Do any of you have any advice on how to deal with smartass teens messing with you during a run?
My route takes me past a house where a teenage kid lives. Today he and some friends were hanging out in the yard tossing a football. As my husband and I ran past the kids yelled "hey buddy, catch" (directed at my husband, I think) and threw the football in front of us. We ignored them but had to pass them again a few minutes later (the route loops back, unfortunately). This time they ran into the street as soon as they saw us and threw the ball at us.
The ball missed us. My husband kicked it down the street. One of the kids (not the one who lives there) ran after it yelling about his ball. I completely lost my temper, stopped and got into a screaming match with the kid, who protested he was only trying to find his ball which we'd unfairly kicked down the street. My husband finally succeeded in getting me to leave :)
So, um, I didn't handle this very well at all Any ideas on what we should have done? In my day (and I'm only 38!) highschoolers would never have dreamed about messing with adults running through the neighborhood. It's a pretty OK neighborhood. I've been running for about a year and the kid who lives at the house has seen me scores of times (I never saw the friends before, though). I don't know the parents.
What do you do? For now I've mapped out another running route, but I'm not sure if that's the best solution :?
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Hmm, that's a toughy, they really aren't doing anything ollegal except being annoying. If they are that bad try going on a different route. Maybe invite them to run with you sometime.
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You know it's really sad that runners have to change their route for things like this, and dogs, and stupid neighbors, and cars, and...
Anyway, you might want to have a chat with the parents explaining the rudeness of their child and their child's friends.
On another note, I might have to re-think our planned run together next month
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we get calls like that all of the time
not really much po po can do
you would need to make a statement, get a statement from the other offender/it basically turns into he said she said
unless there is contact or something....
not really much po po can do
you would need to make a statement, get a statement from the other offender/it basically turns into he said she said
unless there is contact or something....
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Ignore them. If you acknoledge their pitiful existence then you give them a reason to continue.
I never respond to people that yell when I run/ride. I just pretend like I'm deaf and keep on going.
I never respond to people that yell when I run/ride. I just pretend like I'm deaf and keep on going.
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Yelling I can deal with, but I draw the line at throwing stuff. Sure it was only a football, but those can hurt when they hit.
Anyway, I found an alternate route I can use if I don't want to run into those guys again.
Anyway, I found an alternate route I can use if I don't want to run into those guys again.
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I'm thinking about having that chat with the kid's parents. But I also have that new route planned too, which gives me an easier out. And as for our run next month, I know we can find someplace more interesting than my neighborhood :)
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Boy people are rude.
I know it's mean but i would have taken there ball and kept running.
I bet there parents are just as bad.
Vanessa
I know it's mean but i would have taken there ball and kept running.
I bet there parents are just as bad.
Vanessa
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Then I would have taken the ball and punted long and kept on going. I'm very good at ignoring people I don't like.
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Is this your neighborhood, or one fairly far away? If it's yours I'd would introduce myself to his parents. I'm not even sure that I'd bring it up at first because I'd want to get a read on what type of people they are (reasonable? rational?, or not?). Play it by ear whether or not to bring up the incident. I wonder if the teenager told his parents about it.
Perhaps the discussion will turn to running and you can mention that you and your husband have had to start carrying pepper spray on your runs ;). Just kidding, kind of.
Perhaps the discussion will turn to running and you can mention that you and your husband have had to start carrying pepper spray on your runs ;). Just kidding, kind of.
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You've been running for how long? This is one day. I would stick to the routine that you've been following up until this incident. If it becomes a pattern, then I would change my route. Most likely, a change won't be needed.
The teen who lives at the house didn't do this, one or two of his friends did, so I wouldn't bother talking to his parents about the incident. It will probably be quite some time before you run by while his friends are out front and armed with a football again, and they may have learned their lesson by having to chase the football a throw and a kick away. Your husband did the right thing kicking the ball even farther away. Screaming at the ball's owner may have done some good or it could have made you look hot headed or both. I wouldn't have.
The teen who lives at the house didn't do this, one or two of his friends did, so I wouldn't bother talking to his parents about the incident. It will probably be quite some time before you run by while his friends are out front and armed with a football again, and they may have learned their lesson by having to chase the football a throw and a kick away. Your husband did the right thing kicking the ball even farther away. Screaming at the ball's owner may have done some good or it could have made you look hot headed or both. I wouldn't have.
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