I was offended when a state official showed up at a recent Saturday morning Manito Running Club gathering and used the phrase that is the title of this blog post. He made us feel like we’re bottom-feeding, low-life scum ruining things for everyone.

He said that beside being famous for taking up the entire road and forcing cars aside, we are causing higher taxes for everyone and ruining transportation infrastructure.

Since this became an issue, I’ve been cursed a half dozen times while running. The anger and condemnation is out of proportion.

What’s happening is many runners wear studded shoes or attachments in snowy conditions to improve traction. Below are a couple photos of these.

Apparently, these implements are tearing up our streets (and sidewalks) the way studded snow tires do, but with worse effects. The state DOT website shows damage we’re supposedly causing in the Spokane area alone.

Cora Street, a very popular route for runners, at the beginning of winter.

The same section of Cora at present.

The sidewalk above, photographed last spring, leads to a park popular with runners.

The same sidewalk today.

The governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, held a news conference, widely broadcast, in which he urged runners to stop wearing their traction implements. The spending to repair runner-caused damage has skyrocketed. The state budget is in turmoil, and large tax increases will be needed unless the damage stops now.

(Photo by NPR)

The Manito Running Club has decided to abandon its tradition of meeting at the park, avoiding roads and sidewalks to run on trails at Riverside State Park.

After only one run, a state park official showed up at our next gathering with the below photo. He began his address with, “Listen to me, you worthless runners!”

On a positive note, the Manito Running Club has been hired at very good pay to run single file for a few miles along Highway 2 north of town. A construction company is saving a lot of money hiring us instead of digging a trench for new sewer and water lines.