I've been playing in traffic now for nigh on 60,000 or so miles in the last 20 years. One of my one finger salutes a few years ago got the guy I was running with that day charged with some highway traffic offence. He had the misfortune of running in the outside lane. We had to assume the position just outside of the Y in Brantford and a bunch of our friends(mostly professionals of some sort or another) were going in and out of the front door while it was going on. Of course they didn't dare stop and ask. It made the national press in Canada but it was before I got on any lists. It was laughed out of court and the cop who laid the charge will probably never live it down and they will likely joke about it at his retirement roast. My friend's father proudly added the various articles, pro and con letters to the editor and a copy of the traffic ticket to a scrapbook that he has been keeping on his son since he was an age group national class swimmer. Regards, Martin
John Lunn wrote: > Mike, > Help me here. > A runner should find "a route farther away from auto traffic"and further away from >"country roads" where > the senior set wants to make you "dead right"? And you have preferred to run at >night with dark clothes > on so that you can be an invisible moving target? > I take it that this plan has worked well for you. > JL > > Mike Prizy wrote: > > > But why be dead right? If special clothing has to be worn with the intent of being >seen by drivers, > > then maybe a route farther away from auto traffic needs to be found. I think >bright clothing gives > > some runners a false sense of security. > > > > Having grown up in the South Suburbs of Chicago, I've had numerous run ins with >cars and > > pedestrians. While in college, I was surprised at the number of run ins I had on >country roads - not > > just with aggressive car loads of teenagers - but from the grandmas and grandpas >who wouldn't yell > > or throw anything at us, but seemed set on making me/us dead right. > > > > For the last 20 years, most of my runs have been in the evening and in the dark, >particularly in the > > winter months. People ask me if I ware reflective tape or material on my running >gear. I tell them > > no, because I don't want to be a visible moving target. > > > > Ed and Dana Parrot wrote: > > > > > > Back in the day, back before running was reinvented in Boulder, there was > > > a war in the > > > > streets as you tried to log your miles. One winter I was asked why my > > > running outfit > > > > was so ugly. The colors of this outfit could not be blamed on my color > > > blindness. I > > > > dyed my long johns a deep pink, my shorts were a green-yellow, the > > > sweatshirt was > > > > orange, and my stocking cap was red. I dressed like this as a form of self > > > defense. In > > > > the previous weeks, I was hit in the shoulder by the large mirrors of a > > > pickup truck > > > > that came up behind me when I ran a short stretch in the same direction as > > > the > > > > traffic. I found myself sprawled on the hood of a car because the driver > > > only looked > > > > to the left as she made a right hand turn.On a Sunday morning, a driver > > > swerved toward > > > > me and my hand hit the door handle, slashing the top of my hand and giving > > > me a scar > > > > that I sport to this day. I vowed that if I was hit again, the driver > > > would have a > > > > difficult time explaining that he didn't see me. I was ugly, but I at > > > least felt safer. > > > > > > Smart move. I have a neon yellow jacket that has been jokingly referred to > > > as "Exhibit A" (in case it is needed in court to prove that the driver who > > > hit me could indeed see me). > > > > > > - Ed Parrot
