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People - please use common sense when you are jogging or riding a bicycle. Twice in the last 2 weeks I have been walking my dog on a public sidewalk and been startled by both. 2 Sundays ago this creep (yes he was a creep) was riding a bike along a sidewalk in a subdivision riding very fast, then slowly weaving back and forth. The sidewalk has 2 sections - a straight section that runs along the street, then a separate curvy section, through a garden area, with benches. We walk the curvy section, gives the dog more to sniff at, interaction with other dogs too. All of a sudden the guy came screaming down the section where we were flying along behind me and brushed my arm as he flew by. Startled me and if I hadn't had a tight grip on the leash - I'm sure my dog would have jumped at him. I gasped loudly and he laughed and laughed - did it on purpose. I quickly led the dog across the street to the sidewalk that is in front of the houses. Both of us could have been hurt - I will admit my dog might have bitten him protecting me. I am alert when I walk because I know I have to control my dog, and I was tying up the poop bag so I wasn't as alert as I should have been. Really made me mad.
Last night, we were walking the sidewalk in front of our house, about 3/4 a mile down and this jogger came flying by startling both of us. I had just looked both directions and hadn't seen anyone, because I usually step off the sidewalk and tighten the leash so he doesn't try to run at them. Joggers seem to be aggressive to him.
In past occurrences, I have had joggers call out "on the right " or "on your left" to let you know they're coming through.
I will admit my dog might have bitten him protecting me.
I usually step off the sidewalk and tighten the leash so he doesn't try to run at them.
If your dog is jumping or running at cyclists and joggers, you need to do some more training. I call my passes (I only ride on bike trails) and stay on the opposite side of the trail when approaching from either direction (I stay to the right when I ride and don't weave unless I am avoiding an obstacle, like a person walking in my path of travel), and I still have gotten jumped at by dogs, even though I was on the opposite side of a trail that is more than 12' wide in some spots. Luckily for me, those dogs have been leashed. The best trained dogs will merely glance at a runner of cyclist, but won't break stride and try to lunge or jump at them.
Many road bikers cop an attitude and won't listen to you no matter what you say. I say that as a road biker myself. With that said people shouldn't be walking 3 abreast and walking dogs that lunge at people either.
As a biker, I hereby apologize for the jerk that did that to you. They give all bikers a bad name. If he was a "real" biker, he'd have been on the street where he belonged, and not on an obviously pedestrian-designed sidewalk.
Having said that, I will also make a public plea to dog walkers who share recreational trails designed for bikers, joggers and runners -- PLEASE keep your dog on your right. I can't tell you how many times I've almost been clotheslined by people with their earbuds in, talking on the phone, and their dog is swerving this way and that. I love dogs, I have one myself, and I sure don't want to harm one by accidently getting tangled in your super-long leash when your dog wanders over to the left to check out their pee-mail while you're checking your email. Even going under the published speed limits for these kinds of trails, I am still going faster than you and your dog, and while I am alert to dog walkers, occasionally one will be in front of a walker and I won't spot them from behind you until it darts out in front of me. Keep the dog on your right at all times, and everyone will be safer.
As a biker, I hereby apologize for the jerk that did that to you. They give all bikers a bad name. If he was a "real" biker, he'd have been on the street where he belonged, and not on an obviously pedestrian-designed sidewalk.
Once people are too big to ride a kid-sized tricycle, they should be on the street. I was riding on the street at the age of 10, having had the "rules of the road" hammered into my head by my father first.
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Having said that, I will also make a public plea to dog walkers who share recreational trails designed for bikers, joggers and runners -- PLEASE keep your dog on your right.
And LEASHED. I ride on trails that are maintained by the State of NY, and all of them have leash requirements. If I were to hit an unleashed dog that wandered into my straight-line path, guess who's on the hook for the dog's injuries and any damage to my bike or to me (hint - it's not going to be me). I have had to yell at a few people who were ignoring the posted "All dogs must be on leashes" signs, and I don't mince words when I do.
Last edited by ContraPagan; 01-30-2018 at 09:59 AM..
I cycle and always try to be careful, slow down, be courteous around other people. Those people were ogres. I have to say though that dealing with people with uncontrolled dogs is also just as bad. When a dog lunges at you and you are on a bicycle it is hard to second guess what the animal is going to do. I have seen a lot of people on power trips with their dogs.
I am hyper vigilant about knowing who is coming around me because he is bike fearful. He will lunge at a bike. That's why he's on a short heavy cord style leash and when I see someone coming - jogger, bike, walker, another dog, I pull him in shorter and step to the side - usually off the sidewalk and out of the way. i distract him the best I can to keep that behavior in check. I'm sure I look like some kind of weirdo looking around me every few steps but I am trying to keep everyone safe. He's a small rescue that is fearful of men and bikes/skateboards and strollers. I understand Joggers wear their earbuds to get into the zone - but they need to be aware of surroundings just as much as non-joggers.
I'm on mixed use bike/walking paths fairly often. I have a bell mounted on the handlebar. You can tell by body motion if somebody can't hear the bell. Ear buds. Deaf. In conversation and distracted. No big deal. When that happens, I slow down. You have the occasional clueless people who walk 4 across and block the whole bike path. Ditto the dog walkers with the 50 foot retracto-leash.
Honestly, I despise bicyclists on main commuter roads. Residential side streets that don't get a lot of traffic are different and it's safer for both the bicyclists and motorists.
I used to live in Carmel, IN, a suburb of Indianapolis that was HUGE on the whole biking to work thing. Bike lanes had been built, but they were usually directly beside the rightmost lane of vehicles. Nothing separated the cars from the bicyclists. This was extremely dangerous for both the bicyclists and the motorists.
It should have been built like this.
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