Sad about last two rides.....

[TaraBara]

Lets start out by my ride last evening. I was riding my bike on a beautiful evening. I came around a corner and in the distance I see a woman with two dogs on a leash. I can see she is pulling her dogs to her side and sitting them down. I am going slow so she has time to do whatever it is she's trying to do. I then approach and realize her black lab is snarling, foaming at the mouth, snapping, and lunges for me. The woman was pulled down on the ground her dogs dragging her! This dog is snapping with hair straight up and I am 2ft from this dog. She very much almost lost the leash. I road past and said, "Oh my God!!! Oh my God!!! You have no control of the dog. This is dangerous!!!" As I am pulling away she screams at me, "There's a leash law I'm within my rights!!!" I continue on and my heart pounding. I was soooo scared. What do you all think? I had a nightmare last night about it. I was very lucky it could have turned out so different.

Then today, this incident being less scary but seemingly annoying. Let me start by saying I am a very cautious and courteous person. Or at least I believe so..... maybe I'm not? Ignorance is bliss right? I was out on a bike trail that is extremely busy Saturday mornings with hundreds of bikes, walkers, roller bladers, boarders, you name it they are there. Many people ride much faster than I do and certainly take bigger risks than I. So rounding a corner I come up on a elderly couple walking. They are taking up two thirds of the bike path and leave one third for oncoming bikers which are coming and prevent me from passing. I am behind them I slow almost to a stop and say "On your left" they do no move....I think maybe they are hard of hearing ( I mean that in no way to be offensive but some people can't hear well) So I repeat it and not shouting but definitely louder.... the guy turns I am now moving at a walking pace and says. Do you expect me to get off the road!!! ????....SLOW DOWN!!! Meanwhile the biker who is oncoming whizzes by 20 mph or so. I'm going walking speed. His wife smacks him. I tell him... I basically stopped for you I'm sorry. I mean all he had to do was step behind his wife and by no means would have chased him off the road. I ride single file with my biking friend to accommodate others. Is it so much to ask to just keep people safe? This sounds so much less like a big deal as I'm writing but if you were there you have thought a bike trail wasn't for bikers.

As I said, it was a sad couple of rides. Ugh....my heart is pounding just writing about it. It wont stop me....nothing is gonna get between me and my Ebike!!!

 

[DaveMatthews]

Fact...
Some people are stupid...

 

[AlanDB]

and … some stupid people are also jerks! It seems like you encountered a couple of them.

 

[DDBB]

You made a mistake with the older couple.. The correct thing to say is "to your left" not "on your left". We have a large afghan hound and he chases anything that moves including leaves. He's never pulled me off my feet though and he's always under control. If that lady couldn't safely control her dog she had no business being on a multi use path with it.. The old guy who told you to slow down was the person being rude, not you.. On our last MUP ride we came up on an older couple riding acoustic bikes. The lady was behind her husband and riding right in the middle of the path. I waited for a clear sight line to pass her and did so as far to the left as possible after ringing my bell several times with no response from her.. As I was about to pass I realized she had ear buds in. Then my wife passed her and when we stopped she said the lady was really mad that I passed her and was shaking her head etc. Oh well, you run into so many different people riding on MUPs your bound to run into some that are rude or have no common sense.. carry on

 

[DDBB]

I was joking about the "to your left" thing .... Don't be discouraged about what happened. I let an acoustic roadie pass me intentionally going up a hill so he could "win" and my thanks was him spitting next to my front wheel when he passed

 

[harryS]

I'm like you, Tarabara. A bad incident ruins the fun of a good ride.

Tonite I was on a regular bike, on the bike path. I see a guy in the right lane, dog on the other lane, and leash in the middle. This is an uphill stretch and since it's not my powered bike, I am at 8 mph coming up slow, jangling my bell. He doesn't move, and when I get close, I'm really slow and I speak up. "Bike on left. Can I get by?" The guy jumps and gives a mighty pull, which he didn't have to do, and drags that poor dog out of the left lane. I felt bad about that. Maybe his hearing was bad. I thought to pause an apologize for startling him, but maybe it was best just to get out of there. Plus a couple of fast bikes had just passed me earlier, and they didn't even give me any notice, so I wonder how they got past this guy.

I always ring when I want to pass. When I'm with my wife, she never rings. Says the bell is too far from her fingers. Oftwn I'll say, "second bike behind me". as I pass.

 

[TaraBara]

I was joking about the "to your left" thing .... Don't be discouraged about what happened. I let an acoustic roadie pass me intentionally going up a hill so he could "win" and my thanks was him spitting next to my front wheel when he passed

LOL....it was a couple rough days for sure. I have to say I'm a little salty about my fellow man. Ha .... I'll get over it. I'm middle aged I have half my life left to deal with humanity.

 

[TaraBara]

I'm like you, Tarabara. A bad incident ruins the fun of a good ride.

Tonite I was on a regular bike, on the bike path. I see a guy in the right lane, dog on the other lane, and leash in the middle. This is an uphill stretch and since it's not my powered bike, I am at 8 mph coming up slow, jangling my bell. He doesn't move, and when I get close, I'm really slow and I speak up. "Bike on left. Can I get by?" The guy jumps and gives a mighty pull, which he didn't have to do, and drags that poor dog out of the left lane. I felt bad about that. Maybe his hearing was bad. I thought to pause an apologize for startling him, but maybe it was best just to get out of there. Plus a couple of fast bikes had just passed me earlier, and they didn't even give me any notice, so I wonder how they got past this guy.

I always ring when I want to pass. When I'm with my wife, she never rings. Says the bell is too far from her fingers. Oftwn I'll say, "second bike behind me". as I pass.

Thanks Harry. I thought that lady was mean bringing her dogs out on the bike trail. It was clear her dogs were very unhappy to be there. Why do that to your dogs? Her giant black lab was clearly upset of any persons presence on that trail. How can that be good for your dog? As for the walking couple....I think he got his from his wife. She smacked him on the arm. I bet there was an argument over that. I think she was embarrassed. LOL

 

[steve mercier]

Thanks Harry. I thought that lady was mean bringing her dogs out on the bike trail. It was clear her dogs were very unhappy to be there. Why do that to your dogs? Her giant black lab was clearly upset of any persons presence on that trail. How can that be good for your dog? As for the walking couple....I think he got his from his wife. She smacked him on the arm. I bet there was an argument over that. I think she was embarrassed. LOL

Lets start out by my ride last evening. I was riding my bike on a beautiful evening. I came around a corner and in the distance I see a woman with two dogs on a leash. I can see she is pulling her dogs to her side and sitting them down. I am going slow so she has time to do whatever it is she's trying to do. I then approach and realize her black lab is snarling, foaming at the mouth, snapping, and lunges for me. The woman was pulled down on the ground her dogs dragging her! This dog is snapping with hair straight up and I am 2ft from this dog. She very much almost lost the leash. I road past and said, "Oh my God!!! Oh my God!!! You have no control of the dog. This is dangerous!!!" As I am pulling away she screams at me, "There's a leash law I'm within my rights!!!" I continue on and my heart pounding. I was soooo scared. What do you all think? I had a nightmare last night about it. I was very lucky it could have turned out so different.

Then today, this incident being less scary but seemingly annoying. Let me start by saying I am a very cautious and courteous person. Or at least I believe so..... maybe I'm not? Ignorance is bliss right? I was out on a bike trail that is extremely busy Saturday mornings with hundreds of bikes, walkers, roller bladers, boarders, you name it they are there. Many people ride much faster than I do and certainly take bigger risks than I. So rounding a corner I come up on a elderly couple walking. They are taking up two thirds of the bike path and leave one third for oncoming bikers which are coming and prevent me from passing. I am behind them I slow almost to a stop and say "On your left" they do no move....I think maybe they are hard of hearing ( I mean that in no way to be offensive but some people can't hear well) So I repeat it and not shouting but definitely louder.... the guy turns I am now moving at a walking pace and says. Do you expect me to get off the road!!! ????....SLOW DOWN!!! Meanwhile the biker who is oncoming whizzes by 20 mph or so. I'm going walking speed. His wife smacks him. I tell him... I basically stopped for you I'm sorry. I mean all he had to do was step behind his wife and by no means would have chased him off the road. I ride single file with my biking friend to accommodate others. Is it so much to ask to just keep people safe? This sounds so much less like a big deal as I'm writing but if you were there you have thought a bike trail wasn't for bikers.

As I said, it was a sad couple of rides. Ugh....my heart is pounding just writing about it. It wont stop me....nothing is gonna get between me and my Ebike!!!

This stuff will never stop happening because its a jungle out there. I carry dog spray ever since a Rottweiler bit my thigh, but I fear the day I have to use it. There is no spray for rude people. Keep your head up and the rubber side down and may the schwartz be with you.

 

[TAZMANIMAN]

Our throttle has come in handy for a couple of dog incidents! Also we have definitely run into rudeness and it can sometimes lead to very close calls. Everyone needs to be aware but that is simply not the case. I bought an electric siren for bicycles, it's not loud but when the bell is ignored the different noise of a police siren grabs attention. It also has an aaaooogah horn, laser noises and a race car noise for when I blow by my wife at 12mph!!

 

[DDBB]

Who says you can't use the pepper spray on people? If they won't get off the path, I see nothing wrong with a quick spritz when you are finally able to get by

 

[Marci jo]

TaraBara, so sorry you had a couple scary situations. I’m hoping that dog owner learns a lesson and gets her dog to training classes. And yes many times other users can hog the entire trail. I’ve been in situations where I simply stop and let others pass. Yay for good disc brakes!
Hang in there, it was annoying but no injuries.

 

[Marci jo]

Who says you can't use the pepper spray on people? If they won't get off the path, I see nothing wrong with a quick spritz when you are finally able to get by

Hope you were joking. That’s how incidents escalate. Who knows who has has a permit to carry a hidden weapon.

 

[DDBB]

Yes, I was joking but I DO carry pepper spray in my rack bag after too many close calls with loose dogs. I also dread actually having to use it sometime

 

[AHicks]

TaraBara, I get where you are coming from. By way of explanation, the idea of a mean Lab is almost funny. The idea of a dog protecting the boss is not so funny. That's something to be taken pretty seriously. What the dog did is almost instinctive. The problem is, these dogs in particular haven't been exposed to that scenario often enough for them to get used to the idea of somebody rushing by. They see you as an eagle sweeping down on it's prey! Prey they are supposed to be defending.....

There is NO doubt the woman was in the wrong, and had no right to shame you. This was ALL her fault if you are into finger pointing. Blame her and her lack of dog handling/training skill, not the dogs themselves. In the future, I would suggest you approach similar scenarios with great caution. You really don't know what's going to happen. Could be nothing, could be something like you just experienced, could be one of the dogs just deciding to sniff the side of the trail you're passing on! Then there's the "SQUIRREL!!!" scenario! Bottom line. Dogs (and young kids), especially big ones, need to be passed with a great amount of caution.

 

[TAZMANIMAN]

Also for the record most shared walkways state that the pedestrian does indeed have the right of way.

 

[Al P]

People who have dogs who are aggressive towards bikes or scooters have no business or right to bring them to places where they will encounter them. Yet some think they do.

Others are just inconsiderate and rude, and sadly, they walk among us.

 

[Over50]

...I then approach and realize her black lab is snarling, foaming at the mouth, snapping, and lunges for me. The woman was pulled down on the ground her dogs dragging her...

I'm not a dog owner but I've been surprised at how many times I've seen a dog owner lose control of his/her dog. I've seen large burly men struggle to contain their dog(s) and I've seen women and a teenage boy completely lose control of their dogs. Back when I lived in a condo I sometimes sat out on the front stoop with my two cats who would lay by my feet. I had them well-trained after years of leash training. My front stoop was well off of the street and public sidewalk. On a number of occasions, passing dog walkers completely lost control of their pooches when the pooches saw my kitties. A few times the dogs' intentions were friendly and it was just a matter of stepping in front of a tail-wagging over-sized puppy. But a few times the dogs were not friendly and intended harm. Among those instances I can think of a couple of times when the male dog owners were completely unapologetic, after the order was restored following a few moments of mayhem, and acted as if I was the one at fault (sitting on my property away from the street mind you). On bike, which I've recounted here on various threads, I've been chased by unleashed dogs. But I also have had leashed dogs make a run at me and they were successfully stopped by their owners. One was a police K-9. And, I was talking to a friend last night whose neighbor's poodle had a long road to recovery when a woman lost control of a pit bull she had rescued from a local shelter. The pit bull attacked the poodle and held it by the throat until it went unconscious. The mother of a good friend of mine broke her hip trying to protect her dog from two large dogs that broke away from their owner. My friend's mother had recently completed some difficult chemo treatments for cancer and she was weak. She fell to the asphalt protecting her dog and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. And to cap my stories of owners losing control of their dogs: a few years ago I was in a coffee shop. I watched out the window as an elderly man was walking 3 dogs next to a busy boulevard. I recall thinking "why would you walk your dogs next to a busy street" - as opposed to the residential streets just off the boulevard? That thought crossed my mind about 30 seconds before one of the dogs broke free and went after a dog that was being walked by its owners on the other side of the boulevard. The speed limit is 45 mph in that area. The impact with the SUV was horrific. The dog died on scene and the SUV had to be towed away on a flatbed tow truck as it suffered quite a bit of damage. I witnessed the whole thing and it stuck with me for a long time. The man who lost control of the dog was distraught. So I've kind of become a bit overly cautious around dog walkers whether I'm on bike or walking. I slow down and I'll cross the street if I can. I hate giving the owners of large dogs that much power over everyone else but I've had too many negative experiences. And if I had a small dog, there is no way I would walk that dog without at least carrying a burly walking stick. Many if not all of these experiences I've recounted have happened in middle class suburbs. I'm glad you made it out of that one without any damage. Hopefully the dog owner will re-consider her ability to control her dogs and maybe take steps to not let it happen again.

 

[steve mercier]

Who says you can't use the pepper spray on people? If they won't get off the path, I see nothing wrong with a quick spritz when you are finally able to get by

haha ... surely you jest!

 

[TaraBara]

I'm not a dog owner but I've been surprised at how many times I've seen a dog owner lose control of his/her dog. I've seen large burly men struggle to contain their dog(s) and I've seen women and a teenage boy completely lose control of their dogs. Back when I lived in a condo I sometimes sat out on the front stoop with my two cats who would lay by my feet. I had them well-trained after years of leash training. My front stoop was well off of the street and public sidewalk. On a number of occasions, passing dog walkers completely lost control of their pooches when the pooches saw my kitties. A few times the dogs' intentions were friendly and it was just a matter of stepping in front of a tail-wagging over-sized puppy. But a few times the dogs were not friendly and intended harm. Among those instances I can think of a couple of times when the male dog owners were completely unapologetic, after the order was restored following a few moments of mayhem, and acted as if I was the one at fault (sitting on my property away from the street mind you). On bike, which I've recounted here on various threads, I've been chased by unleashed dogs. But I also have had leashed dogs make a run at me and they were successfully stopped by their owners. One was a police K-9. And, I was talking to a friend last night whose neighbor's poodle had a long road to recovery when a woman lost control of a pit bull she had rescued from a local shelter. The pit bull attacked the poodle and held it by the throat until it went unconscious. The mother of a good friend of mine broke her hip trying to protect her dog from two large dogs that broke away from their owner. My friend's mother had recently completed some difficult chemo treatments for cancer and she was weak. She fell to the asphalt protecting her dog and had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. And to cap my stories of owners losing control of their dogs: a few years ago I was in a coffee shop. I watched out the window as an elderly man was walking 3 dogs next to a busy boulevard. I recall thinking "why would you walk your dogs next to a busy street" - as opposed to the residential streets just off the boulevard? That thought crossed my mind about 30 seconds before one of the dogs broke free and went after a dog that was being walked by its owners on the other side of the boulevard. The speed limit is 45 mph in that area. The impact with the SUV was horrific. The dog died on scene and the SUV had to be towed away on a flatbed tow truck as it suffered quite a bit of damage. I witnessed the whole thing and it stuck with me for a long time. The man who lost control of the dog was distraught. So I've kind of become a bit overly cautious around dog walkers whether I'm on bike or walking. I slow down and I'll cross the street if I can. I hate giving the owners of large dogs that much power over everyone else but I've had too many negative experiences. And if I had a small dog, there is no way I would walk that dog without at least carrying a burly walking stick. Many if not all of these experiences I've recounted have happened in middle class suburbs. I'm glad you made it out of that one without any damage. Hopefully the dog owner will re-consider her ability to control her dogs and maybe take steps to not let it happen again.

Thank you, I doubt very much the lady learned anything judging by her comment as I narrowly escaped. I gave her plenty of time to secure her dogs which is very sad she was unable to do so. I pray she learned because I can only imagine the consequences of a child riding by or the mailman. I don't understand the justification pet owners feel when their pets behave aggressively and then blame the victim. Why do guard dog (this incident was not a guard dog) owners think their guard dog is the nicest sweetest dog and wouldn't hurt anyone when the dog has clearly displayed its ability to protect? If I could have rode a different way I would have.....but riding by was my only option. If I had a can of mace I would have unloaded the whole thing on the dog. Maybe I should get some?