Bike Forums - Collision with a dog

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- - Collision with a dog (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1266886)

We did have a dog off leash get hit and died on a marked bike way in a public park. The lady dog owner was distraught and called the police. The biker hung out for authorities, Very upset she was demanding the law be enforced. The policeman determined the cyclist had not in any violation. The woman was still angered and wanted law enforcement, finally the officer said 'your dog just died, are you sure? I'd rather not issue. The only violation here was your dog off-leash'

Quote:

Originally Posted by flangehead (Post 22786034)

I think the dog I hit was mostly Mastiff. My dog is an adopted stray “50 pounds of brown” mutt.

Name of highway from Google Maps street view.

I’ve thought about this more and I can see the advantage of doing that and using the bike as a shield so I don’t get bit as ldl noted. Thanks!

It's always a judgment call. Last time I stopped before that, it was a golden retriever racing me right behind me to my right on a MUP. The kids who were walking him were in a definite panic as their dog was getting further and further away. The dog's demeanor and position (and breed, I've never seen a golden get mean) made it obvious that the dog was just having a fun run with me, so I stopped dead so the kids could catch up. Didn't get off the bike or do anything protective--dog was just staring at me like he thought we were going to start up again.

The kids thought I was going to be mad at them, I just wished I could've ridden with the dog for a while, it was funnier than hell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by work4bike (Post 22785008)

It's been my experience that it's good practice to always expect the absolute worse and unexpected results when dealing with kids and animals -- they just do the most illogical things, since they're both on about the same mental level...and that's giving kids the benefit of the doubt. I had a kid on a little bike run directly into my rear wheel on a perpendicular direction. He was looking right at me and I was thinking, surely he's going to stop or turn away. Now whenever I see kids or animals anywhere near me, I'm on guard for the totally unexpected.
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I spoke too soon when I said, "...it's good practice to always expect the absolute worse and unexpected results when dealing with kids and animals..."

Today, I was on a 4-lane divided highway with absolutely zero shoulder/bike lane and the posted speed limit is 45-mph, which means most people are going at least 55.

There were two crazy-looking people (they were adults) sitting on the curb with their feet on the fog line -- you're forced to have your feet on the fog line if you sit on the curb and you could easily put your feet in the road and get them run over. Why the hell they were sitting on a curb on this type of roadway is beyond me. I had to signal real quick and take the lane, but part of me wanted to buzz them for being too stupid, but I probably would have ended up on the pavement as quick as Lance during the 2003 TdF.:troll: