hotbike

Northbrook man dies after fall from bicycle entangled with dog leash
Dog owner left scene; police seeking witnesses
October 05, 2013|By Alexandra Chachkevitch, Chicago Tribune reporter

LINK:

https://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...cle-northbrook

Comment: Dogs on leashes always made me nervous. From now on I will be extra cautious. Condolences to the family.

howsteepisit

One of the reasons I am hesitant about riding on MUPs is people walking dogs on leases. When I do ride them I end up riding <10 mph and slowing to 2-3 when creeping by dogs and owners.

Murray Missile 

Had a near entanglement earlier this week riding down the street. Old guy with a small dog on one of those reel leashes was walking across his yard toward the road. He looked right at me and walked into the road just ahead of me letting his dog run into the middle of the street. I had to go to the far shoulder to keep from hitting the dog and getting tangled up in it's leash. As I went by he smiled, waved and said "Hello", totally clueless as to what almost happened.

hotbike

Exactly what I think. It may be safer to ride in the roads. I don't think we could get them to refrain from walking their dogs, it is a "Multiple Use" path, and their tax dollars went into building it, as well as ours.

If I ride by in a Velomobile at 35 mph, I wonder what would happen, the leash might slide off, with nothing to catch onto?

hotbike

I don't know what people think. Do they realize that bicycles can move quickly? Do they realize that motorists want bicycles to move faster, and we are trying to comply with that request?

DX-MAN

People DON'T think, too much effort -- PLUS, they might discover their insular little world of "I'm a nice person, I don't mean any harm to anyone, I can do whatever I want" ISN'T so nice.... In fact, it MIGHT resemble something anal.

daihard 

I had a similar close call this afternoon, though with a human being. I was riding on the bike lane when this woman, with earbuds buried in her ears, jaywalked (or jay-ran) across the street and right into my path. She was obviously only paying attention to the vehicular traffic. I noticed her early enough to be able to stop, and she just carried on as if she'd caused no trouble...

Chris516

Condolences to the family. Dogs don't make me nervous.

Essex

I hope they catch this dog owner. Instead of staying on the scene, they now open themselves up to a world of trouble by doing the wrong thing.

Also, condolences to a bike rider who enjoyed the outdoors and riding.

Murray Missile 

This is probably a subject for a new thread but, is it just me or do people seem to be a LOT more clueless than they were 10-15 years ago? In the short time I've been back into regular cycling it seems I've had far more incidents than I did when I rode on a regular basis just a few years ago. I don't think it's because I'm anymore aware as I had been a long time motorcycle rider as well and rode VERY defensively and I'm the same way in my car. Cars, pedestrians, and even other "people on bicycles" just seem to be wandering around in their own self absorbed little bubbles. The only group I have not had an issue with are motorcycle riders and believe me I encounter enough of them that statistically I would have thought I would have had at least one close call. Heck, I've even had a couple of them give me the motorcyclist's "low five" off the end of the handlebars secret handshake and a head nod as they went by.

dave42

A couple of weeks ago, I was out for a ride when I spied a couple waiting to cross the street. There was a car in front of me going about twenty-five mph. My cyclecomputer read 32 mph. I was about 50 feet behind the car.

The couple waited for the car to pass, then they looked right at me and stepped out in front of me.

I nearly crashed.

I guess they stepped out because "it's only a bicycle".

I obey all traffic laws to a T, and I average 2 near misses on every ride, whether dealing with cars or pedestrians who break the law, or even cyclists who are on the wrong side of the road(in the rain at night with no lights, etc).

I wish all the ignorant scum were either educated or rotting in jail for endangering my life.

I wish I didn't feel that way, but the op's dog story set me off. I deal with it all the time.

dave42

I agree.

Essex

This happens ALL the time in Manhattan. I rarely ever get up to 30 mph in the city. And when I do I am way too wary to even enjoy > 30 mph.

As per dogs - never had a problem as most owners here have mini dogs like myself. And know that a rumbling bike would flatten my little poochie-foo in no time.

DX-MAN

Clueless? For sure.

I live in/around what's considered the 'rough part of town'; most of this town's 3 dozen homicides for the year happened within 3-4 miles of my house. You'd THINK being 'in the hood', folks would be more aware -- after all, that's the given reason youths and young adults forsake the sidewalk and walk in the street -- to avoid being jumped from behind a hedge. But I can roll up on them all day long, and I don't have a quiet freehub.

Essex

Jackin' some dude on a bike ain't worth it man. Unless he be rolling some nice BMX. If the dude has a punk -a$$ mini dog he's lookin' to be jacked real fast. Me, I take my pittie wit me all das time.

That said - I don't see too many folks $$$$ carbon bikes in nice areas. And I purposely make sure to avoid urban areas where I see a cluster of teens. If I do I take the lane.

ItsJustMe

Airzound.

KonAaron Snake 

I sometimes feel that way, but I think it's just because I'm getting old. Hey! You! Get off my lawn!

I agree with you on motorcycle (and I'll add scooter) riders...of all traffic users, they seem to be the best. There is one notable exception - the idiots on ATVs blazing through city streets at insane speeds. I've had a few problems with that crowd in car, on bike and as a ped.

rumrunn6

thanks for sharing. who knew an accident seemingly so innocuous could be fatal

squirtdad

a 3-4 years ago a guy bike walking his dog cuased the death of a walker on a local MUP. She fell and hit her head after getting tangled in the leash between bike and dog.

too many people don't think things through, whether they are a pedestrian, driver, jogger, cyclist etc.

And MUPS are often one of the worst places to bike when busy

genec

I hear you loud and clear, and you can make the same loud and clear to others... get an airzounds... then folks like dog walkers, dumb azz peds and the like will get your "notifications" right away.

Matariki

Occasionally, on my morning commute, I've encountered a jogger with his back to me running down the middle of the road with 2 dogs on reel leashes. Typically, the dogs are spread out so this guy is a running roadblock. Because he is plugged in, my bell just won't do it so I yell (which does not always work). I usually have to take to the sidewalk to put some parked cars between myself and him.

Sad about Mr. Bujak. I rarely ride MUPs because of the other occupants, but when I have, most dog owners will tighten up on the lease for me to pass - probably more for the dog's protection than mine.

I-Like-To-Bike

I agree, there are many clueless people.

Chris516

I have had a number of those situations recently. Not on a bike path. But while riding on the road. I would see them strolling across busy road during rush our. They may not have earbuds on, but they seem equally oblivious to the oncoming traffic, the speed, the size of the vehicle, and the room needed to stop a given vehicle at various speeds.

Some people will jay-walk because of necessity, as in no traffic light in the vicinity and/or no sidewalk/path to a bus stop. So the do deserve deference in those situations.

daihard 

Kinda glad I'm not the only one. BTW, the above incident happened to me on the road as well. I was on a bike lane between the carriageway and the curb.

In my case, jaywalking was unnecessary. There was a marked crossing with a traffic light about 50 yard from where she crossed the street. It's also worth noting that pedestrians can legally cross any intersection in WA since intersections considered crossings whether or not they are "marked." That gives pedestrians less excuse for jaywalking.

Murray Missile 

I put an Airzounds on my beater bike because the plan is to use it for errands which will put me in higher traffic areas but the other night I had a near collision on my MTB with some little carpet ape on a BMX bike in our local cemetery of all places. He came flying out of a side lane and made a deliberate swerve toward me grinning like the Cheshire cat. I held my line and he swerved off at the next lane. I was wishing I had the Airzounds on that bike, if I had, his ears would still be ringing because his hollow little head was right even with my handlebars for about 50 feet. I put an electric horn on it yesterday but it's just too feeble and polite to give the desired affect, looks like I'll be ordering another Airzounds.