Went usual night run in a public park. Two young women (I’m HS) were on the path and ran away screaming just because they saw me running?

[Anonymous]

I like to run at dusk and sometimes at night. It cooler in the summer, more peaceful and I seem to have more energy running at night. I’ve been doing this since I was 15 (I ran track and CC) It clears out my mind an I always feel relaxed.

I have typical route that goes through my neighborhood and a nearby public space. The public space has a paved route.

Anyway it was around 10pm and on the public path (which isn’t lit) about 200 yards in front were the shapes of two young girls. I’m guessing they could be 14 to 16. Hard to tell it was dark. I have no idea why there out there maybe for a walk or something else. But they were on a public path.

I just kept running and they turned around looked and me just booked. I considered just stopping to walk for a moment but then I told myself “hey this is my workout and I’m in a public park path not doing anything wrong. The hell with it I’ll keep running”.

Anyway they were still in front of me and they stopped to walk but I came up closer and just yelled “hey I’m just a runner! Calm down!”’ Instead they screamed and booked it again. A path fork came off to a school ground and I just turned right and they just ran straight to the lawn. I just went about my route.

I finished my run but I got to thinking. If these girls were that skittish what else would they try to do? Call the police on me? I did absolutely nothing wrong. But just being a man and them being two young girls out at night makes me look immediately suspicious. Not fair at all but nowadays guys are immediately guilty just because of someone’s “feelings”. However any reasonable cop would see my workout clothes, me sweating and my MP3 player and realize I’m just a guy going for a run. Still though it made me feel shook up when they did that.

Any advice in the future? I guess I could of just walked when they booked. I shouldn’t have to but I’ll stop. I can also wear light reflectors on my shirt. I never done that before but it’s good for traffic safety.

[Punkbuster107]

Yeah, that really sucks. It’s easy for people to forget that the more publicized dangerous men are, the more likely decent men are to become victims of fear and hysteria.


I think your idea of wearing reflectors might be a good one. Maybe lights, not sure whether that would help or make it worse.

[Asker]

The problem is there were no artificial lights on the path to reflect off me.

I have a legal right go about my business. But I could see one of those girls calling the cops or worse their parents who would likely assume the worst. Given young teen female imaginations God knows what they would say and exaggerate about me.

I guess I can just stop and walk if that ever happened again. But is absolutely ridiculous in the grand scheme of things. Fuck our society for teaching girls to not to stop and look but instead freak out at any situation where they feel uncomfortable. So stupid.

[Asker]

I bought some runners lights on amazon. If this ever happens again while I’m wearing these then nobody will have an excuse to act the way those girls did.

[Punkbuster107]

Yeah, that’s really annoying. And even if you don’t get confronted by parents or cops, the idea of those girls telling everyone they know “be careful! Our neighborhood is full of creepers!” Or going on to give a ted talk when their older like “when I was 14 me and my friend got chased by a stranger at 10:00pm, so don’t tell me this stuff isn’t a major problem!”... it’s all just so counterproductive and ridiculous.

Hopefully the light helps. I think it’s outrageous that you’d have to stop a run and walk over something like that, but I suppose it IS courteous of you to consider doing so, even though it’s within your rights to keep running as usual.

[Asker]

Exactly. You hit it right on the head. It was very jarring to have women act this way towards me for no legitimate reason.

The only good thing is the night time darkness made it very difficult for either one of us to see each other. If they did get a good look they could do something really stupid and go on social media make up some bullshit story with my description. But it’s a public park and I’m not the only guy/girl who goes for evening runs. It’s not like I ran though someone’s yard.

In a way I almost wished they did call the cops so I can tell my side of the story. Once everybody calmed the fuck down they can realize I’m just a normal law abiding guy who has a completely legal habit of working out late.

[Punkbuster107]

Yeah, seeing as you were in the right it would have actually been more satisfying if the law showed up just so Justice WOULD get served and the everyone could show these girls how ridiculous they were being.

[Dragonstarterplus]

Yeah this is why i can't even go running in most places. As a black guy I'd probably just have the cops called on me or get shot by some dumbasses in "self defense"

[Asker]

I think that will be less and less of an issue for you (hopefully) considering current events. No more Ahmaud Arbery incidents please.

This could of been worse. A lot worse. Fortunately the nearby houses were quite a distance. It would take daddy some time to run out of the house with a shotgun.

I’m just hoping these were two bored young girls who snuck out of their parents house for some summer night excitement. They probably already had their adrenaline going like walking into a haunted house. But I was in the middle of a public park on a paved trail for the love of God. Next time I’m wearing running lights so they can see me coming from a far off.

Just stupid.