@RonObvious
if a runner is coming at you...you should give them right of way
Nope. I always teach my kids that you give way for the slowest moving pedestrian. Pavements are primarily for walking. And I'm a regular runner.
I agree about the spitting though - why do people feel the need to do that? I mean, seriously?
Welp, I'm sorry to say it but that doesn't sound like a very sensible thing to teach- I am not claiming that you should always give way to runners, I'm saying people should give way to the person who would be most inconvenienced. Let me give examples...
So if someone is running towards you, you would not expect your children to move slightly to the side to let them past or drop into single file, you would expect the runner to stop, step off the pathway to allow your children to walk two abreast past them along the path and once they have passed, step back on to the path and resume running?
If they are about to cross a zebra crossing on a steep hill but there is a lone cyclist approaching, struggling with the gradient, and no other cars around, they should not wait a few seconds before crossing, but should step out in front of said cyclist, (as is their right!), forcing them to stop on the steep gradient, rather than inconvenience themselves for 2 seconds?
Similarly, in situations where a runner is comign up behind you and your children, and there is someone else coming from the opposite direction, they should not zoom past close to you to overtake before the other person approaches but should slow down jogging gently at a distance behind you until the blockage is cleared, because there is no way you could know they are behind you. It works both ways.
Your 'slowest moving pedestrian' thing sounds noble on the surface but has nothing to do with general every day politeness or practicality.
And yes, I agree on spitting. Disgusting.