Being patronised in the UK over Paddy's day

pretty boy floyd

This is my first post on here after much lurking..so go easy.

Anyways the reason I am threading is to ask what people think about the following. We do a regular organised 5k run round the local park (in SE England) every Saturday morning, ParkRun, for people who know the type of thing. Every year at this time they do it supposedly in honour of Ireland and St Patrick's. A lot of people wear green, which is fine, but they run the laps of the wrong way round the park! I find this somewhat patronising and irritating.

I am from Dundalk (I'm not sure why I think this is relevant!) and sometimes think I should get over myself and see the humour, but I dont think it shows great wit and I am annoyed by the tired implication that we Irish are stupid. I'm sure the people running the run would be horrified if they knew Irish people would feel like this...what do you think?

bjork

What are they making you patron saint of?
I hope it's something good


Why don't you contact you're local paper screaming discrimination and racism?

Dyr

Hold a St Georges run

Go to a park up the road, completely wreck it and then complain when the people who used that park have to now come to your park

Harry Palmr

Is there a wrong way round when running round a park track? What have you got against clockwise?

pretty boy floyd

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Is there a wrong way round when running round a park track? What have you got against clockwise?

...It goes one way every other week....hundreds of people doing it...but for Paddy's they go what is described as 'the wrong way' round

mackeire

bjork wrote:

What are they making you patron saint of?
I hope it's something good

The patron saint of running laps of a park in the right direction

suicide_circus

Facking Paddys

Timberrrrrrrr

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

...It goes one way every other week....hundreds of people doing it...but for Paddy's they go what is described as 'the wrong way' round

So boycott the run and if anyone asks why then explain that you don't appreciate the "backwards Irish" insinuation.

tomwaterford

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

...It goes one way every other week....hundreds of people doing it...but for Paddy's they go what is described as 'the wrong way' round

Pretend to be a terrorist and just leave rug sacks randomly about the place

To Elland Back

Would ye ever stop giving a damn what the Brits say? It's our National Day

conorh91

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

they run the laps of the wrong way round the park! I find this somewhat patronising and irritating.

Maybe they're just doing it as a change of routine?

The same run, around the same park, in the same direction (EVERY Saturday?) sounds incredibly boring (sorry).

I don't think the British usually view Irish people as stupid. There probably is some perception, on account of historical relations between our two countries, that we are contrary and dissident by our nature. There is probably some truth in that to be fair!

Wacker The Attacker

sure be jaysus begorrah we'll have a race be god

doodly eidle doodle di

marco_polo

No offense OP but this is too trivial to even meet the qualifing standards for first world problem.

bjork

http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/****off_harrods1.jpg

pretty boy floyd

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

So boycott the run and if anyone asks why then explain that you don't appreciate the "backwards Irish" insinuation.

I'm sure they'd really miss me

Timberrrrrrrr

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

I'm sure they'd really miss me

It will get your point across better than complaining on a site they more than likely don't even know exists.

HeidiHeidi

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

...It goes one way every other week....hundreds of people doing it...but for Paddy's they go what is described as 'the wrong way' round

People calling St. Patrick's Day "Paddy's day" is what annoys me.

Just thought I'd mention that.

As for people running the "wrong way" - have you asked them why they do it, or have you just decided it's because they see the Irish as stupid and this is their way of letting you know? Maybe they just think it's a fun(ny) thing to do, and there's nothing more to it?

bjork

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

I'm sure they'd really miss me

Get a sign saying "down with this sort of thing" and stand at the finish line

Wacker The Attacker

Have a real park event. GO SKANGER DRINKING WITH DUTCHIES AND LINDEN VILLAGE

Duckworth_Luas

Show up in a bowler hat and sash and demand they take the "traditional route"

Smiles35

Train hard op. Lap them twice. Eye of the tiger.

Gongoozler

I wasn't aware that people think of Irish people as stupid.

I guess it's what you make of it.

corner of hells

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

Have a real park event. GO SKANGER DRINKING WITH DUTCHIES AND LINDEN VILLAGE

Mmmmm ..... Linden Village.

Eugene Norman

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

It will get your point across better than complaining on a site they more than likely don't even know exists.

He's asking whether it's an annoying thing to do. It is.

If we had races which we reversed direction on Indian independence day because, well, the Indians are a bit thick ( we imply) it probably would irk a few people from the sub- continent.

mackeire

Here's an idea, just run the right way around the park and let the rest of them go the other way.

It can be your way to protest.

Eugene Norman

Gongoozler wrote: »

I wasn't aware that people think of Irish people as stupid.

I guess it's what you make of it.

Interesting what is historically forgotten and remembered.

pretty boy floyd

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

People calling St. Patrick's Day "Paddy's day" is what annoys me.

Just thought I'd mention that.

As for people running the "wrong way" - have you asked them why they do it, or have you just decided it's because they see the Irish as stupid and this is their way of letting you know? Maybe they just think it's a fun(ny) thing to do, and there's nothing more to it?

Yeah I'm sure people just think it's funny...but why is it funny?

bjork

Do this

HeidiHeidi

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

Yeah I'm sure people just think it's funny...but why is it funny?

I have not the foggiest idea - but you're fairly jumping to conclusions about it!

Desolation Of Smug

I now want a rug sack. I've none, I feel the rugs may be suffering as a result.

pretty boy floyd

Eugene Norman wrote: »

He's asking whether it's an annoying thing to do. It is.

If we had races which we reversed direction on Indian independence day because, well, the Indians are a bit thick ( we imply) it probably would irk a few people from the sub- continent.

That's my point...I don't want to be all po faced...but when I was explaining it to my 9 year old son this morning, I thought I don't like the implication. I do recognise that in the whole scheme of things it is trivial...but I thought it would interesting to see what people on here thought.

Mal-Adjusted

Is there actually a right and wrong way around a running track?

Fratton Fred

A lot of the park run locations do their courses in reverse at different times of the year. It has **** all to do with anything Irish. Yours just happen to do it in March.

Just wait until someone reminds you that Patrick was born and raised in the west Midlands or Wales before being "stolen" by Irish slave traders.
Technically, he should be the patron saint of England & Wales. :pac


/ducks :P

pretty boy floyd

Fratton Fred wrote: »

A lot of the park run locations do their courses in reverse at different times of the year. It has **** all to do with anything Irish. Yours just happen to do it in March.

They make the announcement that next week people should wear green for st Patricks day and we'll all run round the route in reverse direction...cue laughs

Maybe I should just go along with it and stop taking myself too seriously :-)

LDN_Irish

You're overthinking this. It's just a coincidence.

And an "irish waterfall" is just a randomly allocated name for a "french inhale."

SaveOurLyric

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

This is my first post on here after much lurking..so go easy.

Anyways the reason I am threading is to ask what people think about the following. We do a regular organised 5k run round the local park (in SE England) every Saturday morning, ParkRun, for people who know the type of thing. Every year at this time they do it supposedly in honour of Ireland and St Patrick's. A lot of people wear green, which is fine, but they run the laps of the wrong way round the park! I find this somewhat patronising and irritating.

I am from Dundalk (I'm not sure why I think this is relevant!) and sometimes think I should get over myself and see the humour, but I dont think it shows great wit and I am annoyed by the tired implication that we Irish are stupid. I'm sure the people running the run would be horrified if they knew Irish people would feel like this...what do you think?

While most English people will have a good natured josh at you on Patty's day, there is still an underlying racial discrimination attitude with some, for whom 'a bit Irish' is a lingering legacy from their imperial days and widespread denigration of the backward Irish.

Fading away though. I wouldnt worry about it too much.

Precious flower

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

People calling St. Patrick's Day "Paddy's day" is what annoys me.

Just thought I'd mention that.

As for people running the "wrong way" - have you asked them why they do it, or have you just decided it's because they see the Irish as stupid and this is their way of letting you know? Maybe they just think it's a fun(ny) thing to do, and there's nothing more to it?

Same! Can't stand it! It's St. Patrick's day or it's nothing.

Precious flower

Deleted User wrote: »

Just wait until someone reminds you that Patrick was born and raised in the west Midlands or Wales before being "stolen" by Irish slave traders.
Technically, he should be the patron saint of England & Wales. :pac


/ducks :P

Yeah we kidnapped him and then when he escaped he was told by God to come back and save the savage pagan Irish and their unchristian ways! He's the whole reason the feckin' Catholic Church got it's fangs in Ireland and ruined us!

Buona Fortuna

OP you have to make a stand. While they're running the wrong way round, you should set off in the opposite, correct. direction.

Then think of some obscene remark to make as you pass each other half way round.

bee06

Precious flower wrote: »

Same! Can't stand it! It's St. Patrick's day or it's nothing.

Me too! And don't get me started on Patty's Day.

OP, who cares if they think Irish people are stupid. Just because people think things doesn't make it true.

Buona Fortuna

Precious flower wrote: »

Same! Can't stand it! It's St. Patrick's day or it's nothing.

I'm withya "Nothing" sounds great to me

HeidiHeidi

bee06 wrote: »

Me too! And don't get me started on Patty's Day.

OP, who cares if they think Irish people are stupid. Just because people think things doesn't make it true.

Patty's (day) just brought me out in a rash :eek:

Nodin

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Patty's (day) just brought me out in a rash :eek:

You and patty need to have a chat with a GP.

fleet_admiral

Banch ah cants

jockeyboard

Oooh potato

Eugene Norman

Precious flower wrote: »

Yeah we kidnapped him and then when he escaped he was told by God to come back and save the savage pagan Irish and their unchristian ways! He's the whole reason the feckin' Catholic Church got it's fangs in Ireland and ruined us!

Oh the first few centuries of (celtic) Catholic ireland were rather decent.

pretty boy floyd

Precious flower wrote: »

Same! Can't stand it! It's St. Patrick's day or it's nothing.

I have to say I agree...not sure why I called it Paddy's day

HeidiHeidi

the groutch wrote: »

Turn up in an Irish rugby jersey for good measure

As long as he's not living in Wales :eek:

pretty boy floyd

pretty boy floyd wrote: »

I have to say I agree...not sure why I called it Paddy's day

How many Patrick's do you know who have had their names shortened to Paddy?

pretty boy floyd

Deleted User wrote: »

How many Patrick's do you know who have had their names shortened to Paddy?

Funny enough I am one...and I don't...Pat it is