Best retaliation to getting yelled at while running

The best comeback is "Jesus Loves You"

Try and you will agree.

I've found that a lot of times looking potential hecklers in the eye when you pass by (when possible) tends to put a damper on their yelling. Most people want to yell something at you, not say it to your face.

This obviously doesn't really work that well with people in cars, but...

2 incidents

I was fortunate to be running with Steve Jones, Peter Maher and Steve Brace in Tampa and a pickup goes by with the usual "fags" yelled out the window. I thought to myself, here is the former world record holder, what are they thinking?

On a run in Toronto, I see a few teenagers walking towards me and can see them trying to subtly set up to block my path on the sidewalk, so I went right through them. Loud protests all around, but they knew thaey had it coming.

BUMP!! this is hilarious!!!! more!!

Once my teammates and I were running on a trail when some high school wannabes started yelling shit at us. Immediately one of my teammates just turned and screamed at the punks, "Hey! Wanna race, right now?!?" The high schoolers didn't know what hit them and they shut up.

lame.

What no one has yet to point out in this whole thread is that many of the actions described here could land *you* in jail!

Touching another person without their consent is assault and battery. Spitting at someone is assault. *You* will be the one who is arrested if they yell an insult at you and you interact with them physically.

While I sympathize with the plight of the average runner (I've been on the receiving end of many of these types of encounters) and think some of the stories are funny, smashing people's car windows with rocks is a bad idea, simply because it can get you arrested!

Humour, at the other parties expense, seems to work best.

pdxrunr wrote:

Hmmmm..too bad you guys don't live in Oregon. Runners are revered by all...even pickup truck drivers..everytime I get yelled at, its always "Go Pre"! :)

thats the equivelent of "run forrest run" in Oregan

Someone mentioned it before but doing something a bit crazy is a good way to get them to shut up and you get a good laugh out of it. Just say something really strange, it doesn't have to make sense, make a funny face and keep going. After all, you have to be honest with yourself. Anyone who runs a lot in any weather and actually enjoys it has to be a bit crazy...Or maybe it's just me...

one of the things that my team has enjoyed doing is yelling "your fat" to any girls who happen to yell at us because you know that they all go home and puke up their lunch after that. sounds mean but they dont yell anymore. also in college towns sometimes kids like to sit on their porch and yell at you....what could be better? i mean you now know where they live! thats the best

justpassingthru wrote:As someone who owns and carries firearms for self defense, I have learned the importance of self-control and anger management

Speaking of things that should land you in jail... But no, welcome to America, with the most gun violence in the world. I guess all those other sissy european countries we've been hating on lately really are just nicer people, since guns themselves don't fit into the equation at all of course. People kill people! *vomits

bump

One time I was out running and these younger group of kids yelled something out to me. They said something to the effect of "get a life loser". I was gearing up to say some smack back to them when I got to thinking about the situation:

I'm 40 years oldI live with my parentsI have not had a girlfriend for a few years, OK, never It's Friday night and I'm out friggin running instead of chasing tailI can't even break 23 for a 5K so I'm just wasting my time anyway I've been working in a comic store since soph year of the community college that I never graduated fromMy only friends are geeks that hang in the comic store all day and never buy anything (that's what I did before I got the job) and they are half my age. Some of them are chicks that are so ugly I would fock em with your stick and their probably telling their friends I'm the grossest thing they've ever seen My mom is putting my underware in the dryer right now as I am running. Later tonight she is going to come into my room without knocking and ask if I'd like turkey or tuna packed for tomorrow's lunch

So, I just kept running and tried not to start balling like a fat bald baby. God how I wish was hangin with some dudes yellin shiat at runners instead of being such a terminal loser.

Here in Nebraska, running in college a D2 school in a town of about 6,000 there is alot of harassment by drivers. But our best memories are when you stop in the middle of town to piss in a field and people come out of their house to yell at you.

One day one of our runners was pissin in the field and a guy workin on his yard driving a Bobcat stops and yells HEY as loud as he can acts like hes gonna get out and beat us or something but he just sits in their and stares then we start running and he goes back to work.

Lotta people get yelled at for peeing in town? WE gonna make team shirts with picture of our backsides when we are all lined up pissin and put "Yea, we stop for some things." on the bottom.

i must say, from experiences on both sides (both yelling and recieving) that it is VERY FUNNY

on my school bus on the way from home we yell at every single person we see, usually kids walking home from school, just stuff like

"GET YOUR CANS OUT" - woman

"SHOW US YOUR TITS" - woman

"YOUR UGLY" - ugly people i guess?

"YOUR HOT" - hot people i guess?

"FUCKED YOUR MUM"

"SUCK MY COCK"

"I LOVE YOU"

"SHE SAID I WAS BIGGER" - man tuning woman

"DIRTY FUCKING MICK" - rival school, we call them 'micks'

"WU TANG FOR LIFE" - homeboys wearing parachute jackets

"KEEP RUNNING YOU FUCKING LOSER" - loser i know running down street (typical footballer that bashes runners, trying to get fit, he deserved it)

usually we get no reaction, sometimes they blow kisses or jiggle their boobs, it is always a good laugh

if people yell out to me (or you) when your running, even if its abuse, they dont know you, so just try and make a joke out of it, even if you say something dumb it will get a laugh, something spontaneous, random and unexpected.

Actually you helped those fat f***ers...where do you think that food went..??..they f***ing ate it in 2 minutes

15 year olds waiting at the bus stop always say shit to me, I guess trying to impress their friends. The best retort goes like this. First you have to stop, click the watch, walk over to them and appear very calm. Proceed to say "I will hunt you down and kill everyone you care about. When I'm done with the slaughter of your loved ones, your torment will begin. Sleep with one eye open tonight motherf***er." Look right into the kids eyes for a few seconds then turn and continue. If they say anything, take your shirt off throw it on ground, no matter the weather outside, and go at them.

I couldn't disagree more with what Ears2Yoo says.....You must respond immediately to the taunts of those who harass runners....they're not looking to get a rise out of you, they simply see you (the weak runner) as an easy victim.

Step up immediately and slam them in the f***ing teeth (verbally or physically)! That, however ineffective, is the only honorable thing to do. Save face and potentially prevent harassment of the "weak" in the future!

There is a great story about Garry Bjorklund kicking in the driver's side window of the vehicle containing his harasser! He then pulled the dude out of the car and bitch slapped him. (The "weak" Bjorklund was 135 pounds in heavy training for the Montreal Olympics). Think the harasser made that mistake again?

yeah losefast and others are right. whats wrong with a nice Fuck You or the finger(which others said). Usually reflexively if someone in a car drives close on purpose or something i just put my arms like "what?". Ive never had anyone yell stuff really that i can remember except some little kids at our team which was obv just funny/cute. Our best/worst(in terms of sexual PCness obv) line was "i should have raped you" uttered by one of our loud mouth sophomores to a girl who might have said something? dont remember.

its better to just stare at people first if you think theyre gonna say something cuz if u do theyll puss out 99% of the time.

its impressive to throw a rock but i wouldnt have time to find one i dont think by the time the car was gone.

but also remember 90% of people that u run by(at least me) are generally nice and will say "hi" etc back if u say hi. If they yell something stupid then f*** them cuz again then 95% of them are pussies who wont back up what they say(but i guess watch out if they are in the 5% ;)