Commuting - Lady releases "attack" dog!!

This has been the most odd summer of commuting in my eleven years of commuting! All of a sudden, nut cases are coming out of the woodwork. I posted a thread a month or so ago about a guy who used his pickup truck as a weapon against me and the day that an old lady ranted at me while giving me the finger. The previous ten years -- hardly an incident worth recounting.

This morning I had another bizarre incident. {kick me** There is a mile long section of wide, paved bike/pedestrian path that I take every morning. {abuse me** I choose to ride the path there because 11 years ago a guy in a car left his car to remind me (in a very angry way) that there was a bike path I could be riding. {spit on me** Anyway, I approached two ladies walking side-by-side on the path and slowed down to follow them while we passed another lady who was next to the path letting her two small dogs do their thing. She was facing the path. {slap me** As we passed the lady with her dogs, the dogs proceeded to go ape. No big deal -- dogs do that. {punch me** The ladies walking in front of me stopped in reaction to the dogs, forcing me to stop. {pinch me** The "dog lady" immediately pointed her finger at me and screamed "THE LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE YOUR PRESENCE". Nice. I see this lady almost every morning and this is the first time I don't let her know I'm coming, and she feels the need to tell me about it. {pour burning oil over my head** Well, I didn't take too kindly to that comment and reminded her that she sees me every morning and asked her if she remembers me NOT announcing my presence. {beat me with a stick** Her reaction? She let one of her dogs loose on me! My reaction? I grabbed the dog by the nape of the neck, picked it up and handed it back to her. Then I said, "That wasn't very smart, you ****ing *****. Somebody else would have kicked your dog to the moon.", got on my bike and rode off. If you know me, words like that are not usually part of my vocabulary. For some reason the lady really ticked me off.

We need a "rant" section for this forum!!! If things keep going like this I'll have plenty of entries. I must have a sign or subliminal message that tells people to abuse me. This is getting ridiculous!

Ok, that is a bizzare interaction {small dogs are actually aliens**. I have had a few dog run-ins myself, but never human mediated {you've upset their K9 leader**. Ladies with small dogs are not always the most cordial people in the world but I've never had anyone sick fido on me. Keep your eye on the little dogs though, there the ones that can't be trusted, fortunately they can't do much damage{you may be abducted on your ride home**. By the way that subliminal stuff is hogwash!

The law does not require you to announce your presence. The law does require her to keep her dog on leash. A better response to an off-leash dog, if you can get her/him as you did, would be to take her/him to the local animal intake shelter, which would require the owner to pay a stiff fine to redeem her/him. Then the owner would think twice about invoking "the law" on other legitimate users of the path. Or just hold on to the dog and call the police. They might return the dog to the owner, but again, they'd write a ticket for off-leash.

better yet, let her scream about the law, just say "sorry maam" and then ride off. No confrontation at all.

By the way that subliminal stuff is hogwash!

Exactly.

Besides, there is more important things to worry about. Like all the dog related alien abductions recently.

That is weird man. I feel sorry for the ankle biter, for sure can't hurt one because their owner is an idiot.

Speaking of rants: Yesterday i was sitting outside work talking to a co-worker and a man comes up to us and says,"Excuse me, i don't want to offend you because im black, but can i buy a cigarette." Well it did offend me. Later i was inside the building i work at as a janitor-- public library, the same guy is eating chips and dropping them on the floor. So i say, "Excuse me, there is no eating in the library." Surly attitude, put on expression. Stops eating chips. Then when the library closed i was picking up and noticed the guy left a bloody kleenex on the table he was sitting at.

What's weird about people isnt just how thoughtless and rude they are it's how they seem to live in another world. Here's this woman that feels offended by you being rude and then there's this oppressed black man who feels offended while in reality being amazingly offensive with every breath he musters.

Yea gods, bring back legalized dueling.

BTW this pissed me off and i started thinking that i need anger management training and etc, etc. But after some thought i realized i was right to be pissed off, but that i needed new tecniques to focus my anger. See millions of years ago you got mad, u picked up a rock, and u bashed someone over the head. Now days when you are angry what is the appropriate thing to do?

Don't do like Too Much Coffee Man and kick your cat. You do and the gods will not be pleased. Neither will I.

Just kidding. You're all right on, there's something going on around here and it's getting really weird. All I can say is, be careful out there.

Happy trails.

She let one of her dogs loose on me!


I had something very similar happen to me about a week ago. I was riding my usual route home from work. The route goes through several subdivisions, very peaceful. However, I noticed a dog with a redneck owner (you know the type, old pickup truck, no shirt on, wearing trucker cap). As I rode by, the redneck said to the dog "go get him boy!". I instintively grabbed my pepper spray, but (un)fortunately, the dog was too stupid to understand what the redneck owner was saying, and just kept barking. I just kept riding on. I do, however, keep my pepper spray clipped to my belt all the time now...

Sverre

file assault charges on her. you should have gotten the names of any witnesses. this ***** deserves some hashing.

Augggggh!!! I am writing this reply while tied to a chair and surrounded by five Lhasa Apsos with their ray guns aimed at my head. Their leader is clearly upset about being handled by the back of his neck. If you get this message, tell my wife and children I love them and I hope to see them again soon.

The law does not require you to announce your presence. The law does require her to keep her dog on leash. A better response to an off-leash dog, if you can get her/him as you did, would be to take her/him to the local animal intake shelter, which would require the owner to pay a stiff fine to redeem her/him. Then the owner would think twice about invoking "the law" on other legitimate users of the path. Or just hold on to the dog and call the police. They might return the dog to the owner, but again, they'd write a ticket for off-leash.

are you sure...?

we're not required to do so here (in madison), but as we both know, illinois is worse than wisconsin in every respect...:)

"THE LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE YOUR PRESENCE". Nice. This is getting ridiculous!

methinks it's time to invest in an airhorn, like the Airzound (http://www.deltacycle.com/airzound/hornframe.php) just for her.

also, i carry a little card in my wallet with the bicycle-relevant bits of state code; it's very useful when you need to educate an idiot (or an overzealous cop).

My "best" lunatic was a guy who was mad at me for taking a lane and slowing his commute home a few weeks ago. He yelled nice things at me and waved as he passed (one finger). I returned his pleasantries and kept going. He turned and came back for me. We exchanged pleasantries again and I turned. He ran back into the heavy traffic, but then came back for me again, getting happier and friendlier all the time. Again I returned his kind wishes and moved along, and he got caught up in traffic. The last time he drove by me I was on a bike lane on the side of a busy road (lots of witnesses) and blew him a kiss as he drove by red faced, gesturing, and screaming. All in all it was pretty funny, but I'm sure glad he didn't manage to catch me on one of the side streets. He went WAY out of his way for me.

From now on I will salute all dogs I see, just in case they are high ranking. Thanks for the inside tip. :)

Doggone it!
There is no heaven, but am having a hell of a good time anyway!

My "best" lunatic was a guy who was mad at me for taking a lane and slowing his commute home a few weeks ago. He yelled nice things at me and waved as he passed (one finger). I returned his pleasantries and kept going. He turned and came back for me. We exchanged pleasantries again and I turned. He ran back into the heavy traffic, but then came back for me again, getting happier and friendlier all the time. Again I returned his kind wishes and moved along, and he got caught up in traffic. The last time he drove by me I was on a bike lane on the side of a busy road (lots of witnesses) and blew him a kiss as he drove by red faced, gesturing, and screaming. All in all it was pretty funny, but I'm sure glad he didn't manage to catch me on one of the side streets. He went WAY out of his way for me.

From now on I will salute all dogs I see, just in case they are high ranking. Thanks for the inside tip. :)

I have had some run ins like this and have decided that there is no future in feeding the animals. I just sort of nod at them, put my head down and ride now when i see a lunatic driver being weird.

Yow! Local ordinances vary and some require you have and use a sound making device (bell, horn, voice) to alert others when riding on bike paths. However, the law does not allow a pedestrian to sic a dog on a person in public who is not a current and immediate threat.

When you say she let her dog loose, do you mean she did an overt act like disconnected the dog's leash? Or, is it possible (however improbable) that the woman lost control of the leash in the ensuing confusion?

If the woman overtly set her dog on you, then you should have gotten the names of the others as witnesses and gotten the police involved in a felony assault.

I also like the idea of the Airzound for her. Give her the full bottle of air worth, just to be sure she knows you are in the vicinity.

And get a can of HALT! (if legal in your state) just in case. You might also take a camera on your next ride and stop to get the woman's picture. Tell her it's for police identification of her and her dogs should she try any more assaults.

If someone released their dogs on me, I would have called the animal shelter and had them come and take the dogs away to get put down. If you have attack dogs that attack someone, that's the result! At least, that's what happens here in Illinois.

Personally, I wouldn't have let it end there. If she releases a dog on me, and that dog attacks and I can pick it up, I would have rode off with it. Then, I would have brought the dog to the pound. That would certainly teach her a lesson.

On top of that, when you use a dog that way, I thought the dog was treated as though it was a weapon, and the woman would have been arrested. I would check on that.

I know in Chicago, we are not allowed to use horns, but we are supposed to announce our presence, and they tell us to use a bike bell or shout out. But still, those are in instances when the path is crowded, and in order to get someone to move aside in a crowded path area, you make an announcement. But if the trail is not crowded, and we can proceed around them safely, we are under no obligation to announce when passing. Somehow, dog owners of Illinois have warped this law into thinking they own the freakin' trail. I just had a woman yell at me when the three of them were on the path, headed towards me in MY lane. I was yelling at them that I'm passing as I approached. Two of the dog ladies got into their proper lane, and the third continued to walk into my lane with her dog, then at the last second, scooped her dog up when I was less than 12 feet away. I braked hard, then she tried to lecture me, and I yelled at her to get her f-in dog off the f-in path when I'm yelling from half a block away that I was coming. She looked so scared I had to laugh.

Alternatively, we could take the streets. I don't do the streets on weekdays because I don't want to be bothered with the lights and traffic. I need to be able to train on a continuous course where I don't have to stop every block for 50 miles for lights, cars, buses, etc. So I'm forced onto the trails, and for that reason, I get up at 3:40am every morning and ride the path before it gets crowded with people. It was unfortunate I decided to sleep in on Sunday and get up at 5am instead, which led to encountering these people. But on weekends, I head north and start early, so by the time I get way north, like Rivinia, the streets are a bit longer, and the traffic is a bit more used to seeing cyclists on the road, so it's a bit more tolerable.

*sigh*

Good luck. We unlucky souls that live in the big cities sympathize. :(

Koffee

Generally, though not always, dogs are better creatures than people. Too bad so many nice dogs have to get mis-used by so many bad people. I wonder if this wench realizes that if her dog bit you the law-man would have it destroyed? Of course if the dog is used as a weapon, the "owner" is the one who should be destroyed.

Next time you see her, announce your presence with a VERY LOUD air horn, and say "move your wrinkled arse outta my way, b*tch!".

bkr

"Excuse me, i don't want to offend you because im black, but can i buy a cigarette.

What is there to get offended about? I don't get it.

The law does not require you to announce your presence. The law does require her to keep her dog on leash. A better response to an off-leash dog, if you can get her/him as you did, would be to take her/him to the local animal intake shelter, which would require the owner to pay a stiff fine to redeem her/him. Then the owner would think twice about invoking "the law" on other legitimate users of the path. Or just hold on to the dog and call the police. They might return the dog to the owner, but again, they'd write a ticket for off-leash.

The law also does not require you to use the path, regardless of whether it's there or not. I know for a fact that drivers resent the mere fact that I choose to ride on the road. However, as long as it protects me from nutcases like this (or some of the other punch throwing yobbos we have around here) I will continue to do it. The heavier the traffic, the better.

However, in your situation, I would have no hesitation in calling the cops. In fact, I wouldn't have even said a word to the "woman" in question before doing so.

Actually, I remember reading in the Illinois bike pamphlets that the law requires that if there is a bike lane, we must use it. However, this is a little enforced law, especially in Chicago.

What may be legal or accepted in one state, city, or even in another part of the world may not be legal where you live. It's always best to consult the law in your state and city if you're really that concerned.

Koffee

Actually, I remember reading in the Illinois bike pamphlets that the law requires that if there is a bike lane, we must use it. However, this is a little enforced law, especially in Chicago.

Read the wording of the law carefully. A bike lane is not the same animal as a bike path. Also look for the wording "if practicable". In other words, if it's practical to do so, you must use an on-road bike lane. That is the extent of it. We have the same law in this country.

If someone released their dogs on me, I would have called the animal shelter and had them come and take the dogs away to get put down. This amounts to punishing the dog (ultimately and irreversibly, of course) for the human's misconduct. Granted, there are some dogs who, because of how they've been treated by humans, could never practically live a life without being a significant danger to themselves and/or humans. But a single incident like the one described hardly warrants a death sentence.

I'm liking the air horn suggestion. That's the most trouble I would go to. And I'll wait until I'm right on top of her. Let's face, stupid or not, the lady is still someone I will see almost every day. Calling the police or having her dog put away is a bit extreme.

To answer the question of whether the lady let the dog off the leash or simply let go of the leash, she let the dog off of the leash. Dumb, dumb, dumb, DUMB!!!!!!! As a dog owner, it makes me shudder to think that someone that stupid was allowed to purchase a dog!

What is there to get offended about? I don't get it.

Quote:"Excuse me, i don't want to offend you because im black, but can i buy a cigarette.


What is there to get offended about? I don't get it.

He's calling us racists. Too subtle for you?

This amounts to punishing the dog (ultimately and irreversibly, of course) for the human's misconduct. Granted, there are some dogs who, because of how they've been treated by humans, could never practically live a life without being a significant danger to themselves and/or humans. But a single incident like the one described hardly warrants a death sentence.

Yes, I would punish the dog. If the dog is taught to attack people when the owner says so, then the dog is spoiled and needs to be put down. I cannot imagine what would happen if that dog attacked a child or a baby. It's just lucky the dog attacked a grownup who was able to handle it.

It's just too bad the owner taught the dog to attack. But if the dog has this as part of his normal behavior pattern, then it definitely needs to be put down before it can do any further damage on someone else who can't defend themselves against the dog as well as Tree Trunk did.

Koffee

we're not required to do so here (in madison), but as we both know, illinois is worse than wisconsin in every respect...

You're just jelous we're FIBs and you're not! See ya in Door County.

I would pay a good deal of money to see footage of you scooping up the little dust mop by the scruff. That's the funniest thing I've read in a while.
I, however, would probably have chosen to punt.

Hmm..i'd be tempted to lockwhip the little barking softball.

Hmm..i'd be tempted to lockwhip the little barking softball.

Me too!

You're just jelous we're FIBs and you're not! See ya in Door County.

durn southreners...

The "dog lady" immediately pointed her finger at me and screamed "THE LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE YOUR PRESENCE". Use your water bottle to announce your presence. Just squirt her with it and call out "Just letting you know I'm here', as you requested."

Edited for quote marks.

I'm liking the air horn suggestion. That's the most trouble I would go to. And I'll wait until I'm right on top of her.

I was only joking. :) :) :) Don't even think of going there.

No, get a little bell and ring it incessantly and make some sarcastic "excuse me, pardon me, coming through, excuse me, pardon me...." comments next time you see her. Snarky humor is always better revenge than escalation of hostilities. People hate it most when you laugh at them.

bkr

It's just too bad the owner taught the dog to attack. But if the dog has this as part of his normal behavior pattern, then it definitely needs to be put down before it can do any further damage on someone else who can't defend themselves against the dog as well as Tree Trunk did. If the owner taught the dog to attack, then that's not part of her/his normal behavior pattern. What is learned can, in most cases, be unlearned. Assuming that such an attack is inherent in the dog's character, without a thorough assesment of her/his overall temperament by a professional behaviorist is, as I said before, addressing an ultimately human problem at the expense of the dog's life.

Hmm..i'd be tempted to lockwhip the little barking softball. In about half the states in this country, that's called felony cruelty to animals. In the remaining states, you'd be relatively lucky, as it's only a misdemeanor. Is a little sick pleasure and proving a point (one that would probably be lost on the other person involved anyway) worth a criminal record? Your call.

No, get a little bell and ring it incessantly and make some sarcastic "excuse me, pardon me, coming through, excuse me, pardon me...." comments next time you see her. Snarky humor is always better revenge than escalation of hostilities. People hate it most when you laugh at them. A buddy's favorite line, when approaching a rollerblader/slow-walker/dog-walker/etc. on the path is "Bike on the bike path!". Alas (and astonishingly, given this is the birthplace of The Onion), the subjects of most such encounters are too "irony-deficient" to get it.

From what I see the Illinois Vehicle Code requires us to give audible signals when passing pedestrians on the sidewalk. It further states that on sideswalks we have all the rights and duties of pedestrians. Of course local ordinances may prohibit sidewalk riding as is my understanding here in Chicago for anyone 12 and over (or is it over 12?).

Bike paths or multi-use paths are not sidewalks in my estimation.

Most of the Forest Preserve district literature, the Bank One Chicago Bike Map and such that I've seen about multi-use paths say that bikes should announce their presence when passing. I don't know if there's any law about this though.

As for me personally, I only say something when I need the person to change their behavior. Far too many times I've startled someone walking by saying "on your left" only to have them veer or jump straight into my path. If they are moving steadily in a place that is good for me, I don't mess with them and just slide around, often saying hi as I'm 1' past or wave to seem friendly.

As for me personally, I only say something when I need the person to change their behavior. Far too many times I've startled someone walking by saying "on your left" only to have them veer or jump straight into my path. If they are moving steadily in a place that is good for me, I don't mess with them and just slide around, often saying hi as I'm 1' past or wave to seem friendly.

My experience is that most of those on foot have their music cranked up so loud they can't hear a bell or voice until you are right on top of them.

Yeah, what hubs said. That's been exactly my experience. And I was guessing that the law went as hubs describes.

In about half the states in this country, that's called felony cruelty to animals. In the remaining states, you'd be relatively lucky, as it's only a misdemeanor. Is a little sick pleasure and proving a point (one that would probably be lost on the other person involved anyway) worth a criminal record? Your call.


If it's coming to you and aggressively, regardless of size, I bet nobody would file charges. You have no clue what diseases that thing could have...plus small dogs may not be strong, but they have sharp teeth.

Of course, deadly force in self-defense has its place, regardless of the species of the attacker. But to "lockwhip" a dog after getting her/him under control, as the original poster described having done, is by no stretch self-defense.

This morning I had another bizarre incident.....

I hate it when dog owners are so irresponsible, especially those who walk their dogs and poop everywhere without scooping the poop up! :eek:

What I would have done: definitely use one of those air-horn cannisters next time and REALLY "announce your presence"!!! {sprays little dogs and owner with special bottle filled with urine and readies frame pump for any counterattacks**.

Have a nice day!

I hate it when dog owners are so irresponsible, especially those who walk their dogs and poop everywhere without scooping the poop up!

When I come across something like this, I often have a poop-cleanup-appropriate bag with me. I come up along side them and act as if they forgot their bag, and I'm their best friend for loaning them one. "Oh, hi! You must have forgotten your cleanup bag. Here's one of mine." and I stand there expectantly while they pick up the "little treasure". Hasn't failed yet.

If the lady requests that you announce your presence, I say fulfill her request.

Get an AirZound. This horn is louder than most cars.

Bring a hefty bag with you to clean up her mess after you unleash the airzound on her.http://http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/images/produkte/airzound3_komplett.jpg

If someone released their dogs on me, I would have called the animal shelter and had them come and take the dogs away to get put down. If you have attack dogs that attack someone, that's the result! At least, that's what happens here in Illinois. That's very cool. Let's kill a dog because it's owner is a moron. I think from now on, we should be able to smother crying infants in the movie theater.

Faulty logic, but I guess if you equate the life of a dog with that of a human, then go ahead and think it. :rolleyes:

Koffee

i still don't understand why were alowed to have violent things like dogs when we obviously can't contrl them and they cant control themselves.

That's very cool. Let's kill a dog because it's owner is a moron. I think from now on, we should be able to smother crying infants in the movie theater.

Interesting hyperbole; I'd like to be able to have people ejected for bringing their children to the movies, especially late showings.

Faulty logic, but I guess if you equate the life of a dog with that of a human, then go ahead and think it. :rolleyes:

Koffee

Honestly, I think highly of more animals than I do most people. People train dogs to be jerks, people just ARE that way. :)

My 2 cats are better people than most of the drivers I encounter on the road. :)

But seriously folks *rimshot* if you look at title of the original post, the word attack is in quotes, indicating and ironic phrase or possibly a quotation - I believe it was former. Since the poster was able to pick the "attack" dog up by the scruff of the neck without harm and hand it to its bitter old hag of an owner, logic leads me to believe that this was some garden variety highstrung yip-yap rat-dog that posed no immediate threat. If you really advocate the killing of the dog, just because it's owner "sic"ed it someone I think we have nothing else to discuss as this will probably lead nowhere. :)


Vincent "Dogs are people too" Macaluso

i still don't understand why were alowed to have violent things like dogs when we obviously can't contrl them and they cant control themselves. And this differs from virtually every other means by which we are violent with one another HOW, exactly?