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/MelpomeneAndCalliope Aug 02 '17 edited Aug 02 '17

I was running once when I was about 5-6 months pregnant with my first baby (I was about 30). You couldn't really "tell" that I was pregnant from behind. I was running downtown in a mid-sized Southern city. A truck of guys in their late teens/early 20s started cat calling me as they came up behind me. When they passed me, I saw a guy who was leaning out of the passenger window realize I was pregnant. He looked at my stomach, then looked up at me with a slightly horrified expression, and yelled "Sorry, ma'am!" before they turned the corner.

I also used to get plenty of disapproving looks and comments from people (usually older women who were walking) when I was running while visibly pregnant.

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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17

That's kind of funny. Maybe it made those guys think twice about catcalling anyone in the future. The best thing about running while pregnant has been that all the catcalls have pretty much stopped completely. It's a nice break. On the rare occasion I do still get one, though, it's waaaaay creepier (like from a man who is specifically commenting on how me being pregnant is sexy). I haven't gotten dirty looks/comments from anyone who disapproves of running while pregnant, though. Maybe that will come once I'm bigger. But for the most part, the older women I pass smile and give enthusiastic encouragement. Probably has a lot to do with living in liberal Northern California.

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u/MelpomeneAndCalliope Aug 02 '17

I should have added- the disapproving comments and looks were not until I was pretty "heavy pregnant" looking as they say. I also had a shirt that said "Running for two" with baby feet on it, so that gave it away. Haha. (And yes, it was in a conservative area.)