Runner v dog walker

[Inniu]

I suspect we were both being unreasonable here but I am feeling terrible about it and trying to figure out how I should have handled it.

I run. I try to be a responsible runner and to be aware that other people can be nervous of runners these days. I try to run in quieter places or at least places with wide paths, to stick to the putter edge of the path and to run on the road it I can when I meet groups, couples etc

I started taking DS for runs about a month ago and we always go to somewhere that has very wide footpaths, run in single file and follow the same distancing I do on solo runs.
DS is 9 and autistic.

Today when running a man came towards us, he went to the middle of the path with his arms out and his dog on a lead just off the edge of the path on the road.

I got confused. I checked that DS was behind me so we weren’t taking up too much of the path or blocking him. So I just asked the man which side he was on. He shouted at me that runners need to be 4 meters on to the road. I got on to the road a little but he seemed to loosen the lead and his dog came at us. DS started making panicked sounds and going further in to the road. I caught DS. The man kept going on about 4 metres. Which would have put us well in to the middle of the road. We were quite far into it because of the dog anyway.
I stupidly argued with him and said he needed to share the path him on one side and us in the other. There were no cars at the time I should just have taken DS to the middle of the road to avoid the argument.
I got past, calmed DS down and we ran on.
Further on our loop I could see him coming towards us again.
A man ran past him and he didn’t stick out his arms or lengthen his dogs lead.

I warned DS to ignore him but that we would go on the road.

The man did the same thing again and shouted that dogs can’t have corona so if is ok for his dog to make us stay 4 metres away for him because runners breathe heavily.
I again told him, while holding on to DS on the road, that he needed to share the path and we ran on.

I do understand that the man who was probably 70 would be nervous because of the virus.

I am partly mad at myself for getting drawn to an argument and not staying calm. But I am partly livid because using a dog to frighten a child on to a Road is a lot more dangerous than running past someone with a 2 metre rather than a 4 metre distance.

Man was a dick.

My partner always says ‘act like a 40 year old Glaswegian bloke’, which means don’t let anyone intimidate you. (Sorry to Glaswegians, but Scottish people will know the type I mean, the ones that no one would dare fuck with).

In that vein I don’t move over until the last minute if others are hogging the path.

so sorry you encountered this nasty bully.

DH is inclined to want more space than the 2 metre rule, so obviously we would be the ones to go in the road if needbe. We did quite a bit of diving into undergrowth today to let people with kids go by. No stress, just a little patience required.

If this man wanted 4 metres around a child then he should have acted like an adult rather than a knob and gone into the road to pass you.

Was the dog a fat spaniel? Similar sort of prick let his dog eat my son’s snacks because “we were blocking the side path” in a huge park as DS walks slowly.

People are pricks. YANBU

It makes me feel a little better that most people think he was the unreasonable one.

I still feel bad for reacting the way I did but lesson learned.

You reacted because you were defending your vulnerable child!
Don't feel bad about that!