The National Park Service has a very stern recommendation for those going out on hiking trips: "Friends Don't Use Friends As Bear Bait."
As more and more people are out enjoying the treasures of nature in this COVID time, the National Park Service wanted to issue some friendly reminders of the "do's and dont's" of a potential bear encounter. At the top of their list, "Please don’t run from bears or push your slower friends down in attempts of saving yourself."
Matt Bien praised the NPS for their sound advice on Facebook writing, "As a friend who constantly gets taken along as ‘bait’, you have no idea how much I appreciate this post! The life you save may be my own! -- Keep up the great work!!!"