"Citizens have complained of joggers in the roadway, joggers who will not move over to allow vehicles to pass, loud talking and dogs not on a leash," wrote Darrell Fant, director of public safety, in a notice to the loosely formed Park Cities Runners.
The police "drive by slow and yell, 'Get on the sidewalk,' and then we do, but we get back off," Ms. Golden said. "It's just something to entertain us while we are running. Some officers are a little gung-ho and lecture us. We just laugh it off."
Highland Park police Detective Randy Millican said complaints had been increasing, particularly about the Thursday-morning run that begins at the Knox-Henderson Starbucks. Although he couldn't say exactly how many complaints had been received, he noted that 30 to 50 athletes may run six abreast during the busiest times of the day.
Detective Millican said some runners hurt their own cause. One recent morning on the way to work, he honked at a woman who was running down a Highland Park street. She responded with an obscene gesture.
"I've had runners shoot me the finger, bang on the hood of my car," he said. "I'm not trying to be overly disrespectful, but it's a problem, and we get telephone complaints regularly. They are holding up traffic. If you stop and talk to them they are nice, but they don't understand."
Rebecca Wallace, who co-owns Run On[a runner's group], said she tries to avoid guiding runners through Highland Park, but its central location makes it difficult. She recalled an evening when she drove a van behind a group of about 30 athletes who were taking in the Christmas lights and decorations. A police officer pulled her over and told her she could not stay without a special events permit, Ms. Wallace said.
"Highland Park is the most runner-unfriendly," she said. "I guess it's kind of the Highland Park attitude."
Okay first of all, is it necessary to run in group of 30 people at a time? Seriously...30?? With that many people, it's no wonder they can't stay on the sidewalk; they can't all fit there. And taking in the Christmas lights? Out in the 'burbs, we do this from the safety of our cars. And runner un-friendly? Sounds to me like Highland Park is crawling with them. You'd think with all that money out there they could afford gym memberships or something. But I think I have a solution; just send some of the infamous DART police, and those runners will be sticking to the sidewalks in no time.
2 comments:
And what do you suppose would happen if a group of 30 black teenage boys did the same?
Sometimes rich white people disgust me, as in this story and the one about people fighting for the right to tailgate parties.
I can see it in my head..30 white, female joggers crossing the street as 30 young black male joggers come down the sidewalk, all the while clutching their water bottles tightly.
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