geoffs@brl-tgr.ARPA (Geoffrey Sauerborn ) (04/10/85)
Has any one ever been jogging (running) and been nearly killed or at least hit by an auto (truck/car/motorcycle)? BTW this includes hits or near misses with projectiles (beer-bottles,trash,cups-of-water...). I usually try to make sure I am facing the traffic when I run on the roads. One reason is that this is usually the law (pedestrians against the traffic, bicycles with the traffic). Another reason is it is the safest for the runner - you can see that some clown is about to run you off the road and you MIGHT be able to dive head-long into poison ivy in time to avoid being killed! I don't think this is very funny. A lot of joggers are killed by hit-and-runs, drugged drivers, and accidental collision; but I wonder how many of these were when the driver thought he'd be cute and scare the jogger? The incident might be reported as an accident - but who is to know that it started as a JOKE? Yesterday some fool, laughing the whole time, swung across to the far lane, then swerved right back making a bee line for me. I managed to jump off the road (this time). I wonder what is going on in the heads of these maniacs. Geoff S.
sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (04/11/85)
> Has any one ever been jogging (running) and been nearly killed or at > least hit by an auto (truck/car/motorcycle)? BTW this includes hits or > near misses with projectiles (beer-bottles,trash,cups-of-water...). > > Yesterday some fool, laughing the whole time, swung across to the far > lane, then swerved right back making a bee line for me. I managed to > jump off the road (this time). I wonder what is going on in the heads > of these maniacs. > Geoff S. This is the sport of joggering, described in HHGttN: Arnold Lint: How could a group like that command such a strong node? Xaphod: Well, the sudden popularity of Jogging induced widespread adoption of the principles of Single-ism. The subsequent rise of the sport of 'Joggering' reduced the numbers of Singularans to normal size. It appears that they may be making a come back though. [The "Hitch Hikers Guide to the Net" defines 'Joggering' as a sport originated in Australia to combat the sudden drop in productivity caused by having everybody jogging. Australian champion Bruce Karnage describes the sport: "Well, there is a different way of catching both male and female joggers. If it's a male, you flush him out into the open with cigarette smoke, then chase him down in your 4 x 4 Land Rover. When he's tired, bump him with the fender to stun him momentarily. Then get out and with your driver pick him up by all fours and run him head-first into the side of the truck. If it's a female, bait a likely spot with designer jogging wear and then wait for a flock to arrive. When one becomes interested, sneak up behind her, very quietly. Then when you are about two feet away, and you can see the sun dancing on her richly tanned flesh carressing her well toned figure into a visual symphony of delight, split her skull with a handy two-by-four. It's a lovely sport!" The sport later became known as 'Walkmaning'.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- (The source of the sound now comes into view. The first thing seen is a group of seven joggers, of various ages, sexes, and creeds, running for all they are worth. Close on their heels are two blokes in a Land Rover, they each wield a large club and a large can of beer. They are, in fact, none other than Australian Joggering champions Bruce Karnage and Bruce Bludletter.) Bruce: Here Bruce, get closer and I'll get another. Bruce: Right Bruce. Bruce: Naw, closer, Bruce. Bruce: Pass me a beer, Bruce. Bruce: Right Bruce. (The Land Rover approaches the slowest jogger and Bruce pockets him in the corner with a polo-like shot to the head, causing little bits of brain to spurt out his ears.) Bruce: That was lovely, Bruce! Bruce: Thank you, Bruce. (The joggers and the joggerers depart, the racket follows them, as well it should.) Rod: That was great, what a shot. Arnold Lint: That was awful, how viscious and cruel. Martin: I don't know, I almost enjoyed it. Gillian: What do they call that. Zaphod: That's joggering, lovely sport. Rod: Let's go already. Arnold Lint: What a savage Net we live in. -- {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)