# Male runners and walkers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970 "2011-11-15T03:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Igrapeape](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Igrapeape](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Igrapeape)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/1 "2011-11-15T03:50:46Z")
I have a weird question for all the male probably walkers, but runners can also answer. Was walking the other day, and had to “adjust myself” it happens, it’s just a fact of life and I’m not sure of the female equivalent to that. Anyway, there was a girl probably 16-19 walking a dog a good distance in front of me. Just as I’m adjusting, BLAM she turns around and looks right at me. Of course I can’t do anything, I’m walking and I needed to adjust. She gets her phone from her back pocket and calls someone and then speeds up a lot. Asked a male friend and he said this happened to him and he just resists the urge no matter how uncomfortable it may be (and ladies, it gets uncomfortable) Has this ever happened to you? Ladies if you would be walking and see this, would you be freaked out and take off or do you know its just normal? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/2 "2011-11-15T04:03:45Z")
Meh…as a regular walker/runner, I see other pedestrians sporting “pants on the ground” almost every single day. An “adjustment” in today’s world ain’t no big thing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/3 "2011-11-15T04:30:48Z")
I had to adjust at a pilates class for exercises where you lie on your front. Most of the people in the class were female, so I actually announced “excuse me, gentleman’s problem” when I did so, so nobody thought I was having a fiddle. I felt it was OK to say this because a couple of them had already complained about the exercises messing with their boobage. For running I find that CK trunk boxers are so well designed at the front that they hold everything in place. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/4 "2011-11-15T08:22:24Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > …so I actually announced “excuse me, gentleman’s problem” when I did so, so nobody thought I was having a fiddle… I imagine some of them thought you meant you were dealing with an erection. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/5 "2011-11-15T10:46:38Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I imagine some of them thought you meant you were dealing with an erection. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/6 "2011-11-15T12:02:36Z")
In today’s climate, what you did looks perverted to paranoid teens and others. I have found the secret is to have proper fitting underwear. And for exercise purposes, tights or compression shorts handles the problem completely. I discovered this when regular running shorts along occasionally left me “hanging out.” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/7 "2011-11-15T12:06:07Z")
The story in the OP reminds me of the Tobias Wolff sshort story [The Deposition](http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02/06/060206fi_fiction), wherein a guy is guilty with even the slightest intent, or no intenet whatsoever. Turnabout being fair play, what you what to do is yell **“hey, my eyes are up here!”** ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/8 "2011-11-15T15:20:55Z")
> [@](#): > > …having a fiddle. This made me snicker. Honestly, as a runner myself (and even when I wasn’t), seeing a gentleman “fix” himself wouldn’t faze me in the slightest. People are far too paranoid and sensitive these days. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/9 "2011-11-15T15:26:27Z")
Whenever I have a problem like this, a hands-free solution is usually sufficient. An exaggerated rendition of this is presented [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6c_mWPSdPo). _[No nudity or profanity is shown in this link; however, a drunk dealing with an adjustment problem is, which he announces in no uncertain terms. Possibly NSFW. — Ellen]_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/10 "2011-11-15T15:31:23Z")
Every pair of running shorts I’ve used have had a built-in brief. Everything is held in place well enough. ---
**Author:** ![jem\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@jem\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jem_1)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/11 "2011-11-15T15:35:50Z")
I see guys adjusting themselves at the gym, young guys more than older guys. Doesn’t faze me one bit. Women make adjustments too, but it’s usually a rear-end wedgie, not something in the front. Now, if I was walking/running in a isolated area such as a park trail, and turned around and saw a guy behind me, it’s not the adjusting himself that would make me uncomfortable as much as the fact that I’m alone and there is no one around and a guy is behind me. I might pull out my phone and either call someone or pretend to. Speeding up my walk or run to put more distance between us would depend on the appearance of the guy and any weirdo/alert gut feeling. If this happened on a city street and other people were around, it could have been that you imagined her paranoia. Teens are on their phones all the time. I’m surprised that she didn’t have it in her hand already! She might have sped up because she wanted to increase her walking speed for exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/12 "2011-11-15T16:25:15Z")
Seeing a man adjust himself doesn’t faze me. Seeing a man adjust himself while staring at me would creep me the fuck out, especially as a teen. She thought the latter, when you were only doing the former. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/13 "2011-11-15T16:59:50Z")
The shorts I wear while running have front pockets. I can put my hands in the pockets and make an adjustment which I am positive looks almost (but maybe not quite) as bad as a “direct” adjustment does. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/14 "2011-11-15T18:50:48Z")
I’m sure that if she’d been watching you all along and saw you adjust yourself, she might have been a little grossed out. But she wouldn’t have freaked out like she did. Think about it from her perspective. You hear someone running up behind you, they’re getting closer and closer, so you turn around and his hand is in his pants. OH HOLY SHIT Plus, you just never know what’s in a passerby’s head. Maybe she got mugged or raped within the last few days and was extra-paranoid to start with. Anyway, you didn’t do anything “wrong,” _per se_, but maybe you should investigate something that provides more reliable jock restriction. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/15 "2011-11-15T19:32:15Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > I have found the secret is to have proper fitting underwear. This. For gentleman runners, well fitting underwear/compression shorts/&c, is equivalent to getting a well-fitting jog bra for the ladies. You don’t want to go without. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/16 "2011-11-15T20:29:35Z")
> [@Igrapeape](#): > > …Asked a male friend and he said this happened to him and he just resists the urge no matter how uncomfortable it may be (and ladies, it gets uncomfortable)… Actually, the need to adjust happens to women, too - most of us are just too ladylike to do it where we can be seen. Have you ever seen a female co-worker (or boss! :eek:) doing any of the following? - readjusing her boobs inside her bra (reaching in for lefty + righty separately) - fixing her whole bra (unsnapping and reclipping the band) - picking out a wedgie - plucking at her panties through her pants/skirt because her pubes got stuck to her pantyliner adhesive No? Well, I assure you, those needs do arise. If I was in your yoga class, I’d prefer you not announce what you’re doing with your crotch, and while I’d silently concur and sympathize I probably wouldn’t vocalize whether or not my own are getting smushed. Not because I’m a prude, but because yoga class is for quiet meditative exercise. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/17 "2011-11-15T20:33:59Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Actually, the need to adjust happens to women, too - most of us are just too ladylike to do it where we can be seen. > > Have you ever seen a female co-worker (or boss! :eek:) doing any of the following? > > - readjusing her boobs inside her bra (reaching in for lefty + righty separately) > - fixing her whole bra (unsnapping and reclipping the band) > - picking out a wedgie > - plucking at her panties through her pants/skirt because her pubes got stuck to her pantyliner adhesive > > No? Well, I assure you, those needs do arise. > > If I was in your yoga class, I’d prefer you not announce what you’re doing with your crotch, and while I’d silently concur and sympathize I probably wouldn’t vocalize whether or not my own are getting smushed. Not because I’m a prude, but because yoga class is for quiet meditative exercise. 🙂 Yeah, girls are different. Some girls are super comfortable. I remember being about thirteen years old, and sitting with some older teens. One of them put on a new sweater and looked at herself in the mirror and said “This makes my boobs look pointy!” I have never forgotten that moment and I have never grown comfortable enough to announce that a sweater makes my boobs look pointy. Really other than to my SO I never even refer to my breasts. They are just there, you know? ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/18 "2011-11-15T21:22:04Z")
If “adjust myself” means keeping your hand outside of your shorts and adjusting things around a bit, then it isn’t an issue. If “adjust myself” means plunging your hand into your shorts and rearranging everything, then it may be seen as weird. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/19 "2011-11-15T21:35:23Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > If “adjust myself” means keeping your hand outside of your shorts and adjusting things around a bit, then it isn’t an issue. > If “adjust myself” means plunging your hand into your shorts and rearranging everything, then it may be seen as weird. I’ll agree with this. As a male runner, I do have to make the additional adjustment – though running briefs in the summer, and running tights in the winter, make it _far_ less of a problem. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970/20 "2011-11-15T21:37:21Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > If “adjust myself” means keeping your hand outside of your shorts and adjusting things around a bit, then it isn’t an issue. > If “adjust myself” means plunging your hand into your shorts and rearranging everything, then it may be seen as weird. Thanks to you, a quote from _There’s Something About Mary_ wandered across my brain, knocked over some furniture in a rather rude manner, then left. (“How the hell did you get the beans above the frank?!”) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-runners-and-walkers/602970.md?page=2)