Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech in the fall and spring is a heaven to those students who like to run.

For some, nothing can beat that early morning jog or afternoon dash. And then there are those whose choose to do the opposite. Not run.

I am the latter. While I occasionally enjoy a brisk stroll, running is not something that I live to do.

More often, I would prefer to watch others run, like my roommates at Tech. If I ever I run for fun anywhere, for me, it’s the grocery store “run.”

While I was studying abroad in France this past year, I made that grocery store “run” about twice a week. By this I mean I would walk to the bus top, catch the bus to the tram, and finally take the tram to the grocery store. The return trip was the same, only backwards.

One day, I was wearing my normal grocery store attire: my large — and ever so French — lime green backpacking backpack. I had done some heavy shopping that day, and my back was packed to the limit. It was painfully heavy, but I was almost home, and as soon as I got off at the stop it was only a short walk to my apartment.

My friend Brandon had joined me that day for the grocery run. He and I were starving and ready to eat.

Finally, the bus arrived at my stop.

Brandon stepped off the bus onto the sidewalk and then into the street. I was right behind him but never made it quite that far.

I took one step of the bus, but before my other foot touched the ground, I was gone.

A few steps in front of me, all Brandon heard was a thud followed by a “whoosh!”

He quickly turned around to see what had happened, however, I was nowhere in sight.

I had been blindly attacked by a rouge jogger.

The jogger had been running next to the bus just as I stepped off. Our timing was perfect.

With his momentum, he slammed into my unbalanced torso and we went as one into the bus stop ten feet down the road.

Everything happened so fast. No one — not me, nor the runner, nor Brandon — knew what had happened.

The runner managed to steady me so I was upright, apologized, and then kept running. The whole incident was over in less than 10 seconds.

Before I knew it, the rouge runner was gone, and Brandon and I were left shaking our heads in confusion.

Those French are quick; what can I say. He may have even beat Tech’s Jess Trapeni’s 4:58 mile.

Runners, let this be a lesson. Always use caution when running next to the BT. You never know when unsuspecting passengers may feel the need to get off the bus.

A version of this article appeared in the Jun 10 issue of the Collegiate Times.