Runners- RUDE people!

1246

Replies

  • SpleenThief
    SpleenThief Posts: 293 Member
    Give people a break at six in the morning. They may not be awake yet.....or they could be zombies.

    I've certainly woken at mile three of a five mile run at 6:00 am.

    the key to morning running for me is set everything up the night before. When the alarm goes off, it's feet on the floor and out the door in less than 6 minutes. If I stop to think about I'll talk myself out of it. there have been plenty of times when I've "come to" while running down the street. It's pretty disorienting the first several times it happens.

    As far as not waiving back? Not rude at all.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    So, I'm out on my run this am..very early, about 610am I left. I don't understand other runners who you pass, and are literally inches from you, and don't wave back. I mean really? I'm running in suburbia here, not in the city. Do I really look that scary!? I know I'm sweaty and all...

    Wave? WAVE??

    Dang I have just about enough energy to put one foot in front of the other, without extra effort to lift my arm! :laugh:

    Give 'em the 'V' sign and see if they react then :devil:
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    Honestly, I thought OP was kidding, until she clarified and reiterated she does think it's rude not to wave.

    Oh my god, people. If someone doesn't want to say hi, wave, acknowledge your precious existence, THAT is not rude. Get over yourself.
    i live in a very friendly neighborhood and i wave or smile to everyone who passes me including the cars/trucks and they wave back. it's what i love about my neighborhood. it has nothing to do with acknowledging someone's existence and stroking their ego it has to do with common courtesy and maybe if we all spent a little more time showing a little common courtesy maybe we as a society would be a little less high strung.
    What I find courteous is not the same as what you do. I would prefer it if people would not expect me to think and behave the way they want.

    It's great that you love that about your neighborhood. I would not. And the clarification is that it's not rude. We just have different opinions on what is courteous. If you want to wave, fine. Rude would be if I said something nasty about your waving. Not waving back is not rude. I just choose not to interact.
  • JenToms80
    JenToms80 Posts: 373 Member
    I always say hello! :flowerforyou:
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    You should turn back and follow all the runners who don't wave back to you. That'll teach 'em.

    What throw little pebbles at the backs of their heads and stuff? :laugh:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If I'm jogging or walking I'll give you a wave or a nod. If I'm actually running, that means I'm pushing...which means I barely know you exist, especially if I'm pushing a big hill. I suggest getting over it and just focusing on your task at hand.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I was so stumped as to why this spandex clad stranger was clapping at me the first time, I had to think about it and asked at work later that day. "Did I get this wrong, is it just like him saying 'keep it up well done' cos the body language and facial expression felt too hostile for that" and a few guys just shrugged and said no, he wants you to move out of the way so he can stay running in a straight line. Not uncommon apparently but was a real shock to me. I felt like such a country bumpkin!

    Like a deviation of 3 feet to the left with about 100 feet of warning would be far too much to process. I imagine it's like a dog barking when you get close, they don't know better. I just let it go, I'm not here to carry every weirdo neurosis I come across.

    I'm guessing they were coming up behind you? Perhaps they clapped their hands so as not to startle you and make you jump. When I am running and I want to pass someone I typically start to clear my throat or cough as I approach and as I get closer and am going to pass I'll say rather loudly "On your left!" So they know which side I am passing on so that they don't crash into me.
    i live in a very friendly neighborhood and i wave or smile to everyone who passes me including the cars/trucks and they wave back. it's what i love about my neighborhood. it has nothing to do with acknowledging someone's existence and stroking their ego it has to do with common courtesy and maybe if we all spent a little more time showing a little common courtesy maybe we as a society would be a little less high strung.

    I also live in a small neighborhood and it is common to wave to people who are driving or walking by but if someone doesn't wave back I am certainly not going to be upset about it. There have been plenty of times I haven't waved back because I either didn't feel like it, didn't realize I was being waved to or was too much in my own world that I didn't notice.
  • dandelyon
    dandelyon Posts: 620 Member
    I live in a small town and everyone waves and says hi if they pass while running/walking, bikes not so much. I run with my son, which is kind of a three ring circus anyway, since kiddo will shout hello at people and wave enthusiastically unless he thinks I'm working him too hard and is loudly complaining... yeah, we receive a lot of attention. Cringe.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
    all runners i meet usually wave, bicyclists too, but their meaning is for me to hop into the brambles, so they don't have to move another inch into the EMPTY road, so IMO cyclists are rude (they also don't obey road signage, and litter the road with gel packs, but, sorry, i am rambling)
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    The place I go to walk everyone says good morning/hi. I also try to say good morning to everyone I see. It just makes me feel a bit more cheery and enthusiastic. Every once in a while there's a runner who doesn't say anything. Most bikers just ignore me. But whatever. I'm not there for them, I'm there for myself.
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
    I was so stumped as to why this spandex clad stranger was clapping at me the first time, I had to think about it and asked at work later that day. "Did I get this wrong, is it just like him saying 'keep it up well done' cos the body language and facial expression felt too hostile for that" and a few guys just shrugged and said no, he wants you to move out of the way so he can stay running in a straight line. Not uncommon apparently but was a real shock to me. I felt like such a country bumpkin!

    Like a deviation of 3 feet to the left with about 100 feet of warning would be far too much to process. I imagine it's like a dog barking when you get close, they don't know better. I just let it go, I'm not here to carry every weirdo neurosis I come across.

    I'm guessing they were coming up behind you? Perhaps they clapped their hands so as not to startle you and make you jump. When I am running and I want to pass someone I typically start to clear my throat or cough as I approach and as I get closer and am going to pass I'll say rather loudly "On your left!" So they know which side I am passing on so that they don't crash into me.

    That I could understand but nope, this was somebody in front of me, running towards me, we saw each other. Eye contact and everything.

    I just mentioned this to the guy who sits next to me at work. He says nobody claps at him.

    This might be because he's six and a half feet and has been lifting for like 20 years. If you run at/ clap at him you probably will end up in the emergency room. It'd be like a game of chicken with a bus. (I'm a shade over 5 feet, 120 lbs. Doesn't work the same)

    However I am a nudge over five feet and 123lb so intimidation doesn't work for me.
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Jeez! This is ridiculous.

    I can't keep up with all the ways I'm supposed to act to please the rest of the effing planet. Not that I actually would. Ok, yes, I do wave to people when I run, but not for them, for me. If they don't wave back I don't care because I don't remember them 5 seconds later. I'M WORKING OUT. I don't have time for that nonsense.

    OP-- maybe you should wear a shirt that says "wave at me please" so those want to can wave at you and the rest of us can make sure we are on the other side of the street so we don't disappoint you.
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    Jeez! This is ridiculous.

    I can't keep up with all the ways I'm supposed to act to please the rest of the effing planet. Not that I actually would. Ok, yes, I do wave to people when I run, but not for them, for me. If they don't wave back I don't care because I don't remember them 5 seconds later. I'M WORKING OUT. I don't have time for that nonsense.

    OP-- maybe you should wear a shirt that says "wave at me please" so those want to can wave at you and the rest of us can make sure we are on the other side of the street so we don't disappoint you.

    I love you Karin. Could not agree more.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    It depends are where you live. In NY we would say "what are looking at?!" In Boston is like "hey eff you, I hope you pull a hamstring." That's how we roll.

    But now that I have moved to the sticks a few weeks ago, people out on the front porch for a morning smoke and coffee say good morning and wave. And so do the runners.

    i'm originally from the boston area (Lowell, MA) to be exact and i can tell you i would still wave and say hello regardless of the response or lack of but that's just me.
  • healthymelisa
    healthymelisa Posts: 166 Member
    I'm in the burbs too and I feel like everyone I pass by wants to have a conversation with me. LIke this morning, some lady was talking to me about her dog. Honestly, I just want to get my walk/jog done without any distractions. I'm not being rude, I'm just on a mission.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I usually have a smile ready, and wave sometimes. Some people nod, some say good morning, some wave, some just run on by. Zones, early morning, whatever - doesn't bother me. I do say hi to the cows when they are up close to the fence when I run by. :bigsmile: One day a small herd of them started running along beside me for the length of the pasture. :laugh: Happy cows.
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
    Maybe its because I'm Canadian... but I've found most runners to be genuinely happy people. I usually wave, nod or gasp a hello depending on what kind of run I'm on...
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    Jeez! This is ridiculous.

    I can't keep up with all the ways I'm supposed to act to please the rest of the effing planet. Not that I actually would. Ok, yes, I do wave to people when I run, but not for them, for me. If they don't wave back I don't care because I don't remember them 5 seconds later. I'M WORKING OUT. I don't have time for that nonsense.

    OP-- maybe you should wear a shirt that says "wave at me please" so those want to can wave at you and the rest of us can make sure we are on the other side of the street so we don't disappoint you.

    Hahaaaaaaa awesome!
  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,893 Member
    When I'm running I'm not typically paying special attention to those around me. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm probably lost in my music or thinking about how hot it is. If I notice someone wave, I'll smile and wave back, but I didn't realize being on a run meant you automatically had to be in some sort of buddies club where waving was mandatory. .
  • Liz_Mfp
    Liz_Mfp Posts: 172 Member
    They are just concentrating, in their zone, or zoning out.
    Or they are introverts getting their solitary-exercise only to be interrupted by some sweaty over-eager extrovert
    :-)
    Some runners think it's rude to "be interrupted" while they are concentrating on their workout (pace, distance, body form, mental zone, relaxing to lower their heartrate, practicing tuning out distractions, etc.)
    Not to mention who is wearing hidden earbuds and listening to a book or radio show, music, etc. Did you interrupt their program?
    No who's seeming rude?
    It's all in the perception I suppose
    :-)
  • tomg33
    tomg33 Posts: 305 Member
    Runners are either A) people who enjoy the almost meditative state induced by endurance exercise; or B) people who already hate their body enough to subject it to thousands of repetitions of high-impact activity, so clearly they hate everyone else too ;)
  • I'm in Texas so we usually just tip our ten gallon hat at each other when passing by during a run and say, "HOWDY YA'LL!"
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I was so stumped as to why this spandex clad stranger was clapping at me the first time, I had to think about it and asked at work later that day. "Did I get this wrong, is it just like him saying 'keep it up well done' cos the body language and facial expression felt too hostile for that" and a few guys just shrugged and said no, he wants you to move out of the way so he can stay running in a straight line. Not uncommon apparently but was a real shock to me. I felt like such a country bumpkin!

    Like a deviation of 3 feet to the left with about 100 feet of warning would be far too much to process. I imagine it's like a dog barking when you get close, they don't know better. I just let it go, I'm not here to carry every weirdo neurosis I come across.

    I'm guessing they were coming up behind you? Perhaps they clapped their hands so as not to startle you and make you jump. When I am running and I want to pass someone I typically start to clear my throat or cough as I approach and as I get closer and am going to pass I'll say rather loudly "On your left!" So they know which side I am passing on so that they don't crash into me.

    That I could understand but nope, this was somebody in front of me, running towards me, we saw each other. Eye contact and everything.

    I just mentioned this to the guy who sits next to me at work. He says nobody claps at him.

    This might be because he's six and a half feet and has been lifting for like 20 years. If you run at/ clap at him you probably will end up in the emergency room. It'd be like a game of chicken with a bus. (I'm a shade over 5 feet, 120 lbs. Doesn't work the same)

    However I am a nudge over five feet and 123lb so intimidation doesn't work for me.

    Could they have been listening to some music and was clapping along to the beat? Was it like a slow clap, applause type clap? Just a few sharp, loud claps? Maybe he was keeping his tempo with his clapping.

    IDK. Just trying to figure it out. LOL
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    I'm sorry I didn't wave...:sad:

    Do you know hard it is for me to run with all this thickness? Takes GREAT concentration.

    Now you're being mean to me...:cry:
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    I wouldn't wave if I didn't know you or had not seen you out a dozen times before.
    My mom taught me not to talk or wave or smile or acknowledge strangers.

    If it comes off rude to others, so be it. I am not out running to make the other runners happy.
    If I see you in a grocery store I will smile and wave... see then it looks like I am crazy.
  • rsimoneau1
    rsimoneau1 Posts: 35 Member
    I say good morning, but never really expect an answer back. Except from the little old lady I see on Main Street. I say "Bonjour Memere", and she usually yells back "Coment sa va?" or however you spell that, as I'm running by. A lot of the affluent older (80s and such) are French Canadian in my town, and the retirement home on Main Street is full of them.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
    Usually pass with a good morning, if no reply it's of no loss to me. If you do come flying up on a bike behind me with no acknowledgement and almost trample me I may get a little peeved and keep that good morning to myself! Sorry just venting a little :smile:
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    Jeez! This is ridiculous.

    I can't keep up with all the ways I'm supposed to act to please the rest of the effing planet. Not that I actually would. Ok, yes, I do wave to people when I run, but not for them, for me. If they don't wave back I don't care because I don't remember them 5 seconds later. I'M WORKING OUT. I don't have time for that nonsense.

    OP-- maybe you should wear a shirt that says "wave at me please" so those want to can wave at you and the rest of us can make sure we are on the other side of the street so we don't disappoint you.

    HA! No *kitten*. The last thing I want to do is be obligated to someone else's rules at 6 in the morning, while I'm torturing myself instead of drinking coffee.

    I wave in the evening, if I'm not dying. But, seriously, I always thought it was my arm, my option.
    People are so sensitive. Gotta love what the 'everyone gets a trophy' movement has done to this country (USA)
  • Teardrop81
    Teardrop81 Posts: 132 Member
    I can usually manage a nod and the one finger wave. Depending on how my breathing is doing I may or may not attempt a " hi howareya". It might sound more like an "uhhh" with deep bass notes. They'd think they were on a zombie run. I usually don't even wait on a response. I'm back focused before they have a chance anyway.
  • Leah_Alexis
    Leah_Alexis Posts: 139 Member
    I had no idea runners were to wave. I don't run outdoors yet but my husband does. We were out for a walk yesterday as a family and a runner went by. He saw my husband and said hello as he passed. A moment later my husband mentioned that he sees that guy run some evenings. Very nice.

    Last week I took my son (in the stroller) and our dog out for a walk. A runner snuck up behind us (she was pretty quiet) and was only inches away from our stroller - her elbow just brushed my elbow. With her being so close to us my dog tried to lunge at her. What If either of us shifted and collided? I wasn't impressed.