Thanks to the two selfish joggers photographed who were jogging towards me side by side spaced as in the photo down Honor Oak road this morning…they were chatting to each other as they ran and I had to flatten myself against a wall to get even a foot between me and the young lady on the left. It was only when I shouted “Thanks a lot!!” That they looked up in surprise and seeing the road was clear ran over to the other side when I took this photo.
Thanks also to the couple walking Down London road side by side with Sainsbury’s bags in each hand… no attempt to move single file I stood right on the edge of the kerb and still the guy passed literally inches away from me. Because they make you stand 2m away from strangers waiting outside Sainsbury doesn’t mean the rules don’t apply outside the queue and on the pavement.
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I have same issue when I am out it’s the same for the bicycle riders you can use legs to stop like us walkers do!! I also get the part of I am on a roll but still. Sorry hope I made sense typing on a mobile version here.
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So far on this thread, there are selfish joggers, selfish cyclists and selfish walkers. The only beacon of hope is @Londondrz with his patient driving.
We’re all human so we probably all fall into at least one of these groups on a daily basis. Some people are genuinely just less spatially aware than others and we are all having to change the habits of a lifetime; all we can all do is our best to follow the guidelines. If you can’t remind someone in the moment to give you space, don’t waste your energy getting riled up although I appreciate that’s easier said than done. I’ve had to count to 10 a few times.
Incidentally, in normal days when I’m cycling to work and a driver passes too closely, I’ve had better responses when I’ve entered a conversation telling them that it felt a bit closer rather than assuming they were trying to kill me. They tend to react less defensively. Suspect the same might be true if there is the opportunity here to ask for more space.
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Don’t worry, I reversed over her! 
Only kidding. The delay meant I had a lovely slow drive in the sun.
The more time not being shut in a house or flat the better
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It is probably be best to go out prepared, whether you are a walker, cyclist, jogger or murderous country lane car driver. Be ready to scream, “TWO METERS!!!”, at all times should anyone get within even four meters of you.
If you aren’t prepared, you’ll either say nothing or say something rude, so the personal-space-infringer won’t change their behavior.
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I thought the BBC advice is to take a broom with you to politely push people away if they are too close:
Or maybe I’ve mis-read that 
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I went out for a brief walk on Saturday. Not many people about and not much traffic so I was able to cross over the road if I needed to avoid people. But when my attention was on the people approaching from the front, a sweaty, puffy woman still managed to barge into me when overtaking. I didn’t see her coming, she was so fast.
So much as I want to, I doubt I’ll go out again. I’m not a scaredy cat type person. I’ve been in hazardous situations, but you do your risk assessment and make a judgment. There are too many idiots around over whom we have no control.
Yesterday even weeding the pavement side of the front border was a challenge, watching the pavement all the time and dodging back onto the drive whenever some inattentive person came shambling up. It’s a steep hill and seems to attract runners and heavy breathers. One female runner was just going up and down the hill repeatedly, treating it as her personal exercise track. It’s a pavement! She made no effort to accommodate anyone else.
And why do so many people have to take their exercise on headphones or looking at their mobile phones while walking? Even families out walking together are giving their full attention to texting while strewn all across the pavement and not attending to their children who are often many yards ahead or trailing way behind. Why go out at all if they’re not going to appreciate the moment and pay due attention to their surroundings?
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As well as all the reasons you give, cycling in the pavement is illegal, unless you are a child, so whether experienced or not, adult cyclists still need to be on the road. But many of the side roads are pretty quiet for practicing on.
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Yes I know its illegal but now more than the usual amount of adult cyclists seem to be using our pavements which with the roads so much quieter then usual just beggars belief
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There are so many aren’t there? The worst was on Saturday. We were walking back from shopping via Peckham Rye and Forest Hill road when an entire family - parents and two teenagers, cycled two abreast towards us on the pavement forcing us and two elderly ladies in in front of us to dive in to the road.
To add to an already astonishing situation the father had a large dog on a long lead as he cycled along.
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The only strategy that ensures people keep distance while I’m out for a walk is to cough into my elbow and cover my mouth with my top just before people approach. Most stay well clear after seeing that!
Sad that it has to come to that but I see it as more dangerous when joggers breath heavily as they run past me, rather than someone casual walking near me at 2m distance but for twice the time.
To add to this, please keep dogs on leads, long leads in a park. If dogs make contact with each other and then your stroke your dog at home, you are putting yourself and others at risk.
I had an incident with a woman wearing a face mask who’s dog was harassing mine, I had to pull her dog off mine (contact) and then wait for her to approach into my space (contact), where she then decided to pull the mask down (contact) to tell me to leave her dog alone!
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This might be of interest:
Interesting research from the Netherlands about social distancing and droplets in the slipstream of people in motion.
Social Distancing v2.0: During Walking, Running and Cycling,
There is guidance on how to overtake safely from the pov of the overtaker protecting themselves, but not telling them not to cut in too soon for the sake of the poor sod they’re leaving in their spit laden slipstream.
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I’ve been told I’m high risk, but had up till now been out twice for a walk (carefully social distancing & covering my face) & I walked to Lewisham & back on Thursday. But I’m nit going out anymore, the walk to Lewisham & back did it for me; people were just ambling about, & I really had to keep out of their way! I agree about the joggers, runners, & cyclists on the pavements, they think pedestrians should step out of the way, so I’m confining myself to barracks, I have a lovely garden, so that’s good enough for me, for now…
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Conversely, I went out for a jog at 8pm tonight in the Perry Vale area, ran down the middle of the empty road to avoid people on pavements. Didn’t stop one unpleasant lady shouting “Can’t you f&£@ing do that somewhere else!” Charming. I was at least five metres away and had been out my house thirty seconds.
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Would you be able to share the source of that quote? I’ve not been able to download the paper in English.
I have the white paper as a pdf but can’t work out how to post it.
But if you cut and paste this phrase …
Social Distancing v2.0: During Walking, Running and Cycling
… That should take you to a pdf download page.
Thanks! For some reason I’m not able to download it, but I guess I’m not the only one who’s trying just now so will give it a go later.