Depending on the vibe I get, I have done one of two things
- Explain what I am doing. And that seems to be enough.
- Yell for “Fido” and ask if they have seen a little white dog. “It’s my wife’s dog.” (FYI - I don’t own a dog) and vacate ASAP.
My brush with the law: After doing option 1, I later learned he called the police on me. I was actually in a gated community, but the gates are only for cars. Sidewalks are not gated. I explained to the officer what I was doing, and that was the end of it. No problem. I did have my run club shirt on (local brewery), so that helped. Now I always Stride with a run related shirt, which reminds me of this: Merch/Fundraising Idea - #14 by ericjrw
PS. I am a white male.