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?

@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?

Turning off without waggling an arm to indicate?

I came across two joggers, jogging together, they were both very over weight, and huffing and puffing, after a while, they both stopped by a farm gate, and both lit up cigarettes whilst having a break, to catch their breath

That's quite funny actually!

Can’t run in the countryside by us because it’s been taken over by people going for a stroll with no awareness of anyone else who wants to be there.

@Newpotplants

Problem is, the rude joggers tend to be quite aggressive looking / demeanour as well...I strongly suspect id get run over / pushed out the way if I didnt hurry up to move aside.

Oh don't be so bloody ridiculous

That's not aggression, that's pain.

When joggers run on the road, to overtake slower runners, dog walkers whose dog has stopped for a sniff etc. they have to negotiate the drivers who refuse to slow or swerve for them. DH started jogging in the March 2020 lockdown and runs on the pavement and road where there isn't one / he's overtaking. More than once he's had to dive into the hedge because of a "driver" who can't see a 6ft+ bloke with a high vis long sleeve jacket and a head torch / just fancies playing chicken with him. No, you're not banning joggers from locations where they can run safely. You may have some utter nermals jogging in your parks, round here the joggers encounter the nermals who drive badly / don't care.

Of course you can’t ban runners from pavements but I do sympathise. What I hate when I come across them either out on walks or when I’m driving is they often have earphones in and are totally unaware of their surroundings. There seems to be an air of superiority which makes them think others should get out of their way whilst they will not even consider veering out of the way or god forbid slowing down for a second. I’ve had them run off the pavement into the path of my car, without looking.

Laughing at the “that’s not aggression, that’s pain” comment, so true.

If you walked into a body building gym you’d think you’d walked into a fight club with the grunts and groans. The runners won’t care enough about you to push you into the road, they’re focussed on surviving the thigh burn!

I won’t run on the grass because I’ll get dog shit on my trainers. I’ll be running a lot less when my classes start again. Only started running due to lock down. Not sure what runners or brisk walkers are supposed to do when the pavement is blocked by slow moving groups. I go for ‘excuse me, may I get past please’. If that’s not good enough then it can’t be helped.

As someone with no access to tracks, private land (minus my tiny garden) or cross country environments (especially in lockdown when unable to drive to run), pavements in residential areas is my only option.

Your proposal would mean even more of a rich/poor divide in fitness, with the poorest of society who have no money for gyms, or access to vast green space, being prevented from running.

YAB massively U

At the moment with how wet and muddy the grass is next to pavements it could cause someone to slip and fall if the run off of the path onto the grass to avoid people

People who are walking could just move aside and it would be safer for everyone

There are runners out there training for marathons and races that need to time their pace and stopping for people or moving off course doesn’t help

@LemonadeBudget

(Again, happy for people to jog. But do it off the paths and pavements. Gym, track, private land, cross country)

All of those would require me to get in my car and drive. Nope, I can go for a run from my own front door which is far healthier and better for the environment. Shame about all those pesky pedestrians of course, but I find I can deal with those simply by running straight at them, panting heavily and windmilling my arms to blast them out of my way.

I agree a lot of runners/joggers are amazingly inconsiderate, but no, I don't think we can ban them.

What I do think we should ban is them talking about their latest time/distance unless they can prove they have secured consent from the listener.

No I don't think this is a good idea, the ability to exercise is important and even more so right now with no gyms available. And I say that as someone who has never jogged.

I don't find that many joggers are inconsiderate, either.

Runners are pedestrians too!

Bonkers.

I jog and go in the road/ move around others if needed I see other joggers do the same.

I actually find those walking far ruder and less likely to make room for joggers than other joggers. Particularly groups of people with pushchairs.

OK I thought the OP’s idea of banning jogging was silly, but the idea that I should get out the way because someone is training for a marathon etc and needs to pace themselves in the height of entitlement. Your choice to run a marathon doesn’t mean I should have to step into the road. This is the attitude that annoys people.

DisCUSting. Imagine, making yourself healthier and expecting other people to share 'their' (not that it's theirs) outdoor space with you. WHAT are these runners thinking?! Selfish healthy bastards 😂😂

I can add "hates runners" to the list of "things that only seem to apply on MN" along with parents using a parent and child space (and not leaving it for a young man in a Porsche with a supposed invisible illness) and toilet brushes

Yeah, just what we need another daft law that we have no-one to enforce.

And as a runner, I find pedestrians who can't bear to break from the side of their beloved partner or children for a nanosecond to let me pass when there's no other space, much worse and FAR more common. Yes I just break through them. No I'm not sorry.

@Cissyandflora

I agree actually. They are a menace.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 drama llama alert

There are lots of inconsiderate people about, doing all different activities at different times - walking, running, cycling, driving, dog walking, riding scooters - but I wouldn’t say these things should be banned. It’s not the activity it’s the people!

We need a change in everyone’s attitude to promote consideration imo.

@dootdoot

You exercise in the gym... which are all closed right now?

That was my thought too!

Gyms here haven't been open for months.

It's not runners who are inconsiderate. Inconsiderate people are also walkers, cyclists, dog walkers etc. It's not the activity that determines the selfishness of a person but the actual person themselves.

YOu are so, so right Op!

Pavements need two lanes - a fast and a slow. Slow lane for walkers, texters, people just ambling. Fast lane for joggers and people who walk with purpose at speed.