Miami Man Cited For Running Backwards
He was doing it on the street.
He was doing it on the street.
Just when you thought that this is a free country for runners, someone like Alex Mesa comes along.
According to a report in the Miami Herald, the Florida resident received a ticket for running backwards.
The 44-year-old had been out on a 5-mile run when police arrived and cited him for “obstructing traffic.”
His fine: $77.50.
“People honk, wave, drive next to me and ask questions,” Mesa said. “They give me high-fives, scream my name and cheer me on.”
Police say that Mesa’s problem isn’t that he’s running backwards; it’s that he’s doing it on the street.
“You can run backwards, forwards, sideways, on a bike or on a skateboard, but you cannot obstruct traffic,” said Miami Beach Police Sgt. Bobby Hernandez. “He was running in between traffic, and the officers were afraid he was going to cause an accident.”
Mesa says he’s been doing it for six years now with no problems.
For More: Miami Herald