Fear Itslef, I’m a runner, and yet I’d have to sort of agree with you. Maybe not MOST runners, but it sure as hell seems like when I’m out running (even on a path made for runners and walkers) everyone is self-absorbed and not even thinking remotely about courtesy to others. Running four in a row and taking up the whole goddamn path…stopping or darting out without looking, I could go on.
Of course, walkers do this too. I’m convinced it’s because no one “just walks anywhere” anymore. YOU FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD AS IF YOU WERE IN A CAR. Stay to the right, pass on the left. GAH!
[QUOTE=scout1222Maybe not MOST runners, but it sure as hell seems like when I’m out running (even on a path made for runners and walkers) everyone is self-absorbed and not even thinking remotely about courtesy to others. [/QUOTE]
Are you prepared to make the argument that runners have more of a tendency to be self absorbed assholes?
I mean, if you’re going to make the argument that people are self-absorbed assholes, whether they run or not, well, then I’m not going to argue.
But, just to speak for myself as a runner who runs on the side of the road, I have remarkable courtesy to all others out there, be they bicyclists, pedestrians or motorists. One CAN run in the road and be nary an inconvenience to others.
So, if the argument is simply that people=self absorbed asshole and runner=people, ergo runners=self absorbed asshole. No argument. But, the road is not a sacrosant place, and motorists claiming that they don’t need to share are being self absorbed assholes as well.
Once Mr. brown and I were riding our bikes just before sunup in the bicycle lane on a busy street near our home. At one point, the road descended a hill for perhaps half a mile, and we were whizzing down this descent to be shocked by the sudden appearance of a jogger in the bike lane in the dark, wearing a dark outfit and jogging towards us. Both of us wildly careened out of the bike lane into traffic to avoid her, while she made a “sheesh get outta my way awreddy” face at us. Luckily for us the traffic wasn’t heavy and we came to no harm, but jeez!
I exercise every day. Exercise is good for you. However, exercising in the roadway occupied by 3,000 machines moving at 40 miles an hour is not only bad for you, it is stupid.
Did you read your links? In two of three of them, the driver was clearly at fault. One where he was changing a CD, and one where he drifted out of the lane.
Only one where the jogger was at fault, and that seems from the artlicle that she was stepping off the sidewalk to cross the street. And was in fact, stupid to do so.
I share the road with vehicles who belong there, including bikes - I don’t willingly share it with pedestrians who don’t. When I get out of my car and walk my half hour to work, I don’t walk on the road - that would be stupid and dangerous.
You have no leg to stand on in this argument, Fiveyear. You’re in the wrong jogging on the road when there are sidewalks available, and I haven’t seen a justification yet that changes that.
They’re both to blame. The victim should not have put his life in danger by being on the road and the driver should have maintained control of his vehicle.
If the “victim” is jogging on the road when there’s a sidewalk available, he is the one to blame. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way if you don’t want to get harmed. Now, if the van goes up on the sidwalk out of control, I would have a lot more sympathy.
I don’t like jogging on the street because most streets around here are crowned, making for a very uncomfortable run. I completely understand the fact that running on the pavement is not as harsh on your joints, but I honestly think that a jogger should try and stay off the road as much as possible.
If the joggers were following all applicable traffic laws, using available sidewalks, jogging against traffic, as close to the side as possible, and yielding right of way as best as they could, then they are unfortunate victims. If they were not following traffic laws, and that contributed to the accident, then they are at least partly to blame for what happened. We have traffic laws for everyone’s safety, and to help make those inevitable driving errors less dangerous.
I have a pretty good leg, I think. I live in Manhattan (though soon to be in the Bay Area full time). The laws are that one is allowed to jog in the street when the sidewalks are impeded. The sidewalks are ALWAYS impeded in Manhattan. You can’t even walk at a decent clip along many of the sidewalks. Ergo, I can jog in the street.
