Author Topic: Exercising Etiquette  (Read 2222 times)

WhitstableDave

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Exercising Etiquette
« on: 23:24:42, 06/04/20 »
It's stating the obvious to say that these are unusual times, but they are and some things work very differently now.

With more people about, avoiding them has become my number one priority when thinking about a local route. I should make it clear that by 'avoiding', I mean staying much more than 2m away from anyone.

While not particularly desirable, a reliable place to walk is on a path like the one in the photo below - alongside a major road - because it's unlikely that anyone else would want to walk there. I did this twice today: this is a mile-long stretch I did later in my walk, but earlier I did about 2.5 miles on a similar path. I passed four people on the longer path and nobody on the shorter one.

Of the four people I passed, two were runners and two were cyclists. In each case, I judged that I would need to be the one to cross the grassy verge and walk in the road for a while before returning to the path. Not one of the people even acknowledged my obvious social distancing, let alone say 'thank you'. Some people do obviously care and I've even been pre-empted once or twice by someone making the move before I do, but I find that people ignoring my effort at distancing is far more likely.

I think about this a lot and my theory is that the further I am away from residential areas, the more likely people are to be considerate, possibly because they're 'real' walkers, runners and cyclists.



I took this photo on today's walk because I was predicting what would happen as I approached a couple of dog walkers. We were approaching each other, but I could see they would reach their steps down to the road before I would reach mine. And predictably they carried on towards me and I had to be the one to take avoiding action by going down to the road, passing them, and going up onto the sea wall again. Did they acknowledge my avoiding action? Of course not.



On my previous walk last Friday, I was a couple of miles from home on a lane I use a lot and that I've never seen anyone on in the years I've been walking it (as can happen nowadays). As a man and woman ran past me side-by-side from behind, the man shouted to the woman to move in. She didn't move in - and almost brushed past me, saying 'sorry' as she went by. I shouted a complaint and she called back: "I said sorry didn't I?".

I do try to be tolerant of the 'new' walkers and runners who don't seem to know which side of the road is safest for them. As they approach, I realise that I'm the one who'll need to cross the road from my safest side to the less safe side and cross back once we've passed.

And finally, I've taken to crossing the road to avoid cyclists coming towards me on the same side. I've found that while the considerate ones give me a wide berth, too many don't move out at all and get too close for comfort. So basically, I've stopped trusting cyclists and I'm disappointed by the lack of manners from most of the people I pass.

Rant over! (...or perhaps it's just me?)
« Last Edit: 23:28:19, 06/04/20 by WhitstableDave »
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watershed

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #1 on: 23:42:24, 06/04/20 »
No Dave is not just you. I did just under 10 miles today using the same logic as you. I walked out past the main piers past an industrial area out past the dump to an Oil Rig breakers pier/yard. Very similar problems. Deliberately not the most scenic route, hazards from other new walkers, cyclists who were actually on the pavement coming towards me and missing me by about a half a meter. they didn't go onto road and not a bye your leave. A Girl about 14 followed by her dad, who I just refrained from straight arming as he went passed. Mind you they did have helmets on so they must be safe :)
The trucks heading past were a worry, but were to be expected.
Even if it ruffles a few feathers in this forum, I will drive a couple of miles out of town tomorrow to ensure that I follow the isolation rules.
I'm sorry but safety must come first.

« Last Edit: 23:50:04, 06/04/20 by watershed »

ninthace

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #2 on: 23:51:02, 06/04/20 »
Runners are not an issue near me.  As we walk locally, we only ever see one, he stays on the other side of the road. Never says anything though as he is wired for sound.  Cyclists are a weekend hazard.  Those coming towards me are not an issue, I move to the upwind side.  The ones coming behind seem to try to avoid us but they go past so fast I don’t really think they are much of a hazard virally.
Other walkers are superb.  Never had a problem.  They stay on their side of the lane and we stay on ours.  There is usually a cheery greeting, a comment on the weather or a joke.  Again if there is an option, I pass upwind, so far no one seems to have noticed.  I have only met one group on a restricted path as I tend to avoid those.  They stayed on their side and I stepped off my side into the wood to get 2m.  They said thank you.
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archaeoroutes

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #3 on: 06:35:04, 07/04/20 »
I've found that people out walking have got better at acknowledging each other. It feels a lot more friendly now - more like being up north.

Cyclists by and large still seem to think the world owes them, only worse than normal. The ones I've encountered certainly haven't stayed local and made no attempt to give pedestrians a safe margin (and I'm talking a normal safe margin here, not a virus 2m). Of course, the responsible ones won't be out covering long distances, so I guess there's a selection process here only showing the worst.
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richardh1905

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #4 on: 06:48:28, 07/04/20 »
I've found walkers almost without exception to be very considerate and polite here in Grange-over-Sands. Most runners are good too, but you do get the odd one who thinks that YOU should be the one to get out of their way and can't be bothered to thank you for it as they go past, puffing like a train.  >:(
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April

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #5 on: 07:03:46, 07/04/20 »
I am lucky too, where I live everyone is friendly and polite. We all say morning or hello to each other. I tend to be the one who crosses the road, there are a lot of elderly people here. I also need the extra exercise  :)
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Marsden Moor

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #6 on: 07:26:54, 07/04/20 »
Same for me as it is for April, what I’ve found on me limited travels is regardless wether someone is walking, jogging or on a bike is if your a knob your a knob whatever

Percy

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #7 on: 07:46:32, 07/04/20 »
Prior to the coronavirus I’ve found quite a high percentage of runners expect everyone else, pedestrians, car drivers, etc. to make way for them. Heaven forbid they might have to break their stride. Nothing’s changed.


In terms of other walkers and the limited number of people allowed in supermarkets: some clearly just cannot grasp the concept of social distancing.

pauldawes

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #8 on: 08:05:40, 07/04/20 »
There’s a fair number of walks I can do from my door. They are a mix of:-


Pavement bashing


Canal walks


A few farm/ forest paths


The canal based walks are definitely busier than usual (I wouldn’t say crowded even now), the other two type of routes seem to be used to same extent as before.


Large majority of people using them are fine. There’s much less tendency for anybody to want and stop and talk for a couple of minutes (at a distance)..but I can easily understand why, and actually it’s most likely a good thing.


Of those walkers that mildly irritate me...I think most recurring theme, is family groups walking side by side who won’t change to single file as they approach...on some local paths it makes it challenging to pass a group of three if they do stay side by side

Ridge

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #9 on: 08:10:44, 07/04/20 »
You need to move area Dave.


I have found most walkers, runners and cyclists here to be considerate with many giving a nod or thanks if I am the one to make way for them. Because I don't have children with me and like to think that I am young and fit (I'm neither) I try to be the one who goes out of their way.

richardh1905

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #10 on: 08:12:36, 07/04/20 »
Of those walkers that mildly irritate me...I think most recurring theme, is family groups walking side by side who won’t change to single file as they approach...on some local paths it makes it challenging to pass a group of three if they do stay side by side


Don't be afraid to ask them, Paul.
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harland

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #11 on: 08:26:41, 07/04/20 »
I have never found a problem with either walkers or cyclists but if I did I would ask them why they were in my back garden as I am not allowed out!

pauldawes

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #12 on: 08:43:02, 07/04/20 »

Don't be afraid to ask them, Paul.


I’m having a broad grin (at my own stupidity)...I’ve actually never thought about doing that. Does everybody’s mind have strange “blind spots”?

richardh1905

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #13 on: 08:45:50, 07/04/20 »

I’m having a broad grin (at my own stupidity)...I’ve actually never thought about doing that. Does everybody’s mind have strange “blind spots”?


It's perhaps not deemed to be the 'British' thing to do to ask.  :)


But these are extraordinary times, and now is not the time to be reserved about such things.
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fernman

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Re: Exercising Etiquette
« Reply #14 on: 09:36:23, 07/04/20 »
I shout pointedly "Two! Metres!" and glare at some of the shuffling morons who have passed too close to me, and I've also noticed that a lot of the time that it's me that moves out of others' way and not vice versa. Given that there is a very large mix of nationalities in my area, Eastern Europeans stand out as being the worst offenders.

It is a novelty to step into roads with scarcely a glance, to cross without having to press a button and wait, or even to do a little dance in the centre of ones where I wouldn't normally survive one minute. We're clearly going to have to be a lot more careful when things return to normal. 

 

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