I get it, January is the month of “resolutions” and it’s summer so the increased number of people out and about,  getting their fit on has increased somewhat dramatically.

Which in itself is awesome!  In fact the gentleman down the road who has religiously been doing his skipping routine out on his driveway combined with foot path shuttles always brings a smile to my face each time I pass his house.

But other stuff isn’t quite so pleasing, lately I’ve noticed a marked decrease in footpath etiquette.  Just as we have a road code, there are rules for sharing the footpath and/or trails, obviously most of these are unwritten but the majority of it is just plain common sense.

Julia’s guide to not being a dickhead

Don’t be a snob;

When coming towards someone heading in the opposite direction, say hello, nod, wave or at least raise an eyebrow.  It’s not like you can pretend you didn’t see them coming.

Share;

If you are walking/running with a partner, don’t continue to walk/run next to each other if someone is coming towards you – it’s pretty simple really, one of you just walks/runs slightly slower and slips in behind your partner.  It’s not a forever thing, as soon as the person passes you and your partner can go back to using the entire path, please also keep your ears open for people coming up behind you, especially if you are deep in conversation with your training partner.

If you happen to be on a path that is only big enough for one person to travel on at a time, the person going downhill gives way to the person traveling up hill as it’s easier to get started again if you have gravity to help.  If you are on a flat, the person traveling towards the traffic would step onto the road as that person can see what’s coming –  please don’t make anyone step onto the road if the traffic is behind them.   On a bush track I guess whomever needs a rest the most should stop. 😉

Don’t act like a murderer;

If you are trailing behind someone and they cross the road, please don’t follow.  If you actually need that side of the road at least pass the person before crossing over, which would probably also freak them out, but at least you would now be in front and they could keep track of your whereabouts.

Oh and perhaps don’t follow them onto a bush trail, that’s just mean …

Till next time