Abuse while running :(

[TheGaffer]

Honestly…I despair…three times in the last six months alone I’ve been shouted out while out running.

1. two schoolboys…maybe 14-15 shouting at me from the other side of the road (hey fatty). Was irritated but ignored them and kept on running. (And I’m not fat!)
2. One man in his 60s I’d guess when I overtook him (by running on the road and giving him plenty space on the pavement shouted that I was so ugly no man would have me) (I mean…I’m not stunning by any means but I don’t think I’d qualify as THAT ugly!)
3. this morning 6am three 20 something men in the park sat on a bench about 10 feet away from me shouting “hey you in the pink tshirt- you’re a dog”

Im 46 and have run for years. In the past I used to get the odd wolf whistle or some sexist comment which i ignored but generally would wear headphones so I never really noticed. Recently I dont trust my eyesight so stopped wearing headphones so I could be more aware of my surroundings. It’s been a revelation (in a bad way)

It’s not even like I live in a dodgy area…it’s all leafy suburbs. I was really upset this morning when I got home and I told my husband who was furious and wanting to go and have a word with the men (which I dissuaded him from as there were three of them). He is also a runner and I asked him how many times he had abuse shouted at him while he was running…never…because of course, no man is going to yell abuse at another (likely fitter and faster man).

Ive never felt unsafe and I’ve not engaged with any of them, but honestly…what makes people think it is ok to shout abuse at solo female runners?

Get a body cam. I was out cycling yesterday and had a car pass far too close, it really frightened me. I reported it to police as I had a camera that caught it. Not sure that any action will be taken, but I still felt better for doing it.

Afterwards I was looking at the stats for reports of this sort of thing versus action by police. It was far better for pedestrians than for cyclists so worth doing as a runner. You may not get anywhere unless they are in a vehicle and so identifiable but still worth doing so the scale of the problem is better known by everyone.

I know it is a pain and an extra cost, but at least it means action can be taken. I find it odd that there are so many tv programmes about bad driving but I don't think I have seen one in relation to harassment of runners and scaring cyclists.

I know it's not the answer, but if you want a nice, friendly and inclusive run on a Saturday morning, do Parkrun. If you don't know about it, it's worth a try.

I remember once telling 2 of my sons that I rarely went out on my bike without some comments right back to age 14 (large breasts). I don't cycle much these days but even when I was 50 someone wound down his window to make some kind of gesture or sound. it is as if men want to control the public space. I was just watching a netflix programme about women who had been in Raqqa in Isis about how they were forced to police how women dress and of course that was utterly terrible but even here in the UK some men seem to want to own the outside in a sense.

@ImNotReallySpartacus haha! Tbh I did think that myself afterwards!

What sort of person talks to his mother like that anyway? Disgusting. He’s talking to an elderly woman about another woman fgs.

My daughter did this once. She completely lost it with a van of men and went up and shouted at them at the traffic lights. They all looked very sheepish and drove off. So it does work sometimes. I admit though that it could have turned out badly.
She also lost it with a taxi driver in India who wanted a threesome with her and her friend. She turned her rage on him and he shut up and behaved. She does have a very fierce temper. ( like me).

Wow, doesn't it say so much about the type of bloke who yells this type of thing, that they only dare do it to women.What princes!

I've had a few inane comments over the years, but pretty light fortunately. I do the majority of my running away from through-routes which cuts the scope down a lot. Those roads I can't avoid tend to be too loud, fast and busy to make leaning out and yelling insults much of an entertaining hobby.

I wear bone conducting earphones which add background noise to me.
I suspect my build may help a bit. I'm not busty, young, old, blonde or "sexy". I'm neither overweight, nor strikingly lean. I'm somewhere between a range of factors that seem to animate this type of moron into action, neither arousing jealousy nor their sense of superiority. To some being female is enough though. None of these factors is the fault of women, and none of them should make women targets of abuse.

It is enraging that so many women are put off healthy activity by these entitled, thick gobs.

I remember when sports facilities were closed, there was brief media coverage of the issue when a group of professional female athletes were having issues during their road runs.

@Writingonthewalls I know, delightful chap!

My favourite response if I hear a man slagging off a woman’s appearance is
“look at you, Mr Fucking Universe”. Generally shuts them up.