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.

I've had it in London. I don't get it anymore now I run in a park with no traffic. Teenage boys on bikes, men in vans.
It's horrible because it forces you out of your zone. It's not about complimenting you either, it's about power. They're reminding you they have the power to say whatever they want, with the inference they can do whatever they want.

It's 100% about power and male entitlement to comment on women who are out by themselves, or possibly with another woman.

It’s absolutely appalling, what makes my blood boil is when it happens when I have my children with me!
It makes me feel so vulnerable and then I have to explain why those people were beeping and shouting at mummy.
Too many men still pushing their unwanted attention onto woman.

I love running and two of the most major reasons I don't run outside of parkrun are: being harassed by men when running roadside or not feeling safe when running in the countryside of which we have loads here and it makes me extremely sad.

Yep video them. Go pro on your helmet maybe.

This is why I go at 6am.
I’m lucky in that rarely get anything these days. I run the same route and don’t see many people. There is one older man I see who seems to need to make a comment, but I feel his comments see to come from a good place rather that being letchy.

I've thankfully never had this happen to me but then I always have a bright red face and covered in sweat when I've been out on a run 🤣

It's disgusting that this happens to women we shouldn't have to be scared or face leeches making unwanted comments when out exercising so I do feel for you Op really do

I think it’s difficult for well-meaning men to understand just how much this kind of shit can ruin your day, the stomach churning grimness of it.

I’ve been doing C25K with DH so haven’t had to worry about this yet. Crossing my fingers that the total ubiquity of lone female runners on our local streets at the moment means that they have no novelty factor.

Actually this thread has just reminded me of a scary encounter I had once when I was in my early 20s I was out running near my parents and a man in his van slowed down and said did I need a lift I was so scared as it was country lanes no houses near by only fields I literally thought this is it all I can do is run into a field and hope and pray he doesn't follow

I just shouted in my most pissed off voice no I'm out on a run I don't need a lift after that I never ever went for a run that wasn't surrounded by people or houses close by scared the living crap out of me

I ended up stopping running for this very reason. Was absolutely sick to death of the leering and suggestive comments. Always a twat in a white van too with the horn tooting.
What is it with white vans?

Just asked my 21yo son what he thought about this.
From his time working at Amazon he said it was totally about tits and arse (yes those are the words we used in the context of this conversation).
I asked why he thought men did it and he said "cos they're idiots".

I really, really hope I have raised him to have respect.

Even when it's warm I wear a jacket on my cycle commute because I have big boobs and I was getting sick of men leering. Predictably when I didn't have my jacket on last week as it was too hot, whilst I was waiting at traffic lights a white van man coming the other way nearly crashed due to eyeing me up. I'm nearly 60 FFS.

totally NBU.

Last night I was working late but wanted to squeeze in a quick run at about 2230.

A man followed me at running speed all the way home, beeping, trying to get me to get in the car (a stranger, during covid?!)

I changed direction and crossed the road a few times and couldn't shake him. He seemed quite a cheerful cheeky chap too, not an awful scary type.

I ended up having to ask him why he was following a lone woman late at night. He got all flustered, saying 'I'm not following you'. i said 'well that's exactly what you are doing! how do I know what your intentions are?!'

I had to go past my house and down a turnoff to avoid him seeing where I lived.

Had my walk at 7am today instead.

Dd15 is the exact opposite of feisty unfortunately - she’s just stopped running. We are thinking of buying a treadmill for the garage instead, which is a shame and shouldn’t be necessary.
She says she is hoping to find a local running buddy to go with which will make her feel safer. It’s ironic because we’ve told her to stick to main routes rather than go to more remote areas for her safety but that gives her more exposure to The Dickheads!