I've never thought of running as "fun." It's nothing for me to walk 5-7 miles and more, at a brisk pace (I consider a 16 minute mile pace as "brisk"), but I never see anyone with a happy look on their face when they're running.
This woman must be a real hoot to deal with.
Wow, just a bunch of whining and complaining. If a guy running the opposite route, towards her, makes her feel uncomfortable, I am pretty sure there ain’t much to do to help her.... and I thought men and women were equal, so why does she feel inferior?
As a corollary to this, I once asked a female coworker (USAF Sgt) why women chose to hang out with lowlife thugs. She said women like dangerous men.
I asked her, “dangerous like they might kill you?”
She said yes.
Weird.
This, of course, does not apply to women who are innocently going about their business. Women who can, should carry.
“Every woman I know has been in a situation at least once in their life when they thought their life was actually in danger. Can you imagine that?”
Yes, actually. We men _can_ imagine that.
Often because we _have_ actually been in danger. We men are in fact wired to take existential risks to protect others (strangers included): that’s why we so often become soldiers, police, rescuers, etc.
The difference, as noted by the nature of the author’s screed, is that our reaction to such a situation (imagined or real) inspires us to provide for our own safety & security - NOT to plead with half the population at large to behave better, when those listening aren’t the problem, and those who are the problem aren’t listening.
Yes, those of us reading aren’t trying to cause you problems. We probably already do what you beg us to (be polite, be gone).
Take the response:
- be armed (get a gun)
- be aware (take out the d@mn headphones)
- don’t be provocative (if you dress deliberately for attention, don’t be surprised if you get it)
- don’t equate normal men with violent criminals (doesn’t inspire cooperation & protection)
Her attitude toward men and fellow joggers is the same as Hillary’s attitude toward the WH staff and SS agents.
This is the ridiculous type of stuff that annoys me so much about... well, just about any kind of sexual assault training or the "Take back the night" efforts. The kind of men who do that kind of stuff aren't going to stop just because you tried to "raise their awareness" about it.
Oh, and the woman who wrote this should try to find a safer place to run. I live in a safe neighborhood. I have no worries about running in my neighborhood. I run at work sometimes, too, and feel no danger there, either. And I wear headphones. That woman should probably move to a safer neighborhood, or at least get some running buddies.
I’m not offended by most of this. There’s a basic point here that I think goes much further, which is that all citizens are to an extent responsible for taking proactive steps to maintain public safety, and not everyone is “equal” when it comes to that responsibility. If you are a male, especially a larger, stronger one, then you need to be aware that people have a reasonable fear of you in places like jogging trails, alleys, parking lots, etc., especially at night and especially when there aren’t a lot of people around.
It’s the same logic that says that if you are a large black person in a dangerous area, you need to be particularly conscious being on your “p’s and q’s” when confronted by an officer of the law. Nothing personal, it’s just a reality of the world as it is.
Sure, because the bad guys are reading this and it set them on the path to reform their evil ways.
Dingbat either needs to carry or buy a treadmill and stop buying high calorie lattes at Starbucks.
Of course I can. I know men, and I know a few things about women.
Women place themselves in situations of incredible danger, foolishly, every day. I wish they would not do that.
“When you’re overtaking us, say something like, ‘Passing on your left’. And then pass quickly.
• Smile and/or wave as you run past us — we like feeling like we’re part of a community. But ignoring us works fine too, if that’s your thing.
• Don’t stop and chat. Mid-run is no place to strike up a new friendship.
• Keep eye contact to a minimum. Anything longer than two seconds is creepy.
• If you see a woman who could be being harassed, stop and ask if she needs help. At worst, you’re wrong and you feel a little sheepish. At best, you could stop something terrible from happening.
• Tell us if you’ve seen something threatening ahead. Are the lights under the bridge out? We love to know stuff like that.”
Aren’t some of these contradictory? Don’t stop and chat - but tell us if there is something threatening ahead. Isn’t that chatting? Isn’t stopping to see if someone is being harassed also approaching and stopping to talk, which is supposed to be a no-no?
I was weary while walking to my car while taking night courses in college. Pepper spay had become popular and was paranoid of crazed paranoid women running around. Together {a word which scares some women (to-get-her)} you get a pair of paranoids. Which is really bad for the pizza.
You may think that’s hyperbole, but I promise you, it’s not. Every woman I know has been in a situation at least once in their life when they thought their life was actually in danger. Can you imagine that?”
Doesn’t this woman know that most men have felt “their life was actually in danger”? Far more men are murdered in this country than women. How clueless can this idiot be?
You lost me when your "source" was Facebook.
Did anyone mention the overwhelming tendency of females (especially the most vulnerable who don't carry and have no self defense training) to vote for liberals who have created the conditions in which crime and thug behavior has blossomed over the past four decades?
Need I say it?
If she limited to just some Mexicans being rapists and killers than there's probably be protests all across the nation by people wearing safety pins. But since she said it was all men who are likely rapists and killers it's okay.
Before Feminism, men used to be protective; and, then we humiliated them for opening the car door for us. Make up your mind girly.
I love how all these woman libbers have to keep reminding us men how delicate and fragile they are and how we are perceived as such a threat to them. As if a man never gets a shiver up his spine when he's running alone and sees a thuggish looking character with a hoodie.
Going running with a man if you feel so threatened! Or invest in a treadmill.
Also, if I stopped a jogging woman to tell her that there were lights out in the bridge ahead, she would either get offended or she would call the cops on me.
Or embrace that the world can be unsafe, and prepare accordingly. Run with a friend. Join a running club that goes out en masse.
Stop demanding that others are responsible for your safety.