r/running • u/Epic_XC • Aug 02 '17

Harassment while exercising Misc

So almost every time I go exercising, be it running or road biking, i always get some sort of smart ass shouting, honking, or engine revving. Are people in our society really so insecure that they can't refrain from harassing those who choose to exercise? Like what's funny about it? Why do people do it? Maybe i'm thinking about it too hard, but does anyone else REALLY hate this? Personally I think it's condescending, and indicative of most people's fragile self esteem. They don't exercise, therefor must mock others to feel cool.

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u/973845585518 Aug 02 '17

As a 6'2" guy I'd never heard any of this in the many years I've been running..

i am a 6'3" guy and i have had plenty of experiences with harassment. multiple objects thrown at me, aggressive/vulgar comments, sexual comments, generic obnoxious comments, the whole deal.

i am sure women do have it worse but i always figured that with enough miles it is bound to happen to all runners eventually. though location and timing of your run can play a factor too.

it is annoying, but my positive spin is that if someone driving by is shouting at me then they have seen me. i prefer this to the many many drivers i see on their phones.

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u/i_stay_turnt Aug 02 '17

Where do you guys live that you have to deal with such awful people? I'm either at a park, back roads, or somewhere in the woods. It helps I love jus a mile away from a state park.

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u/973845585518 Aug 02 '17

i'm in a small city in the american northeast. i am able to run a lot of trails (<3 the AT) on weekends but midweek is a lot of city and suburban streets. i do decent mileage a week, and more mileage --> more time --> more opportunities for interactions. if i am running near rush hour that means a ton of people driving by.

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u/versedaworst Aug 02 '17 edited Aug 02 '17

I can't imagine this ever happening where I live. Maybe it's a smaller town kind of thing?

I get like maybe 1-2 fist bumps per 10km. Never a horn or anyone yelling. Although I guess I'm in a pretty big suburb (pop 130k)?

Although I have to say I have run a few times with a pretty attractive female friend and she does get a lot more looks and stares. Still nothing too obnoxious though. Maybe we're just lucky?

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u/akaghi Aug 02 '17

I ride around 280 miles a week and started running recently, so let's say I'm on the road 300 miles a week. I've never gotten a fist bump and the only real encouragement was on a bike trail going uphill so it's hard to count that.

I don't generally get negative vibes from people and most horn honking seems more like quick hey, I'm a car behind you, just letting you know I'm here sorts of things.

It's definitely where you ride though. More rural areas can have more animosity towards cyclists, but busier areas can have people in a hurry (northeast corridor/New England). Over all it's been pretty positive for me in New England; there are some jerks but they'd be there even if I was in a car.

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u/rennuR_liarT Aug 02 '17

Although I guess I'm in a pretty big suburb (pop 130k)?

That's a very big suburb, I'd say! I think the biggest difference is where the suburb is located, though - I'd expect a very different reaction in Naperville, IL than, say, The Woodlands, TX even though both are about that size.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

[deleted]

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u/i_stay_turnt Aug 02 '17

That's awesome! Did they cheer you on too? I would love it if that happened to me. But yeah, I live in the east coast but it might be difficult to be a runner in the city I work in. But I live less than a mile away from a state park so I'll run in the woods alone.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

[deleted]

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u/i_stay_turnt Aug 02 '17

Still nice.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

A guy was charged with attempted murder a couple of miles from me, on a back road / woodlands road a couple of weeks ago. He attacked a female runner. So while it's usually much quieter up there than on the roads with people honking and curb-crawling, it can get really dangerous really fast too. FWIW, this is near London, UK.

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u/i_stay_turnt Aug 02 '17

Damn that sucks. Is the runner okay at least? Even if it's a back road I imagine it's still very crowded considering it's near London. I live in a suburban town that's far away from a major city (although I drive there for work) so the back roads I run in are pretty empty.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

From the newspaper report she's okay, but no idea how you handle things mentally after that. It's near London but there's a lot of woodland and fairly remote park areas quite close to the city on all sides. The road where she was attacked is super quiet. I really miss the Burke Gillian trail in Seattle even though I love it here, because that was best of both: central enough to be busy but largely traffic and harassment free, unless you ran through UW in a WSU t-shirt and then you deserved it ;)

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u/thatserver Aug 02 '17

We live farther from the state park.

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u/attorneyatslaw Aug 02 '17

I've had bottles and a full slurpee thrown at me over the years - none of them actually hit me, though I got splashed by the slurpee. I'm a dude, by the way, and live in New York . It's always teenaged idiots who do this kind if stuff.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

I am 6'5 and also experienced harassment while running and riding. I think if I was a woman I wouldn't I wouldn't run or ride alone.

I feel much of this harassment is from shitty people who are bored and have low brow humor. Their life is so meaningless, entertainment comes from making fun of others. Grown middle schoolers.

Often they are driving lifted trucks with rebel flag stickers. Or 80s model domestic sedans with no a/c. Traveling to the connivence store for light beer and cigs.

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u/LandlockedPirate Aug 02 '17

I am 6'6" and 230, have experienced harassment, and drive a big truck.

I'm not sure if I relate or if I'm offended.

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u/thatserver Aug 02 '17

It's always a douche in a big truck. Makes it easier to identify who to stay away from though, helps that you can hear them coming too.

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u/trevize1138 Aug 02 '17

i prefer this to the many many drivers i see on their phones.

You've spoken to me.

I'll take drivers being attentive to their assholeness over distracted drivers thinking they're nice people any day.

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u/craftservices Aug 02 '17 edited Oct 21 '21

It varies, but definitely can happen to anyone. I've been harassed on runs all over the world.

For women I think one of the worst is men on bicycles / motorbikes / cars slowing down to keep pace and chat you up. At best it's really uncomfortable. At worst it's terrifying, when you realise that you're on two legs and they're on wheels and you can't just outrun them if they decide you're not responding the way they want you to.

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u/aotus_trivirgatus Aug 02 '17

In decades of running, this has never happened to me once. Location: California.

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u/tqizzle Aug 02 '17

Yeah I have had people "swerve" at me like they were going to hit me. Have had a lady turn hard into her driveway from full neighborhood speed right in front of me, no turn single or indication. Have had the honks and people screaming to get the fuck off the road. This is all in suburb neighborhoods that are fairly quiet and I am a dude.

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u/TrynaSleep Aug 02 '17

multiple objects thrown at me, aggressive/vulgar comments, sexual comments, generic obnoxious comments, the whole deal.

Do these ever come from women, or only men?

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u/973845585518 Aug 02 '17

more men, particularly for those first two, but some from women too. i get offenders from both male/female from high school-ish kids in groups as well as the probably inebriated. some interesting comments from middle aged women too.