stopping for a funeral at Greenwich cemetery
As I was doing my run yesterday I started to think about a runner’s etiquette. Is there such a thing? There must be and I’m willing to bet that most of us runners follow some kind of a runner’s etiquette or code of conduct even if we do not give it an actual name. What I’m talking about is being polite and alerting a slower runner or walker that you’re coming up on them like say, “on your left”. You know what I mean?
Well, I wondered about that as I ran up the very narrow two-lane Bonaventure Road in Thunderbolt/Savannah. As I ran Bonaventure most of the incoming drivers slowed down and if possible gave me a wide berth as they passed by me. I thought that was very cool of them. They really did not have to give me a cushion of space to make me feel safe nor did they really need to slow down but they did. So, I began to acknowledge their act of kindness by giving them a nod of my head and mouthing thank you. I’m not sure if any drivers noticed me doing this but I did it any way. It seemed to me the right thing to do on such a narrow, sparsely driven two-lane road that Saturday afternoon. I don’t think I would be thanking every car that zooms past me on say, highway 80 at 5:00pm on weekday runs. I would just grow tired from all that thanking and nodding. And, I think most drivers on highway 80 on a weekday evening drive home are driving way too fast and are way too distracted on their phones and on thoughts of a nice candle-lit dinner with their honeys and catching on tv the next speaker on cspan than to notice some runner on the road, right? Well, maybe not everyone is into cspan like me but I think you get what I mean, right? It’s probably best to stay away or, be very, very careful when running on heavily trafficked streets. What I’m talking about are the small, less traveled roads and drivers just being nice.
So, as I stated earlier, I began nodding and mouthing thank you’s to drivers that slowed down and gave me a nice cushion of space between their car and me. What about the one’s that didn’t slow down nor give me a cushion of space? I shot them the bird. No. I didn’t do that. And, only one driver during my 11 mile run Saturday didn’t slow down nor give me a cushion of space as he past me. I noticed this driver was about 100 years old and thought this guy probably doesn’t even know he’s driving. So, why get bothered. This is why we run against traffic and why we should always remain overly cautious as we run against traffic because not all drivers are kind and, not all drivers are on planet earth while driving – their minds could be a million miles away.
Any way, during my run on Bonaventure Road I resolved to nod and mouth thank you’s to every driver that showed me love. I then ran into Greenwich cemetery and began to wonder if there is an runner’s etiquette for funerals. And guess what? I came upon an ongoing funeral Saturday afternoon in Greenwich cemetery. So, what did I do? I’ll tell you what I wanted to do. I wanted to complete the leg of my Greenwich cemetery run that was past that funeral and then continue the rest of my pre-routed run through Greenwich cemetery and then head into Bonaventure cemetery and so on. But, I didn’t. My runner’s etiquette or morality kicked in and I stopped about a hundred feet from where the funeral was at and I bowed my head momentarily in respect. I took a picture of the funeral for this blog and then turned around and ran a different route through the cemetery. That seemed the right thing for me to do. Was it?
As I continued my run I thought more about a runner’s etiquette and began putting together a mental list of one. I’ll give you my list first and then I’ll post the list I found on the internets later.
Dan’s Runner’s Etiquette List
- acknowledge and give thanks to drivers that show you kindness while running on the road. If a driver slows down and gives you a wide berth between you and the car acknowledge that kind act by mouthing a thank you and nodding or by giving a peace sign. I like the peace sign. Just show gratitude, dude.
- If you’re running in a cemetery and you come upon an ongoing funeral, stop. Show some respect and turn around and find another path to run on. Think about the difficult time that family and friends are going through at that moment.
- Call out, don’t scream out, an “on your left” or an “on your right” as you come upon slower runners or walkers on a path. You don’t want to give someone a heart attack any more than you want someone to give you one.
- Don’t shoot a nostril full of snot before looking. You would not want someone to blast your legs or brand new running shoes with a load of green mucus as you run past them. Also, be mindful of ladies. Just as most of us (guys) wouldn’t fart in front of a lady don’t shoot a wad of snot on the sidewalk in front of a lady. That’s just bad manners. Ask your mother about that. Well, I do know a lot of guys that fart in front of women but I’m not one of those. Every now and then, though, one does slip out. Hm. Let’s move along.
- Share the running path and road with other runners. The road nor the running path was made specifically for you. Don’t hog the trail or slow down an approaching runner. If someone is coming upon you while running and you know they are carrying a faster clip than you are shift over a little if possible and let them get by. It’s the sportsman thing to do. When you get your second wind you can blaze past him, leaving him eating your dust. Right? Right.
- Always help out a runner in trouble/distress. A PR is never worth the wellness/safety of a fellow runner…or, walker, cyclist, whoever. If someone is in trouble as you run past them stop and see if you can assist them. It’s the right thing to do.
- I believe in doing the same thing for an injured or distressed animal you come upon while running (without endangering yourself, that is). If you come upon an injured dog or cat or cow while running try to do something for the critter even if it means flagging down a car or running up to the nearest gas station and contacting the proper authorities. No animal should be left to suffer on the side of a road if you come across one. If you see a turtle trying to cross the road try to help it along but don’t endanger yourself. Please don’t get run over by a car because you were trying to save a turtle.
Well, that’s about all that I could think of as I ran. I’m sure other situations will pop up to make me reconsider or add to the list above.
Now, here is the runner’s etiquette list from Road Runner’s Club of America:
Rules of the road and trails
- Run against traffic if running on the road. If running on the sidewalk or multi-use trails, travel on the right and pass on the left.
- Never run more than two abreast if you are running in a group. Don’t be a road or trail hog.
- Don’t run down the middle of the road or trail.
- If you are running an out-and-back route, don’t just make a sudden u-turn at your turn around point. Stop, step to the right to allow oncoming traffic the opportunity to pass. Ensure the road or trail is clear of oncoming traffic (runners, cyclists, in-line skaters, etc.) then make your u-turn. Making a sudden u-turn without looking over your shoulder is a good way to get hit.
- Alert pedestrians when you are passing them – don’t assume they are aware of their surroundings. A simple “on your left” warning will suffice.
- Be alert on blind curves.
- Stop at stop signs and ensure oncoming traffic yields to you before proceeding across a road. Don’t assume cars will stop if you are entering a cross walk.
- Respect private property along your route. Don’t relieve yourself in the neighbor’s bushes.
- Don’t litter. If you can’t find a trash can, carry your trash home.
RRCA’s list is good. I should of thought of some of those but I didn’t. That’s why we have this group, right? I agree whole-heartedly with RRCA’s list but still will incorporate my list above and append it to theirs.
As for the rest of my run on Saturday, I ran through Greenwich and Bonaventure cemeteries, ran over the Thunderbolt bridge and into and around Isle of Armstrong, ran to the Wilmington River and worked my way back to my home for an 11.14 mile run. This was my final run with my legendary red bikilas. My red bikilas have served me well for 705 miles and are now officially retired. I have another blog that will be devoted entirely to a farewell to those vff’s. So, stay tuned for that one.
my 11 mile mapped run
- run log
- mapped run
- total miles on red bikilas: 705.7
- total real miles for 2012: 69.23
- total treadmill miles: 15.83
Wildlife inventory:
- 2 seagulls
- 1 cormorant
- 1 vulture in Greenwich cemetery. That was an ominous sign, I think.
- 5 doves
- 1 moth. Yes, one moth flying about on January 28th! It’s supposed to be winter, I thought.
- 3 squirrels
- 3 cats
- 10 dogs
Thank you so much for stopping by.
I wish you and yours the very, very best.
peace,
dh
01/29/2012