Runners etiquette??? (Folsom: how much, neighborhoods, triathlon)

[caligirlz]

A new aspect of etiquette on the trails. Seriously? this is disgusting.

Next thing I know, urine is blowing off of his shorts on the left side, onto my left thigh, shirt and side of my face. I backed off my pace, did not say anything initially, as we were on a section of the trail with no one else around and I did not feel comfortable approaching him alone.

Source: Reader input: Runners need to learn etiquette | Folsom Telegraph

I'd approach him. That's for sure!

[Think About It!]

Wow, that's disgusting. Garbage people are everywhere. Why can't people just act decent?

I have my personal assumptions about the type of people that poster was having problems with but that's neither here nor there.

[2tall]

I thought this was going to be about runners forcing cyclists out of bike lanes.

But this...

Very very few things push my buttons but...

This pushes my "It's time to fight" button with a 30 pound sledge.

I want to go fight that guy right now.

Totally unacceptable.

[Amy WJ]

Disgusting. Might want to carry something to spray in retaliation as necessary, like that stinky deer repellent. Small amount works wonders and shouldn't land you in jail....

[bluevelo]

Wow. As an avid runner, I would've kicked the guy in the nuts if he'd gotten pee on me. It doesn't surprise me to see that kind of behavior up at the Folsom end, though, as you get into the richer neighborhoods people tend to think that they are entitled to act however badly they want. I don't do the group bike rides that start near old town Folsom for that very reason - they turn into testosterone fueled hammerfests where people show off their expensive carbon bikes and how much faster they can ride them than you.

People generally behave much better on the bike trail up to William Land or so, but you start to get the TdF wannabees north of the bridge over the American River, they say horrible things to you - or try and actually PUSH you off your bike, if they think you are in their way. I love riding the trail but on the weekends and some evenings in the summer, when you get the big pelotons of racers, you can get some real asshats out there that think the trail exists only for people who are riding their bikes 25mph or more in a huge group. It can be dangerous... but its a multiuse trail for everyone, including the helmetless on hybrid and mountain bikes that might come out of the garage on the weekends, and all of us that are using the trail need to be courteous of each other.

Anyway... You STOP if you need to go, and find a tree/bush well off the trail to pee behind. Its only courteous. People run off to use the bushes all the time in big races, I've seen people do it in the middle of CIM, and at races at Lake Natoma. I've never seen anyone peeing like that on the section of the trail I use the most (between Sac State and William Land). Generally, the runners are very friendly and courteous (as well as the cyclists). This morning, I was about at my run turnaround point and a cyclist had slowed to point out a small rattlesnake, probably about 2 1/2' long, was crossing the trail, and to be careful. I thanked him, and as I ran back downstream I let oncoming cyclists and runners know that "snakes are out, its that time of year, keep your eyes sharp."

[ryuns]

Agreed--it stands to be repeated that it's a multi-use trail that everyone, from the slow and clumsy to the fast and self-entitled need to remember to share. But, as bluevelo pointed out, most people are extremely courteous and we shouldn't let the bad apples bother us to the point of keeping us from enjoying the great trails.

[Luby162]

Nasty....I have heard of this and read about it in longer endurance races, It is done by the pros in Ironman since every second matters, but, still nasty !!!

[bluevelo]

Originally Posted by Luby162

Nasty....I have heard of this and read about it in longer endurance races, It is done by the pros in Ironman since every second matters, but, still nasty !!!

A race is a completely different issue - people have paid their fees, are competing, and generally the course is closed for a short period of time to non-racers. I've done an Olympic length triathlon and I peed on the bike and in the lake while moving.

But on a public use facility that gets heavy use - like the bike trail - there are plenty of bushes you can walk behind to pee. No one wants to see your junk nor do they want to get sprayed by you.

I was out running on the trail today and everyone was quite courteous as usual - even the guys on the tri bikes who were obviously hammering and training were courteous as they went by. Idiots on the American River trail are fortunately NOT numerous.