To go for a run without being leered at

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This is a rant.

I run. I have for a long time. I dont think its important to say what I wear to run in.
It's not every time I run, and usually I'm fairly oblivious and plugged into music or a podcast. But when it happens - usually white men in big cars of a few guys in a van hanging out of the car window in traffic smirking or leering fills me with so much fucking range.
Usually I'll just dead eye them and/or give them 2 fingers. Sometimes I tell them to fuck off and carry on my way but it ruins the next 20 mins of my run thinking about what pricks they are.

Why cant they just fuck off?
Do I not have a right to take up some space on a pavement without twatty men making it obvious they are perving? It's so rude.
This is why so many women are afraid to exercise.

Of course YANBU. I was hoping this sort of shit has stopped happening but then I got followed by a teenage boy on a bike last week on my run (he was kerb crawling me). I ended up stopping, looking him dead in the eye and asking “is everything ok? Does your mummy know you’re out?” he cycled off after that but it really pissed me off!

Really don’t know what the answer is except for parents bringing their kids up not to do it and schools also making it clear it’s wrong.

If you have your phone pretend you are taking a picture of them. It really freaks them out.

I ventured out for a run without dp the other day, and also got leered at by some grim men in a van. Flicked the V’s and carried on my way, but you’re right - it really does leave a sour taste afterwards. Absolutely gross.

It's the beeping that gets me. I've narrowly avoided breaking an ankle several times because some w#@*÷r decides to drive right up behind me and beep, and I trip or fall off the pavement.

This is why so many women are afraid to exercise.

Yup. One of the last times I ran in London was first thing in the morning and was followed by a man in jeans (on foot) running just behind me. Every time I changed direction, he did.

Eventually I stopped, turned to him and shouted: "what the fuck do you think you are doing"

"I just thought you'd want company"

"Well I fucking don't, so turn around and run off the other fucking direction you twat"

He did. I hot tailed it home and didn't dare go out again at that time of day (my swearing was an 'offence as the best form of defence' kind of thing, not confidence or bravery).

Absolute twat.

I don't so much get leered at, as get 'encouragement' or 'helpful hints' shouted at me, always by middle aged overweight men who look like they'd struggle to make it up the stairs 🙄 Really fucks me off!

@EmperorCovidula

If you have your phone pretend you are taking a picture of them. It really freaks them out.

I can confirm that it really does make them panic

I don't so much get leered at, as get 'encouragement' or 'helpful hints' shouted at me

An overweight male colleague of mine was moaning about this. Men in vans shouting "encouragement".

If you have your phone pretend you are taking a picture of them. It really freaks them out.

Personally I'd be videoing the incidents and reporting them to the police (if you can get their numberplates). It's the only way people like that will learn that their behaviour is not acceptable.

Im always leered at if im running on the road. They see a runner with lots of big bushy hair and a great pair of tits. Does annoy me but im more of a fell runner and love the mountains so those lazy leering fuckers are to fat and lazy to go up them.

100% Yanbu!!
This happened to me yesterday when I was out a walk with baby DS in his pram!!
A white van passenger was hanging out the window shouting about my a**e

I had jeans, hoodie and trainers on (not that it matters!) and it made me feel so self conscious the rest of our walk. I don’t believe it would’ve happened if DH was with us.

Wankers

Petal - we have every right to be running at any time we like, wearing whatever we like, at any speed we feel comfortable at, on any public street/road.

Any comments, I simply take my index finger, then my middle finger, arrange them in a V sign and make sure they see it clearly, much like yourself!

Attack is the best form of defence - if you call it out in some way they shit their little pants.....

Bellends

Report them to the police for what? Smirking ?

Yes, it’s really horrible. Agree with @LynnThese4reSEXPEOPLE that beeping is also really annoying and definitely makes me jump out of my skin when I’m running. I’m going to try the phone thing next time it happens - it often happens to be blokes in a work van driving past when I’m waiting to cross a road etc so maybe they’d be worried you’d report them to their employer or something?!

Why is the color of their skin important?

Yanbu.
I count my lucky stars I've never experienced it.

@SharkasticRhymes that sounds really scary.

@Saucy99 is your comment aimed at me? Have you never heard the phrase “white van man” with reference to a works van

I beleive the van is white @Saucy99

My 15 year old has had to stop going.
She started running every day when lockdown started to get fresh air and exercise but invariably she came home saying that men were absolute pigs. She was shouted at from cars, by men walking past and even from front gardens.
She didn’t dare go in shorts even in the very hot weather.
It makes me very sad and DH was horrified - I think he didn’t realise how some men behaved as he wouldn’t dream of letching at a 15 year old ( or any female) like that.

I've been walking with my husband and had unwanted attention of saddos leering or shouting about the size of my boobs - and I wasn't a young woman when it happened. It made me feel very uncomfortable, so I understand, OP.

Ahh this makes me feel better - ish. I was slightly afraid when I posted that i was going to get accused of some kind of stealth brag....

Like the idea of filming but dont really want to stop running - I mean if I'm going for a strava segment I'll be even more pissed if I dont do a decent time because I've stopped to get my phone out.

Any other ideas for good retaliation? I've been tempted to just get really aggressive about it and call them out really loudly in a "what are you looking at? You think this is how you go about getting a blowjob?" Kindof way. But not managed yet.

usually white men in big cars

Not referring to the colour of the van. The colour of the person is not relevant.

However, you are entitled to go for a run and not be leered at.

Gosh, this is awful. But I'm really surprised. I run at least 3 times a week (wearing leggings and fairly tight fitting running clothes, if that's relevant, because who wants to run with lots of fabric flapping everywhere?) and I don't think this has ever happened to me. I live in London and mainly run on Hampstead Heath or in Regents Park, so maybe it's the lack of traffic that makes the difference - men feel more empowered if they are in a car/van? Or maybe it is happening and I'm too caught up in my own world to notice? Or maybe I'm not attractive enough to be leered at?!

Don't let jerks stop you doing something you enjoy!

Report them to the police for what? Smirking?

Sexual harassment - Debated in Parliament earlier this year link here with some police forces already encouraging women to report incidents.