Getting heckled or catcalled while running

Drop the shorts, whip out the package, and watch 'em weep.

Last year the same thing happened to me....I moved to the most unfriendly running place in my province.It's a major bummer. I don't know what your schedule is like but you may have to run early in the morning to avoid it.I would suggest you just ignore any comments or heckles no matter how annoying, especially if you run the same route all the time. The last thing you want is someone's older brother waiting for you around the corner with friends.However, one time on a beautiful afternoon I was heckled by some homeless crusty kids when I ran by and I asked why they would rather yell at a dude in shorts rather than all the pretty girls and they just mumbled and quickly ignored me.Nothing like homophobia to shut idiots up.

Throw your stash of TP at them, preferably in the soiled state.

What? You don't run with TP? Now you will.

How about just ignore them and casually mention that you're getting 4 years of college paid through athletic scholarships. Thats what I do; its not true, I ran d3, but it usually shuts people up. I'm in my mid 20s but look young enough to be 19.

I tell people I am training to be in the Olympics. Plus, nobody makes fun of a man with a mean set of whiskers.

You have to take a page from Teddy Mithcell's playbook.

Whip out your nut sack, twirl it and yell, "GOBBLE-GOBBLE MF-ERS!!!"

He did that to some Kenyans at the start of a road race in the 1990s.

Doesn't happen these days. Back in the late 1960's when I first started running on the roads it could be pretty bad at times, but there weren't many people running back then. Catcalls were one thing, but now and then people in cars would throw stuff at me. Water baloons, empty coke cans.

For a time I ran more at night and stayed off main roads.

I hear you, bro wrote:

However, one time on a beautiful afternoon I was heckled by some homeless crusty kids when I ran by and I asked why they would rather yell at a dude in shorts rather than all the pretty girls and they just mumbled and quickly ignored me.

Nothing like homophobia to shut idiots up.

Dude that makes YOU the homophobic idiot.

I hear you, bro wrote:

Last year the same thing happened to me....I moved to the most unfriendly running place in my province.

It's a major bummer. I don't know what your schedule is like but you may have to run early in the morning to avoid it.

What province is that and where? I found running in Canada to be mostly free of heckling. Even blue collar Fort-Mac has a vibrant triathlete community and it is very runner friendly. Never heckled even once in Vancouver when there.

carry mace. next time they become a threat to your safety respond in self defense.

Hayduke wrote:

carry mace. next time they become a threat to your safety respond in self defense.

I second this. I don't run in creepy places, so don't carry it. I also stopped responding to hecklers when it does happen. You never know who's a psychopath looking for a kill.

I just glance at them and keep running.

After a few of these back and forths, I realized a truth that applies to hecklers: never argue with an idiot - they bring you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

Move to Portland like I did. If that's not an option, ignore the catcallers. Catcallers are trolls without the internet.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Move to Portland like I did. If that's not an option, ignore the catcallers. Catcallers are trolls without the internet.

They arent atrolls. They find you attractive and are communicating that to you. The want a date.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:

Catcallers are trolls without the internet.

Hey now, be nice!

I always wear headphones when I run. Since I can't hear what they are saying, I just wave and keep running.

#1 put a shirt on. That'll reduce that BS immediately.

#2 yell back at 'em "What?" and hold your hand to your ear. If they repeat it say "Huh?" and shrug your shoulders. They realize how stupid they are about that time.

OP, if you're serious, what you've been doing is the worst thing you can do. It invites more heckling.

While I like the "huh? What?" Idea suggested above, it is too time consuming and might not work every time. The best thing to do is smile and casually wave like they're your friends.

It works.

Hecklers are the main reason I ALWAYS run with a gun in hand. If you shoot one heckler you make your point and the problem goes away. The courts recognize heckling as a form of assault and, therefore, shooting your assailant is classified as self-defense. One bit of advice: do not defecate on the heckler after they have been shot. The court does not approve of the desecration of the body.

Good Luck.

I used to flip the bird or even throw rocks at their car. Now I just ignore it, you never know when the POS in the car is going to take it too far: