ActiveC

Well, as I told you I had changed my running route away from the spruit. Today was the second time I ran that route and was quite happy with the change as it meant more hills. Until I met that jerk on the way home again. As usual I was running with my dog, this time on a leash as we were in the suburbs and she was next to me. (I feel obliged to give her an outing every day as I stay in a house with a small garden and she loves running too. It would be a whole lot easier to tackle this situation without her, but I'm endebted to giving her a good life.) We were coming along Cambridge Road the road that crosses the highway before Rivonia offramp) on the left hand pavement running towards the garage. This is when I looked ahead and couldn't believe who was coming towards me. I could see the thoughts going through his head as he was crosssing a small road and had no option but to join me on the pavement or else he would be facing the oncoming traffic on the bridge. "I have to ride with her on the same pavement and I'm putting myself into the precarious situation of being pushed over by her for having been such a bastard at the spruit". (on second thoughts he wouldn't have used the word "bastard" when referring to himself.) As he came past me I gave him a small push on the shoulder. I knew he would loose it and already planned to cross the road with my dog. He followed me, always hurling threats such as "now you've had it", "now I'm going to get you". When he crossed over too I told him to f off and crossed back to my original side, when he vowed that I'd really had it coming for me. He threatened to ride after me when he must've remembered coming past a stationary police vehicle with a policeman standing next to it (in the bend just before the garage). As I ran past curious pedestrians who had been watching this crossing/attempted catching this dude was doing to get me I warned them that this dude was mad. When I got to the cop I asked him if he couldn't go after this guy on his MTB because he's been harassing me since last week and I've even changed my running route away from the spruit where this harassment started and he intentionally rides into my dog,- all with one breath. He went after him in his vehicle. This lady I had told she must be careful he's mad had also made it to where the police van was and I was now waiting for the cop to return. She told me she sees this MTBer every day on this pavement. The policeman came back saying the MTBer had gone into the veld so he couldn't get him. He did say I should lay a charge at the police station, which I will do. I still didn't see any branding, but he is always dressed in the same dark kit, has sunglasses that are not mirrored on his flat, broad-on-the-end nose. Is there anybody who would be willing to help me give this guy a good talking to by giving his collar a twist and lifting him so that he's forced to listen to some sense? I'm serious about this. It's ludicrous that all this started from absolutely nothing, - I was not and am still not breaking any law running with my dog, just that this guy's aggression levels are out of control and I'm a good scapegoat for his anger. He rides along this said Cambridge road at about 7.50.

I've decided to leave the spruit. I met a couple on the spruit after my run on Saturday. They are dogwalkers and he was attacked a week back by a black chap with a screwdriver and lost his watch. I remember running past this black guy holding the screwdriver in his hand and still thinking "I have the same red-handle scrrewdriver at home" and also thinking this dude is very open about his intentions. He didn't follow me though, but must've attacked the dogwalker that morning. They also told me about this couple that was MTBing and was attacked and thrown off their bikes. She ran and shouted for help and fell and fortunately a Coin Security vehicle heard her and saved them. I didn't see my friendly attacker on Saturday, so I guess he must be riding with some of you with the groups from the area such as Fritz Pienaar or the Paulshof Mugg and Bean. I kept on looking back and clearing th epath for the MTBers that did come past in case it was him coming to run me over. It's no fun always covering your back. It's such a pity as the grass is nice and short now. Pity I don't remember his bike or kit. All I remember was kicking black shorts and a full black gloved hand wagging at my face. He was short at 1.7 odd metres and had a flat Zuma-ish (for lack of a better description, chicken-ass shaped) shnoz. It's one-love to him. For now. Unless someone wants to come running with me at about 7 during the week. We're sure to run into him...

I'm not normally a scared person, but this oke is psycho, so I've been rather worried - I'll be able to outrun him, but my old Boxer will be left to his mercy! I run almost daily around 7 or 7.30ish with my old dog running behind me, the same route every day. We run down Cowley Road in Bryanston and enter the spruit from Devonshire road, where there is a small wooden bridge. I've encountered him on the same stretch twice now, about 1km from this bridge: it's that part of the spruit where you have garden boundary walls on your right and no tar road in sight before you get to the Riverside Spar. Jhb City Parks haven't cut the grass in that section yet - the reeds outside the boundary walls are also very high. We run to where there is a small MTB technical section going uphill quite steeply, with an easier and more difficult option over some rocks - that's our turning point! It would be great to get a bit more sane MTB presence in the area. The irony is that I have been warned of the vagrants who greet me every day, who sit along the footpath opposite the Spar. Yet it is these people I would've run to this morning to help me when this arly rode into my dog... Howz that for a sick situation - one sportsperson running away from another sportsperson towards the homeless for protection. I was always under the impression we sportspeople should make an area safer by our presence...

The saga continues : This morning the same shorty came riding up behind us and rode into my dog on purpose (on the same double lane section of the spruit as yesterday . I stopped and knew what the braking and whincing was about before I even turned around. My dog continued running toward me and the short sh*t rode toward me too. He climbed off his bike and proceded to threaten me with his gloved hand under my face until he clipped my face from below. I retalliated by kicking him in the shin. He is such an aggro, despicable character he was about to hurl his bike into the veld to run after me when I reminded him he would not be able to catch me with those MTB shoes of his and his bike would be gone in no time too, so he had second thoughts. This guy is one of those aggro Joburgers-I could just see he was seething with aggression, so I asked him if he hadn't taken his Valoids yet. He continued threatening me and made it very clear he didn't want to see me ever again on the spruit. Being a MTBer, roadie, triathlete myself, I won't say it's "all MTBers" that behave like this. This guy is unusually aggressive - he obviously has a lot of issues! But how is this prick's behaviour toward me and my dog, running peacefully along the spruit minding our own business? What he has forced me to do now is to carry a knife and the next time he stops and gives me grief I'll slash his tyres. What other option do I as a small female runner have? He's trying to intimidate me and injuring my dog.

Thank goodness, the spruit is a leash-free area, so we had a right to be running the way we were. I should have added that seeing I do run there on most days, greet MTBers with a short "hi" in case they don't greet back, I have never come across a prick like the one I came across today. In fact, often it's a snippet of friendly banter we exchange breathlessly across the sportsline. Shame, I guess he got dropped and still had to face the day... But such aggression was just too frightening! I own a harmless dog and would never let a dangerous dog loose - it would cost me too much in medical expenses if other people get harmed. I find other dog owner's dogs without leashes on he spruit also tend to be socialised. My motto is just "live and let live" and as Firewolf said, just go around. What's the big deal? I'm not breaking any rules. I'm having fun and hopefully you are too despite going around. I always used to believe the more people enjoying the outdoors, the safer it is for us, but I'm having a rethink... Channel your aggression where it needs to be channeled. And if shortsh*t reads this or his friends identify him, offer him/have some Valium. See you at the spruit!

This morning, as most mornings, I ran with my dog along the spruit. She was 10m behind me on the double lane section when a MTBer came towards us. I jumped to the other track and called my dog several times to also follow me. The guy was riding slowly, at about 15km/h (I'm a MTBer myself) and I kept on calling my dog to follow me onto the other track. The rider put on brakes and stopped when he got to my dog and shouted that my dog was out of control. I thought I'd possibly misheard what this idiot had stopped and squawked about, so I ran towards him and and asked him to repeat what he had said. It's so laughable when someone says something so absurd - he was obviously so out of control at the gentle pace he was rolling at that he couldn't even either cross onto the other track or ride for a meter in the grass to avoid my dog. Instead this flat-nosed, short-sh*t (I suspect that's where his aggression stems from!) stops and spews such tripe! I was so taken aback by such an unfounded allegation but simultaneously floored by the incredible anger this short P syndrome guy displayed, I could just comment on a little bit of aggression coming through, turned around and carried on running. He pretended to scare me by turning around on his bike and saying something about "fight like a man", which is nonsensical, because I have obvious female characterisics, and I'm not only referring to a pony tail sticking out from under my cap! I just carried on running my usual run and ignored him, but thought to myself how strange it was that all my friends warn me about running along the spruit saying it is dangerous because of all the vagrants there. What they didn't warn me about was the incredible aggression of some of our fellow spruit users who get their nappies/cycling chamois into a knot about absolutely buggerall! Endorphins obviously don't have the same effect on everybody, shame!