RW says 43% of women - just 4% of men - have been harassed on their runs

I was harrased a bunch in the 80's and early 90's. Called names, cars stopped a couple times to try to beat me up"didn't happen" chased off the road, chased out of the ditch while they opened a car door to hit me, cups of whatever thrown at me, the list could go on and on.

I normally ride my bike when my daughter trains. She's in HS and has had creeps say things and sexually threaten her. A few times she has been stalked. Kinda BS she can't feel safe while training alone.

But did you worry about getting jumped and raped? I am not saying that harassment like you had is good, I just think it is a different level for women.

Woman in my 40s, not hot, not ugly. Just your standard age grouper who runs a lot of miles and who's been at it since my teens. Also important: have lived in almost every large midwestern city from 22-now and have run in a lot of major cities while traveling for work.

I can maybe remember 2 times when someone has said something to me while running. Both times it was a cat call whistle combined with something crass like, "nice ass" or "sexy woman" or something similar. I honestly couldn't have cared less either time. As long as it's not menacing or derogatory, or has the potential to become ACTUAL harassment, I feel it's easier to not give it legs (pun not intended), shrug it off, and just move on.

I do know of women who have much worse said to them and for that I am very sympathetic. There are some disgusting human beings out there in the world. But, I feel like a lot of times whistles and low to moderately sexist sayings are taken way too dramatically. I had to unfollow someone on facebook because she claimed to get harassed on every single run. Not kidding.

Anyway. Not trying to make light of this at all because like I said, some times this is a very serious situation. But, if I remember a recent RW article (maybe this summer or last) there were a few women interviewed for the story who seemed to blow their situation a bit out of the water.

Rojo, you mus be obsessed by sex. More men by far are harassed by cars coming close to running over them.

Old Woman wrote:

I do know of women who have much worse said to them and for that I am very sympathetic. There are some disgusting human beings out there in the world. But, I feel like a lot of times whistles and low to moderately sexist sayings are taken way too dramatically. I had to unfollow someone on facebook because she claimed to get harassed on every single run. Not kidding.

Anyway. Not trying to make light of this at all because like I said, some times this is a very serious situation. But, if I remember a recent RW article (maybe this summer or last) there were a few women interviewed for the story who seemed to blow their situation a bit out of the water.

Sure, you and I may be able to shrug off whistles and cat calls, but you don't know everyone's personal background. I'd expect someone with a history of sexual abuse/assault would have a different filter. Does that mean they are being too dramatic? Does that mean they shouldn't run or even leave the house?

This exactly. As a male when I get cat-called I take it as a nice compliment. Mostly happens when my shirt is off. Now if this happened to my wife it would be a different story. Of course she doesn't run top-less either.

it's sexual harassment vs harassment. not a scarecrow argument, rather an argument that recognizes the existence of societal and historical inequality between the sexes and sexual harassment, intimidation, and violence used as a tool to enforce that inequality.

While most of the catcalls turn out to be nothing, you can find yourself in a dangerous situation before you know it. Think of the woman who was attacked in a public restroom in Seattle. As a woman, I have less margin for error compared to my husband and male runner friends — at 5’1”, petite, middle-aged, it’s not like I am going to be able to sprint away from some young guy at mile 18 of my long run if I am threatened or attacked

As an outsider, it may seem like someone is over-reacting. But I tend to err on the side of caution vs judging — and, I also tend to defer to the person who felt uncomfortable or threatened.

Rojo,

Do you recognize that by your equivocating the non-sexual harassment you experienced, which has very low probability of escalating to sexual assault, with the sexual harassment women experience, that you, as person of power in this small world of running, have delegitimatized the sexual harassment women face and chalked it up to the clothes that are being worn.

Yes, you have made a correlation between clothing and harassment, but your argument fails to recognize the sexual component, potential sexual violence supported by the occurrence of sexual assault on women while they are running at much higher odds than is the case with men while running.

Your response, while you claim it was in support of bringing attention to the harassment of women runners, rather focused on your anecdotal experience.

Does location, above all determine the probability of harassment? How does a college town environment compare to a rural town, to a city?

Didn't read all the posts. Men think women yelling stuff at them is a compliment, that's why they don't report it.

100% of men have been harassed somehow on a run. It's because they basically never feel threatened that makes it a non issue.

Women will yell anything and everything. They will flash you. I've had girls take video. Seriously, teenage girls when I was late 30s.

superfluorescence wrote:

Does location, above all determine the probability of harassment? How does a college town environment compare to a rural town, to a city?

No way its as bad as it used to be:

1runners on the road ate accepted as normal

2 ppl can whip out their cell phone and start recording the whole and plate #.

On time I went for a run, a dude rolled his window down right next to me and was like " LIL btch" and drove off.

+1. Depending on where I'm living I would say I get harassed as much as daily in some towns. Although, usually just the typical "run forest, run" or "fa&$ot!" but sometimes it has been throwing cans, bottles, or trying to run me off the road.

Interestingly, I almost never get harassed when I run with my dog. I don't think it has anything to do with people being afraid of the dog, especially since it's usually people in cars. I think their perception just shifts from "Look at that clearly anorexic guy, whose tiny shorts are on the verge of scandalizing the entire neighborhood." to "Oh some dude is exercising his dog."

Lady runner here. I’ve had the Run Forrest Run thing and don’t count that as harassment. What I do count is the cars/trucks slowing down so they can yell suggestive things at me or the men who have followed me to the extent where I have to bail into a yard. The worst part is that I really just don’t get to enjoy my runs. I love to trail run and I am constantly on alert for some weirdo in the woods so that it isn’t the experience I’d want to be.

Gramps wrote:

Many close calls of getting hit by car on purpose.

Can't say it was 'many' times for me, but one car coming head-on, swerving at me and swinging open the passenger door to try and clip me was enough. I don't buy the 4%. I know lots of guys who have had stuff thrown at them from cars. And who hasn't been called a f*ggot?

I agree with TRG, geographic location is a HUGE factor.

.... but you weren't worried about being sexually assaulted

read that RW article. The women in the article were not talking about non-sexual harassment or the fear of being hit by a car. Yes, those are real threats. But, as a man, I can still go out and enjoy my run knowing that even in Philadelphia, Boston, Boulder, Raleigh, Tampa, LA, Seattle, Mississippi, anywhere wearing anything, and I do not have to worry about being raped, stalked, touched. Heck, I was in Laramie when Matthew Shepard was beaten - I was able to go out on the prairie in shorts, socks and shoes and I had zero concerns about my safety.

RoJo and many other frail men so badly want to say #metoo, but you're not even talking about the same thing.

Is there a societal power structure in place that uses the fear of sexual assault and the public vocalized objectification of your body as a way to make you fearful and less confident? The answer is no.

You are speaking for all men? All kinds of men fear those things, they would just never admit it.

Except as a male I have had to worry about being sexually assaulted before, I have been followed for blocks and even attacked a couple of times, now a days I have to do almost all my running on a treadmill because the dogs in my town make it impossible to run while eating a steak or bone, #DogsHarasePeopleTo