15 November 2011

Cyclists vs dog owners

15 November 2011 | Snave81

Cyclists vs motorists was so yesterday so why don’t we move on to cyclists vs dog owners. With dogs being required to be kept on leash when not in designated doggie areas, what options does a cyclist have when dog owners let their off leash dogs run in front of cyclists riding safely and sensibly on bike paths through parks?

– Kick the back end out and bump the dog out of the way?

– Try and jump the dog with/without leaving tread marks on the dogs back?

– Question a male dog owner’s masculinity if they have a small girly dog?

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london11:31 am 14 Jan 16

Dogs owners versus cyclists! What a joke. Both are as bad as each other. Why do grown men need to ride on footpaths when they have cycle lanes?
Rude, arrogant and abusive cyclists think they are more important than anyone.
In NSW children 12years and under ride on footpaths not adults. Recently saw a police officer in Temora speak to a young boy because he rode his bike across a crossing. Our comment was must be from Canbera. No rules, no respect seems to be canberan way.

someone3:11 pm 07 Mar 14

OpenYourMind said :

[

Here’s the thing. You are walking on shared pathway. Keep to the left, keep your dog on a leash on your left, keep control of your kids (I have a two year old and I know it’s not always easy, but nothing with a toddler is), so long as you do all that it really doesn’t matter whether a cyclist signals their approach or not or how fast they are going, everyone will get along fine.

A cyclist will always seem to be travelling fast when they overtake you and you are walking at approx 4km/h. Just keep to the damn left. Us cyclists often have bicycles more expensive than cheaper cars, we often know how much it hurts to crash. We will do everything we can to avoid hitting you, your uncontrolled dog or child. If we didn’t, there would be far more accidents than there are.

It’s just not that complicated. We all need to share.

Actually, it really does matter if you signal or not.

I have two ex-pound mutts. They are only ever walked on lead near any path. One of them is a pretty mellow dog. The other seems like she had a rough past – any sudden noises, movements, etc. she loses her %%%&&. Plain flips out.

If I know you’re coming up behind me, the lead is shortened and we move off the path. If I don’t know you’re coming, neither does Pip. As you say, 10kms an hour is fast when you’re walking at half the pace. When you come flying by without warning, she panics. Every.Single.Time. Most of the time, she tries to get behind me. Sometimes, for reasons entirely unknown to me, she’ll jump out into the middle of the path. I’ve already fallen once because some weekend warrior couldn’t be assed ringing at 6am on a Sat morning.

i don’t want to get in your way, I want to get out of it. By ringing, you make it possible for me to do that. You’re right, all we to do is share. I’ll get out of your way, if you can let me know you’re coming. Is ringing a bell on a shared path really that much hassle?

Walker12:55 pm 07 Mar 14

OpenYourMind said :

Walker said :

Brakes aren’t hard to find, early on, as necessary. To walking pace if necessary, and especially if there’s unpredictable people or animals about. It’s not hard.

Adapt to conditions, universal law on any means of transport. No mystery.

Because I’m sure you slow to the pace of a cyclist every time you pass one on the road.

Here’s the thing. You are walking on shared pathway. Keep to the left, keep your dog on a leash on your left, keep control of your kids (I have a two year old and I know it’s not always easy, but nothing with a toddler is), so long as you do all that it really doesn’t matter whether a cyclist signals their approach or not or how fast they are going, everyone will get along fine.

A cyclist will always seem to be travelling fast when they overtake you and you are walking at approx 4km/h. Just keep to the damn left. Us cyclists often have bicycles more expensive than cheaper cars, we often know how much it hurts to crash. We will do everything we can to avoid hitting you, your uncontrolled dog or child. If we didn’t, there would be far more accidents than there are.

It’s just not that complicated. We all need to share.

I ride about 10,000km/year – plenty of it on cycleways. I can tell you that pedestrians don’t hear bells and don’t react to bells. It might seem rude when I yell bike, but it’s the most affective means possible to alert you that I’m approaching. For single joggers and walkers, I sometimes don’t even do that as there is no need to. If a jogger or walker (and I’m also both of those at times as well as a resonsible dog owner) is startled, well what the Hell did they expect, it’s a shared cycleway. Bicycles will come past.

Stop bitching, keep left, keep your dogs and kids to your left and in control. Either way, us cyclists will be working much harder than you could ever imagine to ensure that you don’t end up under our expensive carbon fibre wheels.

So what you’re saying is… adapt to conditions? Which is what I said. I was hoping to be simpler about it, for clarity, but it seems that didn’t work.

I am a regular cyclist.

Everyone, take a chill… this riding lycra whatever business is too amped up. (Part of the problem is how people think of it, it skews matters).

I didn’t mean to say we should slow to walking pace every time we see a flea.

I just meant that sometimes, if a situation calls for it, for whatever reason it works out there’s an assortment of random things in a crazy combination in the path and nothing else for it, regardless of who’s in the right, and if it doesn’t happen that often, I’ll just slow down. Yelling out works ok in most cases, like you say, but now and then it’s just too far tangled to be unknotted in time, or a parent has too many loose ends around to sort it fast enough. I’ll slow down and if they’re still all over the shop, I’ll go walking speed so they don’t have to panic about it further.

Not often it works out like that but sometimes it does. Hence, to the conditions.

At any rate looks like neither of us will ever run anything over.

MrBigEars12:28 pm 07 Mar 14

The Riot-Act. Because every situation in life can be improved by being the bigger f**kwit.

KB197110:53 am 07 Mar 14

SupaSal said :

vet111 said :

KB1971 said :

Its simple, dog chases me, dog gets a kick in the head.

The dog should be on a lead on the path. Mind you they are more predictable than people & usually notice you earlier, make eye contact & avoid you.

I have less of a problem with dogs off lead than I do for their owners.

So let me get this right, if you are riding your bike through an off-leash area and a dog is in your way, you’re going to kick the dog?

You’re a dick.

I personally think having a cycle path through an off-leash area is a bloody stupid idea, but that’s the ACT council for ya…

Agree with all other comments though about keeping dogs on leashes in areas not designated as off-leash. Provided cyclists give enough notice that they’re coming through, it should be happy days for cyclists, dogs and owners alike. Surely it’s common sense?

Dick is an understatement, We had our Staffy Ridgeback on a lead, was kick in the head and rear legs by a cyclist, Cyclist got my arm across their neck, and now have to walk him with a hulty on double leads, he did not attempt to go the rider but now he does and foams at the mouth trying to eat them.

It’s Riders like this that make me want to let the dog off and let him do to them what they deserve, Rip them to shreads.

I will add that our boy is great with kids in the yard when they are playing on their bikes.

*rolls eyes*…

Did you actually read what I said? Did you read any of my further responses to Vet111’s comment you have quoted?

I feel fo you if your dog was kicked while it was on lead as you were doing the right thing but did i say anywhere in this thread that I go around kicking dogs randomly? No, that is your assumption.

& if you do encourage your dog to attack someone, anyone, I hope you are hit with the full force that the law allows.

OpenYourMind11:30 pm 06 Mar 14

Walker said :

Brakes aren’t hard to find, early on, as necessary. To walking pace if necessary, and especially if there’s unpredictable people or animals about. It’s not hard.

Adapt to conditions, universal law on any means of transport. No mystery.

Because I’m sure you slow to the pace of a cyclist every time you pass one on the road.

Here’s the thing. You are walking on shared pathway. Keep to the left, keep your dog on a leash on your left, keep control of your kids (I have a two year old and I know it’s not always easy, but nothing with a toddler is), so long as you do all that it really doesn’t matter whether a cyclist signals their approach or not or how fast they are going, everyone will get along fine.

A cyclist will always seem to be travelling fast when they overtake you and you are walking at approx 4km/h. Just keep to the damn left. Us cyclists often have bicycles more expensive than cheaper cars, we often know how much it hurts to crash. We will do everything we can to avoid hitting you, your uncontrolled dog or child. If we didn’t, there would be far more accidents than there are.

It’s just not that complicated. We all need to share.

I ride about 10,000km/year – plenty of it on cycleways. I can tell you that pedestrians don’t hear bells and don’t react to bells. It might seem rude when I yell bike, but it’s the most affective means possible to alert you that I’m approaching. For single joggers and walkers, I sometimes don’t even do that as there is no need to. If a jogger or walker (and I’m also both of those at times as well as a resonsible dog owner) is startled, well what the Hell did they expect, it’s a shared cycleway. Bicycles will come past.

Stop bitching, keep left, keep your dogs and kids to your left and in control. Either way, us cyclists will be working much harder than you could ever imagine to ensure that you don’t end up under our expensive carbon fibre wheels.

SupaSal10:27 pm 06 Mar 14

vet111 said :

KB1971 said :

Its simple, dog chases me, dog gets a kick in the head.

The dog should be on a lead on the path. Mind you they are more predictable than people & usually notice you earlier, make eye contact & avoid you.

I have less of a problem with dogs off lead than I do for their owners.

So let me get this right, if you are riding your bike through an off-leash area and a dog is in your way, you’re going to kick the dog?

You’re a dick.

I personally think having a cycle path through an off-leash area is a bloody stupid idea, but that’s the ACT council for ya…

Agree with all other comments though about keeping dogs on leashes in areas not designated as off-leash. Provided cyclists give enough notice that they’re coming through, it should be happy days for cyclists, dogs and owners alike. Surely it’s common sense?

Dick is an understatement, We had our Staffy Ridgeback on a lead, was kick in the head and rear legs by a cyclist, Cyclist got my arm across their neck, and now have to walk him with a hulty on double leads, he did not attempt to go the rider but now he does and foams at the mouth trying to eat them.

It’s Riders like this that make me want to let the dog off and let him do to them what they deserve, Rip them to shreads.

I will add that our boy is great with kids in the yard when they are playing on their bikes.

Walker5:11 pm 06 Mar 14

Brakes aren’t hard to find, early on, as necessary. To walking pace if necessary, and especially if there’s unpredictable people or animals about. It’s not hard.

Adapt to conditions, universal law on any means of transport. No mystery.

NoImRight1:54 pm 06 Mar 14

tim_c said :

Jimbo311 said :

or

– Use appropriate warning of the cyclist’s presence – Eg use the bike bell – that’s what it’s there for.

I am a dog owner and have my dog’s off leash in an off leash area, where there also happens to be a bicycle/pedestrian path. When walking my dogs I am always conscious of both people/cyclists in front and behind me, and will then leash the dogs, or move the dogs off the path of impending traffic.

However, countless times, cyclists who seem to be on some sort of time trial exercise (wearing those oh so fashionable tour-de-france road jerseys (don’t get me started on this)), come tearing around a corner and then use expletives because I hadn’t moved the dogs out of the way (this also applies to people trying to enjoy a peaceful walk, how many times I have seen the same thing happen to pedestrians almost being bowled over), all because the cyclist is too tight to buy a $5 bike bell (either that or they probably think the bike bell doesn’t give them street-cred)

If cyclists signalled their impending presence with a bike bell then they would probably not have this problem.

Maybe they didn’t know they had to announce their impending presence because they didn’t see you there because you hadn’t announced your presence….

And why should a person using a bike on a bike path have to announce their presence? Isn’t that a bit like cyclists scattering themselves all over the road and only moving out of the way when a person using a car announces their presence using the warning device fitted, afterall, that’s what it’s there for, isn’t it?

And how much notice do I have to give to allow you time to react, chase your dog down and get the leash on? I’d guess probably a bit longer than you’d want to wait in your car for a bunch of cyclists to get out of your way. If it’s a bike path, there are likely to be bikes on it, they shouldn’t have to announce their presence. Is it people like you that cause McDonald’s etc. to have to put warnings on their hot coffee, announcing that it’s, well, hot?

Most cyclists I see on the bike paths are commuting – they’re not doing time trials any more than most car drivers using the road to get to/from work. If I wanted to spend all morning/evening commuting to/from work, I’d take my car and sit in traffic like everyone else.

After having a few dogs run under my wheels, if I have to take evasive action to avoid running over either the wayward dog or its irresponsible owner, guess which one I’ll choose? Hint, it’s not the dog’s fault the dog isn’t on a leash.

Exactly! Theres no place for common courtesy when the gangs take over the roads. Why should someone on a bike have to move his thumb anything up to an inch to give you an indication he is coming? People walking should learn to walk backwards so that they can see their betters as they approach. NO room for compromise is this kill or be killed world of leisure.

tim_c12:24 pm 06 Mar 14

JacquieE said :

Oh Get Over It. Yesterday I was walking my dogs along a bike track … one lycra’d boy racer zoomed past. No bell. No warning. The World was his Oyster and it was All About Him. Then, another of the same breed zapped past … chatting on his handless phone (isn’t that an offence??). Now, you don’t need a crystal ball to imagine a young mum, with a toddler and a baby in a stroller … a little winding bit of track, a little rise and dip … toddler toddling … pffffft. Gone. Really, bike riders give me the screaming s&*^s. They think they don’t need to stop & get off the bike to cross a road. They zip across, ignoring motorists and anyone else foolish enough to get in the way. They’re SUPER-CYCLISTS in lycra (only missing the cape, actually). Driving to Uriarra is now made horrendous by hordes of similarly attired cycling enthusiasts, who fail to move to the side of the road & for all intents and purposes are attempting to cause accidents. No, wait, they’re self obsessed brainless oafs … that’s what.

It’s a shame you don’t see the irony – you expect to be able to use the whole width of the bike path so faster traffic can’t get past, then you get into your car you berate other people for doing exactly what you’ve been doing – ie. not keeping out of the way of faster traffic.

Yesterday I was riding along the road … one tracksuited mother racer zoomed past. No horn. No warning. The World was her Oyster and it was All About Her.

Cycling on cycleways is now made horrendous by hordes of similarly attired dog/child enthusiasts, who fail to move to the side of the cycleway and for all intents and purposes are attempting to cause accidents.

tim_c11:57 am 06 Mar 14

Jimbo311 said :

or

– Use appropriate warning of the cyclist’s presence – Eg use the bike bell – that’s what it’s there for.

I am a dog owner and have my dog’s off leash in an off leash area, where there also happens to be a bicycle/pedestrian path. When walking my dogs I am always conscious of both people/cyclists in front and behind me, and will then leash the dogs, or move the dogs off the path of impending traffic.

However, countless times, cyclists who seem to be on some sort of time trial exercise (wearing those oh so fashionable tour-de-france road jerseys (don’t get me started on this)), come tearing around a corner and then use expletives because I hadn’t moved the dogs out of the way (this also applies to people trying to enjoy a peaceful walk, how many times I have seen the same thing happen to pedestrians almost being bowled over), all because the cyclist is too tight to buy a $5 bike bell (either that or they probably think the bike bell doesn’t give them street-cred)

If cyclists signalled their impending presence with a bike bell then they would probably not have this problem.

Maybe they didn’t know they had to announce their impending presence because they didn’t see you there because you hadn’t announced your presence….

And why should a person using a bike on a bike path have to announce their presence? Isn’t that a bit like cyclists scattering themselves all over the road and only moving out of the way when a person using a car announces their presence using the warning device fitted, afterall, that’s what it’s there for, isn’t it?

And how much notice do I have to give to allow you time to react, chase your dog down and get the leash on? I’d guess probably a bit longer than you’d want to wait in your car for a bunch of cyclists to get out of your way. If it’s a bike path, there are likely to be bikes on it, they shouldn’t have to announce their presence. Is it people like you that cause McDonald’s etc. to have to put warnings on their hot coffee, announcing that it’s, well, hot?

Most cyclists I see on the bike paths are commuting – they’re not doing time trials any more than most car drivers using the road to get to/from work. If I wanted to spend all morning/evening commuting to/from work, I’d take my car and sit in traffic like everyone else.

After having a few dogs run under my wheels, if I have to take evasive action to avoid running over either the wayward dog or its irresponsible owner, guess which one I’ll choose? Hint, it’s not the dog’s fault the dog isn’t on a leash.

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