Anti social runners

Southville Running Club has provoked a bit of debate recently over the issue of “mob rule” by their running groups.

The debate started on a Bedminster community website, when they invited feedback on the issue following some complaints about forcing pedestrians to stop walking or step aside for the groups. The discussion on the forum was pretty reasonable and mature. I even contributed, suggesting that running in the road is not a bad idea, and directed them to a post I’ve made here on the subject.

The Bristol Evening Post’s website, This is Bristol saw the opportunity for a good story and featured it on the site. And, of course (I’m going to allow myself to be a little “subjective” here), given the paucity of intelligence and humanity that some commenters on the site seem to possess, it has erupted into a typical Bristol Evening Post argument.

Southville Running Club have asked the council if they can run on the road.

This was brought to my attention by one of Bristol’s best websites, Bristol Traffic. Although not exactly at the level of TED, or The Onion, it is extremely high-brow in comparison to BEP.

I would invite you to read both the Bristol Traffic feature, and the comments on This is Bristol.

For those of you not familiar with the low-grade debate to be found on This is Bristol, comments from readers, badly moderated by the website, can be ill-informed, bigoted, unintelligent, unintelligible, provocative, vindictive, and on rare occassions reasonable or thoughtful. At every opportunity, they erupt into a cyclist vs pedestrian scrap.

So, one knows not whether to laugh or cry when one sees the comments on this particular feature, where the argument now becomes one between groups of faster moving pedestrians and individual slow moving pedestrians, with of course a bit of anti-cyclist rhetoric thrown in for good measure.

This is ridiculous!

I have previously advised running on the road - obviously in a safe and intelligent way. If you want to run on the road, run on the road. Don’t ask or permission.

If you are a walking, running, cycling, or driving a car, bus, or truck, do so in a safe and intelligent way. Show respect and concern for you fellow human beings as a HUMAN BEING, not because you have to, but because you want to.

I was brought up to LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES to give a little to others, wherever it’s not a problem for me to do so.

I do not hold with any philosophy that says I am a victim, already hard done by, and need to dig trenches and erect ramparts that protect me from any further assaults upon my, so called, rights.

This whole walker, runner, cyclist, vehicle argument seems to me to cut to the core of society’s greatest ill - we need to be protected from each other. And This is Bristol provides a forum for people to express their lack of trust in each other, and indeed at times their hatred for anyone different. Woe betide anyone who may upset my neatly ordered idea of how I should go about my life.

We should support people who run if we can. When I run I do my best not to be a problem to other pedestrians, but I also expect other pedestrians to recognise what I am trying to do, and help me a out a little bit. Change direction, pause. Most do, and sometimes offer further encouragement. Because they respect the fact that we are fighting for our lives - all of us - against ill health, pollution, and the way sitting in cars separates us from our fellow human beings, which makes us nervous, defensive, then bigoted.

Finally, it is with regret that on this occassion I have given This is Bristol the “oxygen of publicity”. Please don’t go there too often, and never click on any ads.

Southville Running Club is probably one of the most welcoming, inclusive, well-run, running clubs in the area, and I appluad them for going public in asking for feedback and attempting to improve what they do. I hope they don’t feel they made a mistake in doing so - they haven’t.

The cost of success

A difficult issue here, Southville RC, who have been absolute stars in promoting themselves as a great group, inclusive, and obviously doing so much right, have been been brave enough to invite feedback, and thus received it.

For what, 10 minutes twice a week, they bring health, happiness, and well-being to maybe 100 people (and society as a whole), but it upsets some people.

I see similar issues with cycling.

It’s all the same to me: People feeling physically confident, on the streets, happy and engaged in their environment is good for the person, and good for society.

I really hope this issue is resolved, and everyone can see they have a common goal, with mutual benefit.

Compromise is not enough. Collaboration takes us further.

Update on Friday, 15 July, 2011 by Mike

In fact, see my previous post.

Man v. bus? Southville RC.

Last night , while waiting for the kettle to boil, I stumbled into Southville Running Club’s Twitter feed and something about “Man v bus”.

Now this caught my attention, because as a daily Bristol cyclist, “man v bus” - in fact, “man v anything on the road” kind of strikes a chord.

More than that, I strongly believe running is one way (along with cycling) of regaining our physical confidence in the urban environment - of regaining ownership of the streets - whether that is fear of traffic, fear of other people, or simply appreciating our beautiful city and the other people in it.

The streets were here long before cars. They belong to all of us. The streets will still be here after cars are gone.

To that end, when running, I often choose the road over the pavement.

Gloucester road is a good example: The pavements are often full, but there is plenty of room on the side of the road. Also, approaching the Downs from Blackboy Hill, the crossings interrupt one’s stride, and I was nearly hit on one once (hand on the bonnet), so I normally just move into the road prior to arrival, and maneuvere with the traffic.

It’s all about being seen - and respected: When cycling, behave like a car; when running, behave like a bike.

So for quite some time now I (and I’m not alone) have been harbouring thoughts of runners competing with the craziness of the Bristol traffic … in a responsible, safe, considerate manner … of course.

Anyway, I’m sure Southville RC’s latest “beta” event wasn’t about much of what I’ve just been rabbiting on about, but it caught my attention, I think it sounds like fun, and if I ever get running again, I want to join in - for the principle of the thing. Visit the Southville RC blog to read the review.