Waving at other runners

I only wave if they are African. The rest get the finger.

In my experience, no one waves in California. They either give an acknowledging smile, occassional "hi", or don't say anything at all.

I usually give a nod, wave or a hello to runners, bikers and walkers and get dissed half of the time. Some even just give a blank stare, which seems odd. Sometimes the same person disses me repeatedly if they are on a similar exercise schedule. Since I don't expend much energy over the whole thing, it is not a big deal. 50% acknowledgment is good enough for me. This is my experience in Southern California.

In DC it also really varied. Usually I'm on the trails so I don't see all that many people. But when I'm running along the canal, where there are many runners, a lot of people will wave, say hi or nod.

I'll typically look to make eye contact with other runners. If it happens I'll nod, say hi or give a short wave. In Chicago it is pretty hit or miss, usually miss. I would say most people don't make eye contact or wave. The most unfriendly people I encounter on the path in the city tend to be the 20-40 somethings who are bad runners. Jogging along at 10:00 pace they almost never make eye contact or wave. And if you do wave and they see you, you usually get a weird look. The most cordial tend to be runners past their prime but who still appear to be training pretty seriously. Recently, I had an older man shout to me with a smile when we passed each other "I used to look just like you in 1950." Pretty funny. 20 something female runners (although they really tend to be joggers here) are more friendly than their male counterparts. I find Chicago to be pretty friendly as far as big cities go, so I am disappointed at seeing that the runners in the city do not tend to be very friendly. Of course there are plenty of exceptions.

I've run in DC a few times and found the wave thing VERY hit or miss.

Here in small town bumblef*** eastern Canada, I'm VERY surprised if another runner within a couple of blocks doesn't make an effort to say hi or wave. Now mind you, if someone walks by me on the street without at least smiling their "good-day" I think they're a snob (how quick we adapt).

In Ottawa on the canal, virtually everybody waved, nodded or smiled, but there were maybe two or three guys I could count on to pass me every day without any hint of recognition.

I think this question is worthy of a formal research project in some sociology journal. tara...?

When I started running (1974), there were so few of us that there was about a 100 percent wave response. These days, it's maybe 30 to 35 percent I'd guess. My rule is that I never wave to anybody wearing headphones or running with a dog or wearing fancy warmups. But if somebody is just running, I'll wave or give them a "wassup". I'm surprised when people ignore me, but they do.

I've perfected a wave that incorporates my arm carriage as well as a spitting action that I mask as a smiling nod. That way if I get rejected, no one notices.

I usually just point at or give a thumbs up sign to old people in cars. It generally confuses them.

Boston: We run with our heads down and have permascowl etched firmly on our faces while we continue our journey around the Charles River.

New Jersey -- good response, lot of courtesy. NYC -- nonexistent -- too many people.

I wave and say hi to everyone I pass in general. More often than not, those who don't wave fit into two categories: the jogger, who seems intimidated by my pace, and the stud (non-gender specific, in my lingo), who seems intimidated that someone might not notice his/her's.

In NYC it seems everyone is in their own little world, especially the rec-res, otherwise known as recreational runners in Central Park running slowly but straining like they are on the last lap of a championship mile. I have noticed that better runners tend to nod or wave a lot more often, kind of a kinship of sorts. But being from the Midwest where the term "Midwestern Nice" comes from, its a culture shock being on the East Coast where people aren't as friendly.

How old are you? If you're pretty old and running around saying "wassup" to people, I think they will ignore you. Or laugh. Either one.

I jack off on them as I run by

Pete, I'm an eye contact, acknowledge in some fashion runner and waver on the bike.

Scott, how do you deal with the bow hunters out on the trails? What's the proper protocol to avoid getting pierced by an arrow or by Billy-Bob's brother a la Deliverance (squeal like a pig, boy)? Cold, confident stare? Lowered brow and averted eyes?

Just wonderin' in case I make it out to see my traitorous brother again some day.

Pegasus

Could I ask you to email me? I'd like to get a few DC area "insider" tips, if I could.

Thanks

martin250us@yahoo.com

Martin

If you see us on the trails, turn around and get your butt out as soon as possible......you are messing up our deer hunting. Hey look, we can only hunt a couple months out of the year at best, you got the other 10 to do all the running you want.......besides....you ever herad of a road?