Running Can Get You Arrested

During my joggling run tonight I came to a street light and paused. I looked left and there was no one coming. As I turned to look right, a man came up behind me and said, “Come on man, we can make it.”

Without looking I just followed his lead. He wasn’t joggling but I figured if he could make it, we both could. We made it halfway and had to stop. There were a couple of cars coming from the right.

The reckless walker of whom I was a disciple, ran right in front of the first car. This was too risky for me so I stopped. (Stopped juggling too). As I let the car go by me, I saw the next car slowing down. This car was a police car. I passed in front of it and the cop gave me a dirty look. I started thinking that if they felt like it they could easily stop me and give me a ticket for jay walking or going through a red light or something. Somehow, I didn’t think they’d find the joggling amusing.

Those fears heightened when I saw the car pull up alongside me. I kept looking forward and joggling along. The police slowed but they continued on ahead. They’d give no tickets for illegal joggling today. I was lucky and have now vowed not to joggle out into busy intersections without checking both ways!

When I got back, I read the following story that proves not every runner is as lucky with the law as I was today. According to news reports, two people from a New Haven running group (Hash House Harriers) have been arrested for a bioterrorism scare. Apparently, they were spreading flour to direct runners into an IKEA parking lot. Store officials thought it was something like Anthrax and they called the police. When the runners went back and explained it was flour, the police arrested them. They now face felony first-degree breach of peace.

No word on whether any of the runners were joggling.