Getting heckled or catcalled while running

Some suggestions:

Put a shirt on or get super ripped, kids probably won't mess with you then.

Wear shorts down to the knees. I'll only wear 2-3" splits for races, track work or seculed trail runs.

Ignore them or say something comical if they are just trying to mess with you and not being total Aholes.

I run in the downtown of a major city everyday. Everyone from homeless people or a drunk person outside a bar says something every now and then.

Just smile and wave.

Nothing good can happen saying something back to them, only bad things.

Let's say a fight someone breaks out, and with your 150lbs you magically knock them out. I hope you enjoy chilling in the drunk tank with short shorts, no shirt, and a bunch of actually scary people around you. And if you have a real job, you don't after that incident.

It doesn't matter what some idiot you don't know says or thinks of you. Be smart.

irony called wrote:

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.

Annoying try.

Where do you guys live? I live in Philly and never get heckled.

I actually enjoy the heckling; it amuses me and breaks up the monotony of a dull run. That is why I always run in 1980's short shorts.

My running partner in the late 90s was a old long haired hippie who smoked a pack a day but could still manage sub 7 pace on daily runs. He also ALWAYS ran in a cut off shirt. No he wasn't gay. Of course he stands out. Someone threw a full coke cup from Mcds at us. So we tracked them down and threw bottles and coke cups at them while they tried to run us over. Same dude cracked his ribs snowboarding for the first time trying to impress a girl 10yrs younger than hIm, then ran a sub 60 10miler the next morning.

Alan

Good arguments to be made on both sides. But if all a****** never get any resistance to their behavior, you'll see more a****** behavior. One need not pick every battle, of course, but never pushing backs seems wimpy and/or enabling.

Hecklers are annoying, I usually flip them off. I think they it makes them feel better if you ignore them, like they intimidated you.

Catcalls from the ladies on the other hand, love them. No better confidence boost, guaranteed to drop 10 seconds on the next mile.

Both sides wrote:

Good arguments to be made on both sides. But if all a****** never get any resistance to their behavior, you'll see more a****** behavior. One need not pick every battle, of course, but never pushing backs seems wimpy and/or enabling.

Here is the thing: they want you to yell back at them. That is why they are doing it. The best thing to do is ignore them because it makes them look like a fvcking idiot.

It doesn't encourage more a**hole behavior at all. They want a reaction, much like a troll.

Think about a troll on LRC. If they post something and get a bunch of angry responses, they are MUCH more likely to post again. If they post 6 different troll threads and no one responds, they will probably just go away.

Don't give them the satisfaction.

I always give them something back. One would be hoodie hard man said put your legs away mate' straight away got him with 'put your face away mate'.

I've had girls chase after me and chat me up though! Seriously one ran over I stopped wondering what was going on then she just chatted me up. Sadly had a girlfriend at the time. if I'd know how that would turn out i would have gone off with the other girl!

Teenagers have got worse nowadays they want a fight when you give them something back. I just don't back down and they never do anything as its always small idiots who should stick to their own weight category. The problem is you might get in trouble if you deck them but they really need someone to teach them a lesson

One of my friends was running past 2 big guys years ago. One said 'wanker'

My mate turned round and decked him the other said nothing. He was a good guy to have next to you in a pub when some idiots tried it on. He once emerged from under 10 bodies and said 'perhaps its time to leave' Sub 15 for 5km and in the pub every night they don't make em like him anymore

Good comments here about ignoring or keeping comments to a minimal. You want to consider your safety above all else. It's bad enough with distracted drivers with cell phones, etc., DUI and other potential hazards. I don't recommend wearing headphones, but I'm sure some people do this to avoid unwelcome comments when they are out running.

You make living in the UK sound terrible.

I am glad I am American.

Man America sounds so bad at times.

I dont think I know or have heard of anyone getting hecled while running here in Norway. Working out is completely normal. I guess the only thing is car drivers being annoyd at bikers/roller skiiers in the road, but thats got nothing to do with them workout out, but taking space.

bigtool05 wrote:

Where do you guys live? I live in Philly and never get heckled.

I was running on north broad shirtless and a fat woman called out "nice sixpack, oldhead." Made my day

The best thing to do is something funny. Stop, look right at them and start tweaking your nipple with one hand while rubbing your chest and stomach with the other while locking your lips. Avoid doing anything obscene like exposing your junk.

Unless they are throwing things at you, it's just words. The last thing you want to do is engage. Chances are, it's not the same person screaming at you every time, so "teaching someone a lesson" by responding in some way isn't going to stop the overall problem. Like others have said, the hecklers are looking for a reaction so they can laugh with their buddies. Don't give them one and they usually will move on.

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.

I can easily see this as a dad thinking he's being clever and "'dissing" the kids but just coming off as a try hard.

Run with a can of Buck Bomb. Activate it and throw it into their car. Laugh your ass off.

What where they would pull a gun on you!

I've heard a lot on here about people throwing bottle from car etc in America which I've never experienced or heard of here

I've run for 30 years and these are still isolated incidents. i would also probably have less problems if I turned the other cheek & ignored it ..Not in my nature. I don't mind humorous heckling but some of it is would be bullies hiding in a group. Well someone needs to stand up to them. They have got worse because they are used to having a free reign at school and poor parenting or lack of