My topic this week is running. No, I am not going to write about rocker Toon Bodyslam and his "Forrest Gump" long-distance running campaign. But please don't run away from this column just yet.
Some readers may raise their eyebrows to find out that running has become a phenomenal hit activity in the Land of Smiles. There are more than 500 running events held every single year. Last Sunday there were 11 held across the country.
Bangkok, notorious for its traffic congestion, has emerged as one of the most popular running venues in the kingdom.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.
It is mostly viewed that running tournaments present a huge economic opportunity for the city to promote its tourism and local business. But for ordinary runners, like myself, it is a chance to temporarily reclaim road space and pavements from motorists. Tournaments offer people the chance to run without having to worry about unfriendly cars, food shops, and motorcycle taxi queues which rob city people of road space and footpaths. Space for walking is so scarce in Bangkok, let alone space for running.
Despite my plump belly and a lot of extra weight, I am proud to say I am among the runners who have attended quite a few tournaments in recent years. Forgetting my embarrassing performance -- crawling pace and heart rate which beats like a patient in a cardiac ward, it's one of my favourite events.
My favourite running route is the Rama VIII Bridge, a connecting stretch from Boromratchonnanee Road across the Chao Phraya River to the old quarter.
In running events, police usually close off traffic from early Sunday morning and let the army of runners occupy the area until noon. I love running (or crawling to be precise) towards the finishing line at Rama VIII Bridge. The area is full of energetic runners (and some wannabes). Such gatherings give an alternative view of the area which on normal days is full of cars that hardly move, discharging smoke from their exhaust pipes. But the runners -- what a healthy sight. Unfortunately, that might become a thing of the past.
Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy commissioner Chiraphat Phumchit said running events in the inner city might be banned. He said this after it was apparent the Rama VIII Bridge experienced severe garbage problems when the popular Bangkok Marathon was over last Sunday.
After the event finished early in the afternoon, police could not immediately reopen the road as an enormous amount of rubbish had been strewn in the area.
Pol Maj Gen Chiraphat said police might allow running events to be held in allocated zones in suburbs of Bangkok to avoid sparking traffic problems in inner-city areas (despite the fact that most running tournaments usually take place on Sunday mornings!)
I understand the predicament. Even though I am a faithful runner, I admit many of the running events could have been better managed.
Running tournaments generate enormous piles of garbage, especially paper and plastic cups used by ever-thirsty runners.
From my own experience, I have thrown away about 10 plastic and paper cups while running a 10-kilometre distance, not to mention the packages of snacks I munched along the way.
But pushing runners out of the city is not the way to tackle the problem. This strategy misses the point. Apart from destroying a chance to promote healthy activity, it sends the wrong message that cars are the champions and human feet must give way. That is an outdated concept about city space.
Under the "liveable city" concept widely adopted by metropolitan cities, cars are no longer the kings of the road that subdue other users, especially those involved with public activities. Cities such as Paris have introduced car-free days while road closures for public activities such as street fairs and running events have become more popular and more frequent.
If garbage is the problem, deal with it. Encourage the organisers as well as runners to reduce the waste, and be more responsible. Traffic jams will not be an issue if warnings are given beforehand, so motorists can avoid the routes. Relocating runners means we transfer the problem to other areas.
The authorities should allot more public space, or even close roads, at whatever times possible, to allow people to use it for their leisure activities -- running, cycling, skateboarding, or more street fairs. And like running tournaments, organisers of such activities must learn to be more responsible.
Those failing to act responsibly must be shown the exit.