Honey_Bee

*glorious

I have been having trouble with dogs chasing and trying to attack me whenever I am on my road bike, and due to a recent event that SCARED me very badly, I have been so afraid to ride my bike for the last month. I rode once in that time frame, but I felt paranoid that a dog might come out at me.

I am writing to ask for HELP in finding the right helmet camera. I would feel safer with it. I am NOT good with technology and am hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I know a camera will not protect me against a dog, but due to the fact that I almost just got in trouble because a dog nearly attacked me while I was on the road scares me. I want a helmet camera so I will ALWAYS have evidence.

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Please- can someone help me find a camera that is less than $500, that is sturdy, waterproof, and records SOUND as well? And hopefully it is not too bulky???
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And for anyone curious, the following passage explains WHY I almost got in trouble for an aggressive dog chasing me down:




I love dogs and have three of my own- but lately I have had many close run ins with other peoples dogs. I carry a dog repellent that is commonly used by mail men (& women). I will now be upgrading to mace.

The most recent near attack was horrible. I was riding my bike down the road. An aggressive dog came at me. I did not find it comforting that the dogs owner was just as aggressive and blamed ME for the whole ordeal. The first words out to the owners mouth were " ARE THE YOU ONE WHO CALLED THE [CURSE WORD] DOG WARDEN ON ME EARLIER?!"

And so it went. He would not grab his dog, and every time I tried to bike away, his dog would chase once more. So as I walked the road in front of his house, the man kept following telling me to "get the [curse word] out of there!" He called me fat ugly, and he also called me one of the worst names a man can call a woman, but I dare not type it here.

The man had been having troubles with his dog chasing people (he admitted that when he asked if I had been the one who called the dog warden on him), and was taking it out on me. At one point I even asked him "wny are you yelling at me, I did nothing wrong, your dog is trying to attack me!"

When I got down to the next intersection I phoned the sherriff. The man apparently had a wife. She came down the road to where I stood and yelled at me herself- the officer on the phone heard me saying to her "I don't care if you say until the police come, but you need to move away from me, please go park over there." I was crying and very scared. The police never came. I had to call my dad to come pick me up- my Fuji haphazzardly sticking out of his trunk. Thank goodness it didn't fall out.

And, in Paulding ****y, Ohio--- They are not doing anything about this incident. Nothing at all.

Why? Because after the man said "Are you the one who called the.... dog warden on me earlier?" I yelled a WARNING back. I yelled "Get your dog or I'm going to spray him!"

Well according to Paulding county, I should not have hollared out a warning! Since I let the man know that I was prepared to defend myself, that meant I was guilty of disorderly conduct. The man also said I was yelling, so since I admitted to yelling out a warning for him ot control his dog- they were going to take HIS word for it (that I was yelling back).... Even though the man has something to hide and has no witnesses--- even though the man admitted to his dog being loose, to yelling at me, the fact that his wife followed me down the roade and harassed me further (and I remained civil then too) etc.....

I could choose to push for failure ot control (the dog) and disorderly conduct charges agains the men and his wife- BUT! If I did so then the prosecutor would press charges against me too.

When the officer gave me this news over the phone I asked "well what should I have done? whispered a warning? He wouldn't have heard me?" He didn't answer.

And that leads me to my next question- what if the dog BIT me, and I yelled "get your dog off of me!" Is that disorderly conduct?

Basically, the county didn't want to do anything, so they threatened me to just shut up--> even though it is KNOWN that this man is not keeping his dog in control.

I must add that I saw two young kids riding their bike with their mom on that same road earlier, by about an hour or so.

What will it take the county to do to protect people?

Such a shame.

THIS IS WHY I WANT A HELMET CAMERA that records SOUND and VIDEO- to use as evidence the next time it happens.

I really hope someone will help me.

I miss riding my bikes.

Thanks so much.