ever nodded a thanks.

Worse than the joggers are families out whole take over the whole footpath (as opposed to going single file when passing) so I am in the middle of the road trying to avoid them.

No, at 5 metres you did nothing wrong at all.

I get very anxious (because of vulnerable loved ones) and immediately cross the road when I see someone coming on the rare occasions I’m outside because I have to be. Sometimes I can’t though because there’s someone else over there and I can’t walk in the road because of traffic/cyclist, whatever.

I have noticed that often walkers tend to spot my dilemma, stop too and wait until we can get out of each other’s way. Runners just will not break their pace and keep coming straight at you.

Please runners, don’t. I’m happy to get out of your way if I can but if I can’t you need to do your bit too.

Repeat OP, you did nothing wrong at all and the silly woman should be at home with a chest infection.

Of all the other people I meet when out with the dog - walkers and cyclists and family groups etc - i've found runners the least considerate. They will barge through any space you make to distance from others and never want to stop and wait even for a few seconds.

^^This x1000000. It's been my experience nearly every morning that I'm out with our dogs. Someone walking the opposite direction moves over as far as possible, I move as far as possible to my side of the path as well - and almost always a runner will come along and run between us. Why not wait a few seconds?? Two metres. It's not rocket science. (And some recent epidemiological studies suggest 3-1/2 to 4 metres apart.)

At the moment, if she had a chest infection, SHE shouldn't have been outside!

Surely she should be self isolating? Silly woman.

I had similar happen to me today. The woman had an open, green space beside her side of the pavement, I had parked cars on mine. Rather than move into the open space (even if I'd stood still we would have passed fairly close to each other unless she moved off the pavement a bit) she actually kept walking towards me, spread her arms out and shouted at me to take up less space.

Worse than the joggers are families out whole take over the whole footpath

This - as a considerate runner, I see this far more often than selfish runners. Families of 4 or 5 strung out across the pavement or path. As if they will melt if they aren't all holding hands.

I must admit I don’t think 2m is enough distance for joggers (though I accept you said you were 5m.). But it’s still in guidelines and even though joggers passing me that close makes me nervous I don’t shout at them.

There was a newspaper article the other week though saying joggers need to be 10m away to reduce the risk, more depending on the wind direction. I’m not sure how true the newspaper article is but if she read it then I can see why she’s worried. But yes, people,either need to accept the risk or stay inside.

We had someone shout ‘you’re killing me!’ as we cycled past her.....on her own bike!

Just wow.

I'm having more issues with cyclists on stealth bikes who don't let you know they are coming up behind you. And although they are technically vehicles, they seem to love playing chicken on the sidewalk.

Just ignore her. She’s ignorant and wrong.

The most annoying people I’ve come across was 2 joggers...
A couple jogging together coming towards me on a farm track. Rather than staying together on one side they split up, one one side and one the other. I had to go in the middle, less than 2m from both of them. They seemed rather huffy at me shaking my head at them!