Joggers vs. Cars: ‘Don’t Splatter Your Blood on My Chrome’

I almost killed a woman jogger a few days ago. I was driving on a quiet street in San Marino at 8:30 on a crisp weekend morning, going about 25 mph, just blocks from home. I was relaxed, listening to a favorite old song on the radio.

As I drove around a curve, suddenly I was about to run over a woman jogging down the middle of the street. Luckily my brakes and reflexes worked. I braked, swerved and missed the woman by a few feet. Our close call was over. We did not speak. She jogged west as I drove east. I was shaken, angry, but relieved I did not play a part in a tragedy.

Why aren’t pedestrians afraid of cars anymore? Cars are smaller than they used to be, but they still weigh thousands of pounds and go much faster than pedestrians. Force equals mass times velocity, so if my 3,000-pound car going 25 mph hit this jogger, my car’s paint would be scratched and sheet metal dented. She would be maimed, paralyzed or dead. In this war the foot soldiers lose to the car-tanks every time.

What do joggers gain by fighting with cars for space in the street. Avoiding shin splints? Asphalt streets are softer than concrete sidewalks, but grass parkways and foam insoles are softer still. Is this danger-seeking behavior merely a macho death-wish? Yet seemingly sensible middle-aged women, no doubt with jobs and family responsibilities, are running in the middle of the street.

I want joggers, runners, walkers and bicycle riders to stay out of the middle of the road where cars and trucks are supposed to drive. My request should impose no hardship. For years I have walked, jogged or run on tracks, parks and sidewalks without ill effect. While few tickets are written for jogging in the street, self-interest should stop the unarmored from venturing into the roadway. You cannot benefit from healthy exercise if you are run over by a car. Dying while exercising is just too ironic.

To those still-unconvinced joggers, please consider the advantages of suicide in the privacy and comfort of your own home rather than in a bloody mess on a dirty street. Also please note that I did not volunteer to assist in your demise. Do not splatter your blood and mangled flesh on my chrome or my conscience. Be considerate.

I am glad I did not kill or injure the jogger. Surely she is a decent person, someone’s mother, daughter, wife, employee, friend. Her death would end not just one life, but injure me, my family and many in our community.

This is a cry for help. I am going to drive again. Don’t make me kill.