You run a lot of miles in marathon training programmes. You're out on the streets for a lot of hours over the course of several weeks. You have a lot of time to ponder issues such as the meaning of life, how long does it take for a child to learn how to ride a bike in a straight line, what to have for lunch, what to have for dinner, why do Councils insist on planting trees with roots that split the pavements, what to have for dinner and... seriously, Hounslow Council, sort it out...
Recently, I've been witnessing a new trend which has given me lots of food for thought: is it rude not to stop for someone in the street who asks you to stop for a moment?
It's a fact of life running in London that you will occasionally get asked for directions - people naturally assume that you know where you are. This is not always the case. Once, on one of my many 'getting lost in south London long runs', a guy asked me where Clapham Junction station was. He was annoyed when I replied I didn't even know what bit of London I was in but I knew the river was that way, pointing helpfully (for the record, I would have guessed Battersea, judging by the value of the buggies being pushed...) . He clearly thought I was lying and being deliberately rude & unhelpful, but obviously he's unaware of my stunning track record at getting lost in south London.
But in the last few weeks, I've been asked for directions at least 3 times a week. Again, on longer runs, it's a 50/50 shot at best that I will know the place they are looking for - I am miles away from home. Do they not realise it's marathon season? On shorter runs, it's a real dilemma. Do I stop my Garmin and help a fellow human? Or do I maintain my pace and say 'sorry, can't stop'?. I always feel obliged to stop, even if my answer is usually 'er, sorry, no idea' (I really need to work on learning some street names, instead of navigating by Powerade-selling newsagents and public toilets).
A couple of days ago, two women stopped me and asked me where a particular road was. I was jubilant...I knew exactly where it was! I helpfully pointed it out, they looked really grateful, said 'thanks' and promptly walked off in the opposite direction! I felt quite resentful, to be honest. I mean, why stop me and ask me IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN!
One instance where I always refuse to stop is the religious canvasser. I am at a loss to understand the logic of the person that thinks this sweaty, purple-faced, banshee-haired woman bearing down on them has a) time to stop and b) wants to carry a pamphlet round with her for the rest of that run. Let's face it, if you give me a piece of paper about Jesus, redemption, abortion or the like, it's going to be sweaty mush in a few seconds. So it's a bit of a waste of your printed materials budget, to be honest. There's a recession on, think about your market and you'll reduce your costs.
What is the etiquette on this for urban runners? Do we stop to give directions? Or should people realise we're in a hurry and ask someone else instead? I'd love to know what other city runners think about this.
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