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Woman Explains Her Decision To Drive Across Plymouth Half Marathon Course

Woman Explains Her Decision To Drive Across Plymouth Half Marathon Course

Whatever way you cut it, it still doesn't come across as a good idea

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Remember yesterday we told you about the woman who drove straight onto the race course at a half marathon in Plymouth City Centre on Sunday morning?

How could you forget? She was very angry at being made late for an incredibly important workshop by a load of inconsiderate runners and the roads that had been closed for them.

Well, in the interest of balance, she has now told her side of the story to the Plymouth Herald.

First off, Joanna Pine is a 66-year-old retired counsellor and physiotherapist. She is also well known for her work as a human rights activist and poet, so it's possible that her actions are slightly out of character to say the least.

However, her actions the other day prompted quite a bit of anger from the runners - which is understandable, you'd have to say - and from the people that arrived on the scene to shut her down.

SWNS

She admitted that her actions were 'in some ways a stupid thing to do'.

Ms Pine said that she felt 'trapped' and became stressed by the fact that she was unable to drive out of her house to get to an event that she was relied upon to be at because all of the roads around her area were closed for the race.

She went on to say that she waited for a gap in the runners (not sure it works like that) before edging out into the road.

She told the Plymouth Herald: "I was trying to be careful and I felt trapped. No one was listening to me or trying to help me. I was going at 1mph and inching out."

Apparently, she also felt threatened by a group of onlookers who were trying to tell her not to drive out into the middle of the race. It's not a nice feeling, admittedly, but something you've got to get used to if you're going to run this kind of caper.

The events were filmed by a runner and showed several of the competitors trying to stop her getting into the road, and then remonstrating with her as she went right ahead and did just that.

Ms Pine also said that in previous years she had received a leaflet through her door advising of what to do to make sure she could get out ahead of the race. She says that did not happen this year.

SWNS

Let's let her take it from here.

She said: "I came out at 8.45am to pick up a friend and go to a (writing) workshop in Okehampton.

"The roads were closed and I was thinking 'how am I going to get out?'

"I went down all the roads, some even the wrong way but every one was blocked - I was totally trapped.

"So I came back to Hawkers Avenue and sat there for a good 10 minutes. There was no one there, no officials down there at all. So I got out and moved a couple of bollards.

"A gentleman from Mariners Court came out and said it was ridiculous and that no one could get out.

"I then slowly edged out a little bit to see how many runners were coming and no runners were coming down.

"A gentleman came over and I thought he was a marshal. I was going to ask if there was an opportunity to get to the other side of the road and get to Exeter Street, but as I went to say that he aggressively said to stop the car and that I had no right to be there and didn't want to listen to me.

SWNS

She added: "He said he would take my keys, and he tried to open the car, but he turned out not to be an official.

"I was just trying to look for a gap big enough to get across the road. As I started to move I saw a gap and thought I could probably get across.

"But I was surrounded by Joe Public, they were abusive, banging the car, pushing the car, one guy kicked the car. They caused potentially more problems than not."

All of this could have been avoided if there had been a leaflet through her door - or if she'd just not tried to drive across a closed road where a race was going on.

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: News, Car, UK