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.

You should have said to her "I'll take your chest infection - cos it's obv mild - if you'll take the heart attack I'll have if I don't stay fit."

If everyone was a bit more thoughtful, we wouldn’t have as many bad-tempered exchanges

Agreed. I've found myself getting really uptight on walks because, every single time, without fail, at least 2 people have pissed me off for not paying attention/engaging their brains and consequently got too close to me (I just happen to live in an area with great walking so it's popular). I've had runners and cyclists come straight towards me on narrow paths where I have nowhere to go but where they could easily pull in and wait a few seconds for me to pass. I've had them suddenly pass close by me from behind making me jump. Because this has happened regularly I've become really tetchy and have had to control my mouth on quite a few occasions, so I can see how people are getting stressed and having outbursts. OK, the science (at the moment) thinks the risks are tiny but it's a new virus and we don't know 100%.

How does she know the chest infection isnt covid? the only person being selfish here is HER. She should be indoors, selfish bitch

I agree. If I had her problem I wouldn't be out at all!

Also, no cyclist has any kind of bell on their handle bars and I believe they should by law and use them by law.

I would have told her not to be so fucking stupid.

OP, from what you described it sounds like you didn't do anything wrong, but I'd cut her some slack here. "Lockdown" is hard for many people, we don't know what is going on in their lives, and stress and fear makes people act oddly. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd encountered a few inconsiderate, thoughtless people who have got too close to her and was extra sensitive when she saw you. I've almost been there myself and when I'm feeling low have been inwardly screaming at everyone to stay the fuck away from me by the end of a 1 hour walk

Stupid woman. If she had a chest infection she should have stayed indoors if she was that worried about it. YANBU.
If you are out in the open air it's highly unlikely you spread the virus by just walking or jogging. I think the lady was probably angry about something else and she took it out on you. Some people🙄. If someone had shouted at me like that I would have told them where to go🖕!!!

If she has a chest infection she shouldn’t be outside at all
Silly cow

I don't huff and puff when running. I can easily hold a conversation. I shout 'Good morning!' At passers by so they're aware of me. Thankfully, they've all been really friendly, many now wave if they see me from across the road.

The government is obviously keen for everyone to be out exercising. It is important to keep as fit as possible.

If she has a chest infection she should be avoiding any areas she might come in contact with others, not only for her own safety but for everyone else’s because that “chest infection” might not be just that!

gemme I cannot remember where but I read the same as workshy that when jogging your breath is expelled further than 2 metres because of the heavier breathing

Everyone is being an arse at the moment. We all need to live and let live. I meet some lovely joggers/runners and cyclists but there are one or two who are just horrible. I’m out at 5.30 in the morning with my dogs because they are working retrievers - they do retrieving trials in better times - and I can let them have a good run which they desperately need when most of the world are sleeping.

In the last few weeks I’ve had a runner kick one of my dogs in his face simply because my dog was in his way and he was screaming ‘I don’t want coronavirus.’ He’s very lucky he didn’t have more then coronavirus to worry about!

We were on our way home a couple of weeks ago and it was a lovely bright early morning with birds singing and the occasional stoat running through the grass. We’d been out a couple of hours so it was about 7.30 and very quiet. Suddenly an old couple emerged from a side track. Their sudden appearance made me jump and my youngest dog who is a bit nervous, still only a pup to be honest was also startled and he barked at them. He barks when he’s frightened or startled. As soon as I checked him he shut up and came straight to me. The old lady started giving me such a bloody lecture about how she was frightened of dogs. I started off apologising and being polite, reassuring her that he wouldn’t hurt her and explaining that he had been startled - seriously he wouldn’t have even gone near her. He was just frightened because he hadn’t seen them coming and when it’s so quiet everything that disturbs the peace seems twice as loud. ‘You would say that’ was her querulous reply and then she started going on and on about me having ‘three dogs out of control’ and that they were practicing social distancing ’. As, by this time, all my dogs were quietly by my side, I saw red and told her if she was that frightened to keep out of the fields.

So enjoy your running! I’d much rather meet you than some of the crazies I’ve met recently. Common sense- which is in short supply! tells me that a few seconds passing someone running, cycling, walking whatever out in the open air is SUCH a low risk - compared to all the numpties queuing at supermarkets!

I think she was probably p’d off with a whole bunch of previous joggers that haven’t been as thoughtful as you....and you took the brunt of pent up frustration, unfortunately.
I can I understand that, having passed many joggers myself, who have just run at me, not getting out of the way themselves OR allowing me the time to get out the way.

BUT! If she’s got a chest infection, why the hell is she out?? So that’s her fault!

As long as you stick by the rules, stay 2meters apart, then that’s all you can do. Don’t worry about it.
You are responsible for YOU, not other people who wish to behave like idiots.

She's nuts ignore it

YANBU. I've been running on and off since I was 12, usually go out with a jogging group twice a week, cancelled just now obviously. I've only been out twice since lockdown as people and cyclists are taking over the pavements making it very stressful trying to overtake. Need to go out very early or very late to avoid them! It's great people are exercising more but everyone else thinks they have priority! DH got a treadmill last year so I know I'm lucky, would need to get up early to get out, also both of us are still going to work.

She should have been at home!!!

I'm not sure why so many pps feel the need to name call and swear at the woman. She didn't swear or name call. She just shouted stop, presumably because - and I realise the OP was trying to keep her distance - she thought the OP was running towards her, would soon be up too close and she was worried so tried to prevent that happening. Why the need for all the nastiness?

It was a mixed bag on our walk last night. Two dog walkers with 7 dogs between them, all dogs on leads (not least because of livestock), kept their distance and called or waved hello. A runner and a cyclist did the same. Another runner and cyclist who didn't respect social distance or give us any chance to get out of their way as they sped, dripped and puffed past - not nice and it was worrying. We didn't shout at them but they probably deserved it.

She was the one spilling out her disgusting chest infection and she shouted at you ... yuck, let's hope YOU dont catch anything.

I don't think going out for walks when you have a chest infection should be a priority if you are concerned about catching the virus, but also I think everyone has the right to tell you they feel uncomfortable with the distance.

Actually I went to the express shop earlier, no staff manning the door, letting people in unlike usual, one way system jammed, people passing closely to get past, people moaning about the distancing but still less than 2 meters apart voluntarily. Social distancing is a great idea but in practice it doesn't work that well. Anyone who needs that 2metres or more should either stay in for their own piece of mind or go at quieter times or quieter places. So many people out, and more cars on the road it's hard to avoid people safely unfortunately.

You sound as if you were being reasonable so I'd just forget about it.

The only thing I think while I look at the green near me are two problems

1. Some are not curious and moving more than before strangly.
2. People into their phones / headsets etc making avoidance more difficult.

If she has a chest infection she should be indoors. The majority of runners are really good at observing SD but I've seen other runners and walkers oblivious to this and it makes people on edge. Shake it off and if you see her on your next run tell her same shouldn't be out!

I've been running regularly for 25 years and am being as respectful of social distancing as possible, especially the elderly.

However if some of the very obese people I often run past had discovered the benefits of daily exercise earlier then they wouldn't have to worry so much about catching Covid-19.

My thoughts would have been ‘nutter’ as I smiled winningly and jogged on by. I might have thrown in a little pirouette or energetic leap for added pizzazz.

OP I've run for over 20 years. Always give lots of space and my runs tend to be early before my DC are up.
But the other day another runner came right up behind me. I was overtaking a walker and had to spring like crazy (at a pace I wouldn't have been able to keep up) to avoid the walker because this runner was so close.
Even so he came up right behind me.
It beggars belief x