Women runners being spat on by random men

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https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/27/thousands-men-spitting-women-runners-happened-20472756/

The worst I have had is men shouting stupid comments out of cars, no spitting yet thankfully but this is disgusting and scary. Why do they do it!?

I was surrounded by men in their late 20s jeering at me when I was 55. I said “run 10 miles with me then you can laugh”. They sloped off.
I had a local creep decide to run along next to me and even telling him to Fuck Off in no u certain terms didn’t work. He stopped when he couldn’t run anymore. I had to change my route.
I have been jeered at and shouted at by many many passing cars. I’m overweight, now in my 60s, and I run. WTF is it to do with them.

To whom?

You see Bill… you are clearly in the group that has done or would do this.
Because otherwise , you wouldn’t be so outraged.

We see you, Bill. As do all the decent men out there.

The police. Intentional spitting is a crime.

I'm lucky that I've never had a comment or incident in 30yrs, I don't know why as I live somewhere crap.

I do tell teens off for spitting, but I call it dribbling, and take a quick potential stab assessment first.

Nailed it.

Oh, well, they're bound to take it seriously and do something, then... 🙄

I appreciate that. But how seriously do you think that they would take it?

I work in retail and wear my hair in a flat clip
If I wear a bun or ponytail,5 shifts out of ten,some bloke will pull on it in a temper
Police do nothing

I've been soaked many times by cars/vans deliberately-my crime?
Just walking down the street

At the hight of covid,I was wearing my new (new to me-I bought it on vinted) wool coat while on my way to work
A dickhead drove past and spat at me
He drove off laughing

I was once at work,minding my own business on dining area and some bloke walked up to me,threw his hot fries in my face and spat at me
Something to do with the fact he'd ordered fries,paid for fries,got fries but wanted ice cream so took it out on me
I'd had nothing at all to do with his order,but it was all my fault

It's like we are not humans-the same dickheads wouldn't do that to another bloke

God @DelboytrottersDnecklace that is so horrible, I am so sorry.

Stab assessment 🤣😂. It shouldn’t make me laugh but it did.

Never been spat at running thank goodness but a couple of days before this story came out I did hear someone spitting immediately as I passed him while walking my dog, didn't look back but it felt very close and it crossed my mind it might have been deliberate. Having read about these experiences it does have me wondering. I run a lot and like most I've had stares, comments and shouts, but nothing more sinister (to date at least)...

Exactly, if the only time you worry about women’s safety and acknowledge how vulnerable women is when it’s to do with trans, your concern isn’t genuine.

I remember that bloke who committing the vile crossbow murders of 3 women. He’s dark haired and was apparently considered (by some) darker than the average white English person, so lots on Twitter were rushing to pin this on “foreigners/brown men” But they shut up once they realised he was a fellow white English man. Shameful.

I’ve also heard some non-white men deny they have any male privilege (while oppressing their female counterparts) and claim the patriarchy is a “white thing”.

They’re all just different methods of deflection.

Exactly, what kind of fantasy land are we living in where people don’t receive abuse and violence for being Muslim or Jewish, Black or Asian etc? I see so many racist things on Twitter and YouTube and 99% of these people won’t be charged with anything let alone jailed.

I posted upthread about my former (white Jewish) flatmate who was spat on when wearing a headscarf - most likely because she was presumed to be Muslim. I know this is a thing as I’ve had Islamophobic abuse screamed at me when I’ve been wearing a headscarf/turfan because they (wrongly) assumed I was Muslim.

During covid, I was riding my bike with my 6 year old DD on an almost entirely empty road. A man in a large SUV pulled alongside us, yelled and spat on her. I have been spat on numerous times by mem while cycling, and I can usually get away fairly quickly. I would never run solo. Spitting isn't the worst thing that happens to female runners.

That’s awful 😣 @Confrontayshunme

So sorry that happened to you.

Bloody hell even little girls on a bike aren’t safe from these men.

I shudder to think his motivation was .

All of this is why I only run with my husband. I don't want to be stressed when I go out, anticipating some dick shouting at me or spitting on me. I feel guilty that I'm not 'brave enough' to go on my own, but it'd really put me off running if something happened. I already gave up on-road cycling as it was so stressful in this regard. One bloke in a car shouted 'next time I see you, I'll kill you!' as I didn't let him unsafely overtake me. I argued back with some drivers, as my response to a human threat is generally 'fight'. Took ages to calm down after each incident!

Edit: also, I go extremely red in the face when running, which I hate and can do nothing about. I feel husband's presence also protects against sarky comments about this!

Yep same - I will run with DH, or in a gym. Never by myself.

Fuck whoever did that to you. Really shitty behaviour. I am so sorry

Me too

Because they despise women