Are you a Waver - General running

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 09:38

So happy Robert Sullivan wrote the article in this month's RW. Brought up on an island where everyone greeted each other every day and having lived in a number of small towns in three countries where the same recognition is a way of life I have been puzzled when out running by the number of non wavers I continued to come across. Living in anonymous towns and cities I came to accept it as part of normal culture there and was always surprised and delighted to meet a fellow waver. 10 years back in the sticks the opposite was true, that I was disappointed, especially on longer, remote runs, rainy or cold days, or when passing the same people regularly that waves were not reciprocal. I now accept and have had it "Validated" by the article. We are either wavers or non wavers, it's as simple as that. Do you agree?

Lyndylou

09/07/2009 at 11:15

Seems it very much depends on where you're running.

My usual run is along the seafront here in Brighton. Not many wavers here, but when I venture into the depths of Hove seafront they're much friendlier

Chocolate Moose

09/07/2009 at 11:57

I always wave and find it hard to understand those who refuse to acknowledge fellow runners.

PloddingOn pirate

pirate

09/07/2009 at 12:08

I trip if I have to wave

Nodding in my head works for me but people don't seem to see it

Screamapillar

09/07/2009 at 12:09

I live in the London suburbs where runners rarely acknowledge each other.

I have given up now, although I will respond if someone does wave/speak.

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 12:13

I find it fascinating when people don't wave. I understand PO suggesting may trip and occassionally the iplodders who are lost in the beat, even the serious, focussed runners gasping for breath but is everyone else just really shy or is it London Tube phenomenon where they believe the etiquette is not to acknowledge. Amazing, considering we humans are supposedly social creatures.

Devoted2Distance

09/07/2009 at 12:21

'I find it fascinating when people don't wave'

I've come to realise that when we're out running, every runner that we see might not be experiencing as good a run as we are! When I was coming back from injury, my head was down and I was just trying to resume a normal form again - the last thing I wanted was for other runners to acknowledge me and be worried that I have to wave back!

I generally judge the other runner's form/face i.e. if they look cheery and like they're having a good run, I'll say hello, if they look like they're suffering, I'll leave them to it!

Wilkie

09/07/2009 at 12:28

I find it fascinating that anyone would bother to write an article about this, or start a thread on it (which is done on a fairly regular basis).

I tend to smile, say good morning, or nod.

If the other person responds, great.

If not, I don't care. I don't wonder why, or think anymore of it. I just move on with my run, and my life.

What can it possibly matter whether a stranger acknowledges your greeting? Or do you take it as some kind of personal slight?

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 12:33

Too old and run too far to take it as a personal slight. The RW article was quite interesting and mirrored many of the experiences I've had and drew the same conclusions, people tend to be wavers or not and some of the non wavers in other parts of their life are the most interesting, courteous, polite, empathetic people yet become somehow different when running. Just like many people change when they get behind the wheel of a car perhaps?

danowat

09/07/2009 at 12:39

When I saw this article in this months RW, the first thing that sprang to mind is, boy they must be short on material this month.

Sheri 12

09/07/2009 at 12:41

I never know whether to wave or not wave, so compromise with a kind of half-assed semi-wave, accompanied by what is probably a cross between a smile and a grimace. So the people lucky enough to be on the receiving end of this probably think I am neither a waver nor a non-waver but some kind of loony.

Juliefrazz

09/07/2009 at 12:42

Sometimes I wave, sometimes I don't - what pigeon hole does that put me in I wonder.

Sometimes people wave back, sometimes they don't - I don't take that as a reflection of their personality or a personal slight on me, they probably just have something else on their mind at the time.

Edited: 09/07/2009 at 12:43

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 12:43

The diversity of human nature Sheri12, all adds to the mix to make runners an interesting bunch. Danowat, what makes a good article for you?

Wilkie

09/07/2009 at 12:45

I remember when some American friends from a small town in rural Ohio came to visit me a couple of years ago.

As we walked down the street near my house, they would say "good morning" to people. It was like Crocodile Dundee (on a somewhat smaller scale!)

Most people were so surprised to be greeted by an American (in suburban Essex), that they did respond

The matter of greeting/acknowledging other runners comes up often enough to see that it does occupy the minds of quite a few people, and I just don't get why

CazSoul

09/07/2009 at 12:53

I dont wave but I do nod/smile/say hello. I think it does depend on the time of day & where you are running. My LSR are done on the canal towpath usually early afternoon and would say maybe 10% of people be it dog walkers/runners/casual strollers nod/great/smile, whereas cos its getting a bit hot now I dragged my sorry butt out the bed earlier on Saturday and the percentage of nodders/greeters/smilers was considerably higher.

*waves to everybody* Just in case you saw me on the towpath and I was too engrossed in that potentially killer duck to notice.

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 12:55

As we walked down the street near my house, they would say "good morning" to people. It was like Crocodile Dundee (on a somewhat smaller scale!)

That's how it is still in many parts of this country. In our town most people acknowledge each other in the early morning, not so much once the kids are in school and certainly all neighbours. It's a nice, friendly start to the day and can occasionally, I find, lift my mood to be greeted in that fashion by someone I don't know/know that well. Similarly a greeting from a fellow runner has lifted me out of a bad patch and I am grateful for that gesture. Knowing how it can affect me means I will always wave but no, I don't get offended/upset if it's not reciprocated because I understand that people do see things differently and what works for me won't necessarily work for somebody/anybody else.

danowat

09/07/2009 at 12:56

A good article for me is something with some usefull information in that can help me with my running, the whys and wherefores of people waving or not waving during running is completely irrelevant to my running.

Straycelt

09/07/2009 at 13:03

I enjoy the diversity of articles and find some of Andy B's surreal stories are as enjoyable as many of the pieces of advice, reviews etc. Makes it a more complete mag for me and doesn't detract or distract from the main reasons for buying

Chocolate Moose

09/07/2009 at 13:06

The "why" for me comes from the fact that I like to feel included, and that I think this is a fairly primitive aspect of human personality. If somone waves at me, they're saying something like "I recognise that you are like me - we have some shared goals and experiences". If I don't wave back, I'm saying "you are not like me".

I like being waved at because I like to feel included.

Sheri 12

09/07/2009 at 13:07

I don't think there's anything wrong with some light-hearted articles to complement the more serious stuff...