Joggers should be banned from paths and pavements

[BalancedIndividual]

As a car driver I find that the occasional cyclist breaks highway codes, cycles dangerously, or cycles without care and consideration. Key word being occasional, so no biggie. Just like how the occasional car diver is a .

But as a pedestrian going for a stroll in the park, the number of rude, selfish, careless and aggressive joggers i've seen is ridiculous high.

I see a jogger coming towards me, I walk to the side/edge of the path, but joggers always decide to keep running straight down the middle....

Similar to the above, joggers not keep a safe distance, and actually brushing past me.

And lastly, the worst offenders, joggers running side by side taking up the whole path, coming towards me, and giving me looks as if im supposed to jump out the way and off the path. ***

I honestly think legislation should be brought in to ban jogging on paths and pavements. Restricting joggers to grassland/cross country, outdoor tracks, private land, and the gym. The same way that cycling isnt permitted on pavements.

AIBU?

being angry with people who are conscientious enough about their health to go running does seem counterproductive given the health risk associated with a sedentary lifestyle👀

I jog and walk alone and with the family. I always move aside if someone is coming towards me whether jogging or walking. Ime the worst culprits on pavements are families or couples insisting on holding hands or walking side by side and blocking the pavement and the occasional cyclist on the pavement...

"You generally can't walk single file with little children near busy roads as you need to hold their hands. So a parent walking with two under 5s is likely to take up a significant chunk of the pavement."

She said two adults two children.

And you said busy road. So again, a runner has to run into said "busy road" because 4 people and a pushchair can't possibly not take up the whole path.

When my kids were small I managed to hold their hand while they walked in front of me anyway, for the purposes of making room for everyone. Because I'm not an entitled twat.

And by that I mean they expect, for example, two adults two kids and a buggy to move off the pavement as they go hurtling past rather than them moving off

If you are blocking the entire path, why should a jogger move off the path to accommodate you?

@eurochick

Thanks, Ill check it out.

@MaddieElla. I wasn't commenting in response to that post in particular... My point is just that families with small children can't always be expected to walk single file.

And fyi I'm always happy to move myself and my own small child out of the way on narrow pavements, but we don't always see who is coming up behind us and some joggers/runners/cyclists get annoyed that we can't move as quickly as they would like.

loving the idea of fixed penalty notices handed out by park wardens.

can you imagine trying to hand out penalty notices to people who are running through a park? (cue the Benny Hill music?)

@Aloethere

When people on these threads people pretend they are running to save the NHS it always makes me smile, it's like they expect people to thank them for their service.

I run and walk a lot. I've never had any of the problems described here, it must depend on where you live.

It doesn't depend on where you live - it depends on who you are.

Like most people, i just move out the way if I see the other person hasn't.

For people like the OP (and that PP who joked about bashing into people) it's some weird power/ego thing. Cause of that, they presumably encounter a lot more 'wankers' than the rest of us.

@MaddieElla
Are you actually taking the piss with this?
Do the four of you and a buggy seriously take up the whole pavement, rather than walking single file or moving over, expect runners to run into a road with cars and then come on a forum and call runners selfish? No one can be this thick.

Seems that you are "thick" enough to not realise that A) many pavements (eg where I live) are next to grass verges not next to roads. B) it is easier for a runner to move into that empty space rather than expect large group of people with young children and bags to. Or to suddenly drop into single file at a few seconds notice, especially given that runner are often moving at such a speed and coming round corners which allows only 5 seconds or so to react C) throwing around personal insults on public forums thanks to internet anonymity isn't big or clever.

When my kids were small I managed to hold their hand while they walked in front of me anyway, for the purposes of making room for everyone. Because I'm not an entitled twat.

Yes. I thought I must be the only one who would think to do this by reading this thread!

@MaddieElla
Because I'm not an entitled twat
No, that'd be you with your potty mouth on a public forum. Rein it in a bit, eh? Bad words aren't big or clever.

I mean, there's always the option for the jogger not to go into the road. So they can stop, wait for the family or group to rearrange themselves/gather their small children in and then both can pass safely on the pavement. But generally they would prefer not to interrupt their run and so choose to go onto the road rather than slow down so the family can react.

I think the problem is us Brits are a bit anarchic about how we use pavements and paths.

Most countries seem to have more defined rules about which side of a path/pavement to walk on and how to overtake and so forth.

As our paths and pavements get busier we may just need to get a bit more organised about how we use them.

And soo.... just checking. Is there really no set side of the path that people stick with, particularly sharing with cycles? Such as mirroring the road rules for instance and keeping to the left hand side of the path regardless of the type of path user you are?

It has been known to leave ample space for overtaking without people having to shock 'look behind them' because they stay left and don't take up the entire path because, well, etiquette. And there is none of that dance to get around each other.

Asking for a friend?

Joggers/cyclists both are a menace to society.

@MyDcAreMarvel

Joggers/cyclists both are a menace to society.

Really?! 😏

Most countries seem to have more defined rules about which side of a path/pavement to walk on and how to overtake and so forth.

I agree with this. I'm from Canada and we really do stay to the right when walking or jogging, just like when driving. My MIL used to drive me up the wall when she came to visit and would just wander about all willy nilly on the sidewalks! I was mortified!

@MargaretThursday

Oh I think we need rules for pavements now.

Rules against:
Walking too slow
Having a large pram
Walking in a group of more than 2
Stopping to talk
Sneezing
Carrying big bags
Being too old
Wearing dark glasses
Having a hat on backwards
Being male

Any other suggestions?

Perhaps we should have jogging licences? And you have to pass a test, like the driving test, but for jogging? And anyone without one would be disqualified from jogging?

ban people because you find them annoying

They are a hazard due to Covid

@Winesalot

I think the problem is us Brits are a bit anarchic about how we use pavements and paths.

Most countries seem to have more defined rules about which side of a path/pavement to walk on and how to overtake and so forth.

As our paths and pavements get busier we may just need to get a bit more organised about how we use them.

And soo.... just checking. Is there really no set side of the path that people stick with, particularly sharing with cycles? Such as mirroring the road rules for instance and keeping to the left hand side of the path regardless of the type of path user you are?

It has been known to leave ample space for overtaking without people having to shock 'look behind them' because they stay left and don't take up the entire path because, well, etiquette. And there is none of that dance to get around each other.

Asking for a friend?

Firstly I apologise as I’ve read your post 3 times and can’t quite work out what you’re asking and if you’re being rhetorical, so decided it’s best to go with a literal answer!

Some paths have sides marked, particularly those that are shared with cycles, although mostly only in larger towns and cities. I only ever come across them when I’m in London for work and am surprised how many people ignore them.

The Highway Code makes a vague reference to avoiding walking with the traffic to your back which presumably means walk on the left. I don’t believe it’s explicitly stated anywhere and we have vanishingly few laws on how pedestrians should move around compared to other countries (not even laws on dangerous things like jaywalking).

My proposed suggestion was that rules should be written and/or clarified and, most importantly, enforced.

It then becomes easier for everyone to safely and happily use these spaces together, with less frustration all round.

You'll be pleased to know just back from a run and the cycle track . Had 2 couples hand in hand taking the whole fucking path . , Woman with 3 out of control kids zig zagging everywhere . A man with Britains longest dog lead with his dog about 5m away from him. Lastly saw a fellow jogger who smiled and put her hand out to point which side she was going .

@VettiyaIruken

Gyms can be expensive, tracks are few and far between and cross country carries its own hazards - safety, terrain etc.

What's needed is for people to be more considerate of others. Walkers, joggers, horse riders, cyclists, car drivers... All of us. Just be mindful of other users of the same space.

This.

Although really, I wish pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, horse riders etc could all use the pavements (if they were bigger of course). Just because an idiot in one of those categories isn't going to cause much damage in an accident, maybe a broken bone or something. But an idiot behind the wheel of a car is a death waiting to happen, and everyone not in a car is safer away from them.

But that's something that will never happen.

I'm just back from a dog walk and had 3 runners run straight at me and ignore me when I moved to the edge of the pavement.

I'm pissed off with every pavement user who can't show basic manners though, not just runners!

@suspiria777

you sound absolutely fucking ridiculous.

This. X 100

Heard it all now

@MyDcAreMarvel

Joggers/cyclists both are a menace to society.

Menace????

Jesus.

😂