Militant runners on country lanes
Discussion
Has anyone else been noticing a trend for people to be running on country lanes recently or is this something more confined to my locality in Northamptonshire? The ones around here are quite aggressive in their use of the road and can be quite disruptive and dangerous, both for themselves and other road road users, as well as occasionally being very aggressive to people. I'm fully aware of the Highway Code recommendations including walking in the direction facing the traffic; however, these runners don't take note of anything else. HWC also recommends crossing to the other side on blind corners to increase visibility, but none of them do. Even a slow bicycle is still travelling away from you or a stationary object isn't moving. These maniacs are running AT you on your side of the road on blind bends, and some of them run practically in the middle of your lane rather than the edge of the road, sometimes run 2 abreast, and don't use or get on the grass verge at all even when cars are approaching, which is absolutely bonkers. I can understand that if there are no cars coming in the other direction, but that's not always the case. I see plenty running with headphones on, few have any reflective strips or clothing, and none have any kind of light or torch when it's getting dark or difficult to see.
I've recently had one incident where there was a runner coming towards me on my side of the road, near the middle of my lane, and a cyclist catching up with him on the other side with a line of cars behind the cyclist who had been unable to overtake him. There was no space for me to swerve into the opposite side of the road due to the cyclist and the cars behind him, me going on the verge wouldn't really have helped, and it would've been an absolutely mad thing to do. With the runner still coming towards me, the only thing I could do was to physically stop, which I did, since there literally was nowhere I could go. The runner first stopped in front of my car, then started shouting at me, then slammed my bonnet with his fist and hit the windows as he went past, still screaming and shouting. As I had 2 kids in the car, my 12 year old daughter and her friend, and I'm not a lunatic myself, getting out of the car and remonstrating with the madman was never an option. Luckily, the trusty L322 is solidly built and I hope he hurt himself more than he hurt the car, though he certainly scared the girls.
That was a few weeks ago, and since then, I've noticed this very inflexible and aggressive attitude in runners more and more frequently. The roads they're running on really aren't suitable for running on either; we're talking about narrow country lanes here, mostly NSL, occasionally 40/50mph, narrow, bendy, twisty roads with blind corners, no footpaths, no pavements, frequently double or single solid lines preventing crossing the centre line by the traffic (or making it dangerous even if it is allowed since they're going below 12 mph), sometimes with a grass verge, sometimes not. They're reducing the roads to Victorian times when a man with a red flag was walking in front of a car. WTF is going on? Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
I've recently had one incident where there was a runner coming towards me on my side of the road, near the middle of my lane, and a cyclist catching up with him on the other side with a line of cars behind the cyclist who had been unable to overtake him. There was no space for me to swerve into the opposite side of the road due to the cyclist and the cars behind him, me going on the verge wouldn't really have helped, and it would've been an absolutely mad thing to do. With the runner still coming towards me, the only thing I could do was to physically stop, which I did, since there literally was nowhere I could go. The runner first stopped in front of my car, then started shouting at me, then slammed my bonnet with his fist and hit the windows as he went past, still screaming and shouting. As I had 2 kids in the car, my 12 year old daughter and her friend, and I'm not a lunatic myself, getting out of the car and remonstrating with the madman was never an option. Luckily, the trusty L322 is solidly built and I hope he hurt himself more than he hurt the car, though he certainly scared the girls.
That was a few weeks ago, and since then, I've noticed this very inflexible and aggressive attitude in runners more and more frequently. The roads they're running on really aren't suitable for running on either; we're talking about narrow country lanes here, mostly NSL, occasionally 40/50mph, narrow, bendy, twisty roads with blind corners, no footpaths, no pavements, frequently double or single solid lines preventing crossing the centre line by the traffic (or making it dangerous even if it is allowed since they're going below 12 mph), sometimes with a grass verge, sometimes not. They're reducing the roads to Victorian times when a man with a red flag was walking in front of a car. WTF is going on? Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
I see lots of runners out on the rural lanes where I live but invariably all are courteous when you slow down and give them space or even stop if there's a blind crest. You usually get a friendly wave, same with dog walkers.
I do find that cyclists can be a lot more aggressive - the 'middle age male peletons' but even they are usually fine if you show them a bit of courtesy and space - after all they and runners are the more vulnerable road user.
I do find that cyclists can be a lot more aggressive - the 'middle age male peletons' but even they are usually fine if you show them a bit of courtesy and space - after all they and runners are the more vulnerable road user.
QuickQuack said:
Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.aeropilot said:
QuickQuack said:
Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.aeropilot said:
QuickQuack said:
Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.GiantEnemyCrab said:
aeropilot said:
QuickQuack said:
Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.Edited by aeropilot on Monday 22 April 12:23
aeropilot said:
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.
Exactly. They don't even pay road tax, nor insurance, no registration either. Cyclists are barely human. The b
ds.aeropilot said:
QuickQuack said:
Is it me out of touch with the modern world or am I justified in thinking that this behaviour is unacceptable and this new breed of runners are a bunch of bell ends?
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.But, like you cant legislate for every car driver, I cant for everyone else who swings a leg over a bicycle, I get disappointed by the antics of some cyclists who are "letting the side down", one yesterday on some kind of organised event, not sure where to go just ground to a halt in the road oblivious to the cars around him, but he isnt all cyclists, its one, having a brain fart.
Also, a lot of the folk who are most aggressive in each camp tend to be the ones who only drive, or only cycle, doing both means you can better anticipate based on the capabilities of the vehicle and the visibility etc, even down to knowing what its like having a close pass at speed from a car.
Lotobear said:
I do find that cyclists can be a lot more aggressive - the 'middle age male peletons' but even they are usually fine if you show them a bit of courtesy and space - after all they and runners are the more vulnerable road user.
I saw the absolute stereotypical cyclist the other day, I was in a line of cars moving through some temporary roadworks, having been waiting at the red traffic light for a couple of minutes. The lead car then came face to face with an oncoming cyclist, who was furiously pedalling filtering his way to the front of the opposing traffic queue. Except he had no intention of stopping at the red light, of course. The road is not the widest but the cyclist was so busy shouting at quite literally every car, regardless of which way it was going, he almost fell off his bike by having a little wobble. He ended up wobbling off between the cones, into the roadworks, practically foaming at the mouth as he shouted at everyone else to "F off". I couldn't help but laugh, I've seen plenty of cyclists being discourteous or running red lights before, but I've never seen one so unbelievably outraged at a set of temporary roadworks. Poor chap should chill out and cycle along a canal if he's struggling to cope with roads.
I can’t speak for all runners, but for me - I enjoy the country roads over running pavements, dodging pedestrians in the city centre. I try and choose quiet roads, run facing traffic, cross to the opposite side on blind bends etc. you’re meant to run facing traffic, so you have a chance to dive out of the way if a car doesn’t see you etc. but the idea of just hopping onto the grass verge when every car passes you is lunacy - they are not even ground and are usually overgrown and often strewn with garbage/rocks and muddy. A great way to twist an ankle or slip and fall, into the road, probably under the wheels of the car you’re trying to avoid.
You’re supposed to drive at speeds that allow you to safely stop in the distance visible, if needed. If you replaced a runner/cyclist with a horse rider, or even a large pothole or rock in the road and you came around a blind bend and couldn’t stop or avoid it, due to other oncoming traffic, then what?
Or do you, like a lot of motorists, think that the only things that should allowed on roads are cars, motorbikes etc?
I do think if all road users were a bit less selfish, in a rush etc and just slowed down a bit and were more considerate to others, it would be a far nicer place in general.
You’re supposed to drive at speeds that allow you to safely stop in the distance visible, if needed. If you replaced a runner/cyclist with a horse rider, or even a large pothole or rock in the road and you came around a blind bend and couldn’t stop or avoid it, due to other oncoming traffic, then what?
Or do you, like a lot of motorists, think that the only things that should allowed on roads are cars, motorbikes etc?
I do think if all road users were a bit less selfish, in a rush etc and just slowed down a bit and were more considerate to others, it would be a far nicer place in general.
I am one of these runners, as we have no street lights or footpaths round us, thankfully the lanes are single track and relatively quiet (I tend to avoid rush hour times).
I always into the direction of traffic, unless there is a blind bend, or the sun is very low and I think a driver will struggle to see me. If two cars come at once, I always hop off on to the verge and get out of the way. I consider myself to be a considerate runner.
However, I have also been on the other end, driving and had to do an emergency stop when a runner is running towards me with traffic coming the other way (usually with headphones on and unable to hear other traffic).
I always into the direction of traffic, unless there is a blind bend, or the sun is very low and I think a driver will struggle to see me. If two cars come at once, I always hop off on to the verge and get out of the way. I consider myself to be a considerate runner.
However, I have also been on the other end, driving and had to do an emergency stop when a runner is running towards me with traffic coming the other way (usually with headphones on and unable to hear other traffic).
aeropilot said:
They are bell-ends, just as many of the lycra-cycle lot are now the law has been stupidly changed to make them higher priority than cars.......they think they can do what they like, as the car driver will now always be in the wrong.
BMW X5 driver in road-owning attitude shocker. We live on a single track road, which is a National Cycle Route and also, a very popular part of a wider running route network - we must get 30 runners a day at weekends. .
Apart from making a couple of headphone wearers jump, I don't think I've had any negative interactions with cyclists or runners or horse types.
I've certainly never been close to rolling around the dirt, trading blows with someone sporting a pair of Sauconies and a Diddlebury 10k t shirt.
Apart from making a couple of headphone wearers jump, I don't think I've had any negative interactions with cyclists or runners or horse types.
I've certainly never been close to rolling around the dirt, trading blows with someone sporting a pair of Sauconies and a Diddlebury 10k t shirt.
The first thought for any road user should be "the person responsible for your safety is YOU"
I also encounter cyclists, runners, pedestrians and equestrians who didn't have that thought foremost before setting out and as they travel.
Any or often all of:
No attempt to make themselves conspicuous
Wearing headphones
Not positioning for best visibility
There are as many motorists who can't stop in the distance they can see to be clear or think velocity=right of way.
I also encounter cyclists, runners, pedestrians and equestrians who didn't have that thought foremost before setting out and as they travel.
Any or often all of:
No attempt to make themselves conspicuous
Wearing headphones
Not positioning for best visibility
There are as many motorists who can't stop in the distance they can see to be clear or think velocity=right of way.
7 5 7 said:
Blame Strava and other monitoring/tracking apps, anything to get the KOM or PB, and to beat others!!! Their way only!!! 
As a keen runner for 40+ yearsNobody chases Kom/Pbs in a regular basis. It’s not how training works.
You get PB on organised races / parkrun
I could count on 1 hand the number of times i’ve seen a militant runner in the road.
Either a Northamptonshire thing or it’s in the ops head!
Pedestrians do have the right of way at junctions of course so I use that when out. Most cars wave pedestrians across of course. But if they don’t I make them where it is safe!
I haven't encountered "militant" runners, but what I have noticed in the last couple of years is a number of them who run in the road even though there is a perfectly good and usually empty pavement right next to them.
I have figured out the logic or thought process that concludes road is better than pavement for runners.
(No jokes about they're avoiding the cyclists please
)
I have figured out the logic or thought process that concludes road is better than pavement for runners.
(No jokes about they're avoiding the cyclists please
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