Granted I have never been pelted with a half-eaten jelly donut while cruising down the street on my morning run, but I’ve had my share of empty plastic bottles hurled in my direction over the years.
Runners (all 41 million of us in this country, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association) often become targets of lunatics behind the wheel regardless of whether or not we deserve to be. Okay, “deserve” may be a bit strong, though I’ve seen many a runner darting through intersections, cutting off vehicles and sprinting in the middle of public streets. This lack of running etiquette does nothing to alleviate the adversity that has long existed between runners and motorists.
What’s your biggest gripe about drivers?
According to a recent survey conducted by Runner’s World magazine, most amateur runners complain about drivers going too fast or not paying attention to the road. I agree. The number of cellphone chatting numbskulls behind the wheel has increased exponentially since I first started running more than 15 years ago.
Then, there are the drivers, who simply don’t care that a real live human being is running near their two-ton motorized machines. Runners are taught to stick to the left side of the road, and run against traffic. Yet, according to the Runner’s World survey, many drivers fail to look before making right hand turns and often end up plowing into joggers.
Blaring horns, obscene hand gestures, yelling and cursing are common sights and sounds during driver vs. runner altercations. Unfortunately, in some cases harsh tones and ugly names are not the only things fly when runners and motorists face off.
Last April police in New Jersey responded to a nasty scene between a driver and a runner: According to reports, the incident began when a driver entered a crosswalk and nearly barreled into a jogger. The runner retaliated by smashing his fist on the hood of the car. This angered the driver who proceeded to pin the runner against a parked car. The runner then reportedly fought back and struck the driver with his iPod — at which point the motorist reached into the back seat and pulled out a golf club.
Talk about road rage.
What’s the worst thing that has ever happened to you on a run?
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