Anyone else have an issue with people walking a dog?
04-28-19, 03:13 PM
#26
Junior Member
Agreed!....and this works a good 70-80% of the time. ---It's there other 20-30% that leaves me flummoxed and raises my ire.
I have contemplated stopping when I see a dog owner, or group of pedestrians, consuming most, or all, of the path and asking them their thoughts. I truly am curious if they really are just oblivious.
04-28-19, 03:30 PM
#27
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I don't know which is worse, a dog on a leash or one off.
Coming down a MUP I went to cross a bridge. I was going to pass on the left until the dog went that way leaving me the choice of hitting the dog, the fence or the owner.
I chose the owner.
Coming down a MUP I went to cross a bridge. I was going to pass on the left until the dog went that way leaving me the choice of hitting the dog, the fence or the owner.
I chose the owner.
04-28-19, 03:39 PM
#28
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A local cyclist died a couple years ago after a crash on the MUP involving an uncontrolled dog.
04-28-19, 03:39 PM
#29
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I always encounter one of those leashes at least once during a long ride & likely increase my odds dealing with one with more frequent short rides.
Why their are no regulations in place for the amount of distance an owner may be allowed between them & there animal always boggles me.
We have laws for everything else, why not have criteria in place for this?
Six feet is plenty, & it would also allow the owner to be more responsible for there animal's doings.
Why their are no regulations in place for the amount of distance an owner may be allowed between them & there animal always boggles me.
We have laws for everything else, why not have criteria in place for this?
Six feet is plenty, & it would also allow the owner to be more responsible for there animal's doings.
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04-28-19, 04:52 PM
#30
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Unfortunately I see more rude bike riders in my community. Last week they were three abreast in a 45 mph zone. Plenty of shoulder available or single file would have allowed motorists to pass by. This was also a no passing zone so we drove behind them for a few blocks at 15 mph.
04-28-19, 05:01 PM
#31
Senior Member
I'd always sound my bell and make sure they knew I was there, the dog owner won't want the dog hurt any more than you want to do it any harm .... in fact probably an awful lot less so if they know you're there will reel it in pretty quickly.
I also ride at a speed that's safe on a shared path and respect the fact the dog walker has as much right to be there as I do.
I often find oblivious parents with young kids and young kids on bikes an awful lot worse as they take up the whole path, the kids have absolutely no situational awareness and are unpredictable often veering straight into your path as look backwards over their shoulder to try and hear what their parents are yelling at them and the parents can't get 3 of them out of the way at the same time often as they're pushing a pram as well.
I also walk dogs on flexi leads and always try to be vigilant about my surroundings and considerate to any other users and never have a problem with a cyclist ringing their bell to let me know they're there but do have a problem with some of them that ride at totally irresponsible speeds for their surroundings and the other path users.
I also try and avoid places I know will be busy at the weekends and will often choose alternative routes on those days.
Gosh that's a lot of IIII's
I also ride at a speed that's safe on a shared path and respect the fact the dog walker has as much right to be there as I do.
I often find oblivious parents with young kids and young kids on bikes an awful lot worse as they take up the whole path, the kids have absolutely no situational awareness and are unpredictable often veering straight into your path as look backwards over their shoulder to try and hear what their parents are yelling at them and the parents can't get 3 of them out of the way at the same time often as they're pushing a pram as well.
I also walk dogs on flexi leads and always try to be vigilant about my surroundings and considerate to any other users and never have a problem with a cyclist ringing their bell to let me know they're there but do have a problem with some of them that ride at totally irresponsible speeds for their surroundings and the other path users.
I also try and avoid places I know will be busy at the weekends and will often choose alternative routes on those days.
Gosh that's a lot of IIII's
04-28-19, 05:03 PM
#32
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I always encounter one of those leashes at least once during a long ride & likely increase my odds dealing with one with more frequent short rides.
Why their are no regulations in place for the amount of distance an owner may be allowed between them & there animal always boggles me.
We have laws for everything else, why not have criteria in place for this?
Six feet is plenty, & it would also allow the owner to be more responsible for there animal's doings.
Why their are no regulations in place for the amount of distance an owner may be allowed between them & there animal always boggles me.
We have laws for everything else, why not have criteria in place for this?
Six feet is plenty, & it would also allow the owner to be more responsible for there animal's doings.
04-28-19, 05:10 PM
#33
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I was riding in my community yesterday and had a potentially serious issue. I came around a corner carrying enough momentum to get me up the far side of a steep hill.
A woman was walking her dog on a Flexi leash. She was on the left side of the road, her dog had the leash stretched across most of the road. The dog was moving toward my bike pulling out more leash. By the time I got to the point where the dog was I had about 1 foot of pavement to circumvent the ladies dog. The ladies husband grabbed the leash from her and stopped the dog before it got to my bike. I might have gone down in a tangle with the dog, leash & lady had he not stopped the dog.
I happen to be a “dog trainer” with a severe dislike of any kind of Flexi leash. The problem I have with that leash is they teach the dog to pull on leash. The “brake”, which is suppose to stop the dog, frequently does not work when needed. The thin nylon line often defies the brake, especially when the line is moving fast and you actually need it to work.Trying to grab the thin line often results in “a rope burn”.
‘The woman walking the dog tried to blame the incident on me which surprised me. She took the position that they could not hear me coming. She thought I should “ring a bell, sound a horn” constantly while riding. I think the law states that any dog less than 6’ from the owner is “out of control”
I am wondering if others have had similar incidents with dogs “walked” on Flexi leashes? I suggest that my clients walk their dog on a 4-6’ leather or fabric leash sturdy enough to actually stop the specific breed/size of dog.
A woman was walking her dog on a Flexi leash. She was on the left side of the road, her dog had the leash stretched across most of the road. The dog was moving toward my bike pulling out more leash. By the time I got to the point where the dog was I had about 1 foot of pavement to circumvent the ladies dog. The ladies husband grabbed the leash from her and stopped the dog before it got to my bike. I might have gone down in a tangle with the dog, leash & lady had he not stopped the dog.
I happen to be a “dog trainer” with a severe dislike of any kind of Flexi leash. The problem I have with that leash is they teach the dog to pull on leash. The “brake”, which is suppose to stop the dog, frequently does not work when needed. The thin nylon line often defies the brake, especially when the line is moving fast and you actually need it to work.Trying to grab the thin line often results in “a rope burn”.
‘The woman walking the dog tried to blame the incident on me which surprised me. She took the position that they could not hear me coming. She thought I should “ring a bell, sound a horn” constantly while riding. I think the law states that any dog less than 6’ from the owner is “out of control”
I am wondering if others have had similar incidents with dogs “walked” on Flexi leashes? I suggest that my clients walk their dog on a 4-6’ leather or fabric leash sturdy enough to actually stop the specific breed/size of dog.
04-28-19, 08:44 PM
#35
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No real issues here. I take my road rides mostly on a trail with joggers and walkers too and some with dogs. Most of them are pretty good when I warn them I'm coming up from behind. Except for last week when I had the most opposite reaction ever. I'm coming up on a woman on the right who has her dog on a leash. We all know that any dog can just dart in some direction, God forbid right in mine. I do my usual "On your left" and it's always in a medium volume level and non-forceful. Woman throws up her arms and says with a heavy sigh "But I'm nowhere near you!". Younger side of me said stop and give her a piece of your mind. Older side said your cadence will be interrupted. Older side won. You can never win with some people.
04-28-19, 09:42 PM
#36
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A lot of people criticizing the op seem to be missing that the owner was across the road from her dog, not on a path. That's such an extreme situation that I don't think I'd figure it out in time to get out an effective warning, and am once again amazed by the incredible hindsight vision of so many BF posters, especially the ones yammering on about path rules.
Anyone who lets a leash cross a road must not like their dog very much. Fast vehicles are the rule there, not the exception.
Anyone who lets a leash cross a road must not like their dog very much. Fast vehicles are the rule there, not the exception.
04-29-19, 01:26 PM
#37
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I once almost hit/got taken out by a small dog on a leash who cut me off by running across the MUP right in front of me at the last moment. The owner was standing off to the side on the grass chatting with someone with her back to the dog and MUP. It shook me up quite a bit, and I am sure her too cuz I started screaming like a lunatic. 
04-29-19, 01:43 PM
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The OP should have been less worried about maintaining momentum for the upcoming hill, and more worried about slowing down and alerting the owner of the dog ahead. Bells work best in my experience, people know what they mean without even looking. I ride several hundred miles of MUP per month, and have owned Flexi leashes for decades.
04-29-19, 01:49 PM
#39
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The OP should have been less worried about maintaining momentum for the upcoming hill, and more worried about slowing down and alerting the owner of the dog ahead. Bells work best in my experience, people know what they mean without even looking. I ride several hundred miles of MUP per month, and have owned Flexi leashes for decades.
All you have to do is mention a dog, and then people on BF will try to figure out something you did wrong to endanger Fido, even if it involves completely rewriting the OP.
04-29-19, 02:05 PM
#40
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Sorry, after reading all the "MUP" responses I just assumed the OP occurred on a MUP. If the rider in the OP was actually on a street, then yeah, there is some rider expectation that dogs won't be in the bike lane/gutter especially if the owner is walking parallel on the sidewalk, and rarely are bells used in those gutter lanes when passing walkers on those adjacent sidewalks. Vigilance is key.
04-29-19, 02:06 PM
#41
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At the end of my commute to work on the trail there's a short, steep hill, and most mornings there's a nice lady with a St. Bernard on a leash. Every time the dog sees me he/she tries to lunge at me, and not in a playful way, but the owner always manages to keep him/her in control. At first I thought the dog didn't like being startled, so I tried calling out a cheery "Good morning!" from 20 feet away. Nope, dog still lunges. It's not like I'm speeding by, unless 6 mph is speeding. Nowadays I keep my eyes on the trail and don't say anything. Dog still lunges. Not that it scares me to have a 120 lb. dog who wants to kill me. 
Because of that situation, it occurred to me that it might be a good policy to not startle dogs, so even if the owner has earbuds in, I'll call out a loud, friendly "Passing on your left!" from 15 to 20 feet away.
Then there was the rollerskater who was on the other side of the trail, approaching me, with her big black dog on a flexi-leash having a grand time on my side. She definitely saw me, but as I got closer and started slowing down, she waited until I was maybe six feet away and traveling 4 mph with my hands on the brakes, before she slowly and reluctantly pulled the dog to her. Weird.
Because of that situation, it occurred to me that it might be a good policy to not startle dogs, so even if the owner has earbuds in, I'll call out a loud, friendly "Passing on your left!" from 15 to 20 feet away.
Then there was the rollerskater who was on the other side of the trail, approaching me, with her big black dog on a flexi-leash having a grand time on my side. She definitely saw me, but as I got closer and started slowing down, she waited until I was maybe six feet away and traveling 4 mph with my hands on the brakes, before she slowly and reluctantly pulled the dog to her. Weird.
04-29-19, 02:15 PM
#42
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Sorry, after reading all the "MUP" responses I just assumed the OP occurred on a MUP. If the rider in the OP was actually on a street, then yeah, there is some rider expectation that dogs won't be in the bike lane/gutter especially if the owner is walking parallel on the sidewalk, and rarely are bells used in those gutter lanes when passing walkers on those adjacent sidewalks. Vigilance is key.
It's worse than that--the dog was on the other side of the street from the owner--that's a ridiculously long leash.
04-29-19, 02:40 PM
#43
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I consider myself pretty proficient at riding the boardwalk and weaving in and out of pedestrians, skateboarders, roller skaters, children, dogs, etc., but a few years ago I met my match: a woman, on the phone, pushing a double stroller with 2 kids, with 2 miniature Dachshunds on retracting leashes scrambling around like ferrets. Insurmountable obstacle.
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04-29-19, 02:45 PM
#44
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I consider myself pretty proficient at riding the boardwalk and weaving in and out of pedestrians, skateboarders, roller skaters, children, dogs, etc., but a few years ago I met my match: a woman, on the phone, pushing a double stroller with 2 kids, with 2 miniature Dachshunds on retracting leashes scrambling around like ferrets. Insurmountable obstacle.
04-30-19, 03:46 AM
#45
Senior Member
I think it could do with some clarity .... diagrams would be a start although ideally a slow motion video replay would probably be best
04-30-19, 04:44 AM
#46
Senior Member
Most humans have not been properly trained when it comes to dogs. Flexi leashes are great for potty time in an unfenced yard, but otherwise a regular leash should be used. If the human has been trained, the leash will not be pulling the human along. But I surely have too much hope for humanity.
04-30-19, 04:54 AM
#47
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After your previous post I did go back and re-read it and it was unclear if I'm honest ... it also says he only had a foot of pavement left to get round the dog ..... riding on the pavement is illegal in the UK
I think it could do with some clarity .... diagrams would be a start although ideally a slow motion video replay would probably be best
I think it could do with some clarity .... diagrams would be a start although ideally a slow motion video replay would probably be best
Which part of his two references to "the road" did you find unclear?
I really hope the op doesn't humor your desire to put him on trial. The situation as he describes it was pretty awful, and he evaded hurting himself or anyone else. I don't understand why so many bf posters think their second-guessing is worth anything.
04-30-19, 05:34 AM
#48
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Seriously?
Which part of his two references to "the road" did you find unclear?
I really hope the op doesn't humor your desire to put him on trial. The situation as he describes it was pretty awful, and he evaded hurting himself or anyone else. I don't understand why so many bf posters think their second-guessing is worth anything.
Which part of his two references to "the road" did you find unclear?
I really hope the op doesn't humor your desire to put him on trial. The situation as he describes it was pretty awful, and he evaded hurting himself or anyone else. I don't understand why so many bf posters think their second-guessing is worth anything.
04-30-19, 06:42 AM
#49
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Around here, the time that dog walkers and pedestrians walk on the road instead of the sidewalks is at nighttime.
Drive me nuts when I see my wife walk the dog in the street as I tell her cars are bigger, and heavier, and faster than her. Her response is that the dog stops a lot less as there is less evidence of "dog activity" in the street.
Anyway, she's not the only one by far. And bikes are so quiet and can be so relatively fast compared to a pedestrian, that I steer clear of pedestrians by as large a margin a possible. Especially pedestrians with dogs that are lunging towards you.
Anyway, I'd like to add a device to my my bike that emits a sound like a jet turbine when I press a button instead of a bell. Not as loud as a jet turbine, just something mechanical sounding like a car with a turbo.
Could be an effective but gentle reminder to a street walker that something faster is on the way.
Drive me nuts when I see my wife walk the dog in the street as I tell her cars are bigger, and heavier, and faster than her. Her response is that the dog stops a lot less as there is less evidence of "dog activity" in the street.
Anyway, she's not the only one by far. And bikes are so quiet and can be so relatively fast compared to a pedestrian, that I steer clear of pedestrians by as large a margin a possible. Especially pedestrians with dogs that are lunging towards you.
Anyway, I'd like to add a device to my my bike that emits a sound like a jet turbine when I press a button instead of a bell. Not as loud as a jet turbine, just something mechanical sounding like a car with a turbo.
Could be an effective but gentle reminder to a street walker that something faster is on the way.
04-30-19, 06:59 AM
#50
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I guess you're forgetting when you tried to depose me on my dog passing technique so you could determine whether a grumpy dog snapping at me was somehow my fault. It was one of the most arrogant things I've ever seen posted on BF, and that's saying something.
And yes, if you can pretend the word "road" is unclear, I have no reason to believe you're acting in good faith.