DX Rider

I've had this happen to me several times this summer. It Scares the crap out of me every time, much worse than someone yelling out of car or beeping. Especially if it's a big dog with a deep throated bark. The last time that it happened, it was some AH in an SUV that buzzed me as well, so the dog barked right in my ear. I jumped about a foot that time.

morry32

this has got to be horribly common- scares me like nothing else

bhop

Just yesterday, although it wasn't the first time.

Booger1

It's even better when they try to jump out of the back of a truck at you.Wait till you see one try to hang itself on it's leash from the pickup bed.

DataJunkie

A couple times this year. Once I had my headphones in and that dulled the bark. The other time I just about had a heart attack.

Kojak

I bark back... scares the bejeesus out of the driver.

JoeyBike

Yes, often enough.

One time I had a driver cross the center line in the opposite direction from me and try to brush me head on with a huge German Shepard hanging halfway out the window. The truck was not going all that fast - I had plenty of warning. I hit the dog with an open hand solid on cheek as we passed. Made a gratifying POP sound. He could not get inside the cab fast enough after the contact. Caught the dog completely by surprise as he was staring at my face and never saw the hand coming. I was not chased. I estimate the added speeds of my bike and the truck was 30mph. A moderate Hollywood face slap travels 50 to 60. So I doubt the dog was very hurt, just surprised.

tsl

Thank heavens! I thought I was the only one who barked back.

DataJunkie

I would be barking to myself. This only happens at high speeds to me. I can't pedal 40mph.

jimcross

Barking dogs are scary, but still not as frightening as the screaming teenager phenomenon. I almost jump out of my skin every time!

FrankSerpico

Me too! What a relief!

cyclezealot

Dogs and juveniles are both nuisances. Dogs less frequent, but once the dog was so agitated, I thought he was going to jump out of the window..

funbob

Yes, just about every day. Doesn't even phase me anymore most of the time.

Shimagnolo

I was descending from Estes Park to Lyons, doing about 35mph.
I heard a large diesel pickup overtaking me, didn't think much about it.
Just as it passed, "WOOF!!!", right in my left ear, huge dog's muzzle about 12 inches away.
Scared the bejeezus out of me, and I almost swerved into the ditch.
The pickup had those big mirrors like 18-wheelers use, and the dog was halfway out the window with both paws on the mirror struts.
And that d*mned dog had *perfect* timing.

trekker pete

Occasionally barked at from car, but, mostly from yards. They don't bark at cages. WTF do they have against us?

annc

Maybe it's because your carrying bacon in your pocket?

Bat22

Tee Hee!!

chephy

I recently had a dog barked at me as I was stopped in the left turn lane. A driver of another car, sitting in straight-through lane on my right, smiled and commented on how this is the dog's way of saying "hi".

I don't mind barking dogs nearly as much as horns or screaming teenagers. In fact, most of the time I don't mind them at all.

You should do a BF search on Bailey.

breakaway9

I don't mind the dogs nearly as much as the teenagers yelling... The worst though is my commute goes past two high schools and every day in the winter all the kids in their beamers think it is hilarious to try and spray slush all over the guy on the bike... dumbasses...

downtube42

Dogs are just saying "hi" and teenagers are just saying "allez allez"

billyymc

Never had it happen. Dog's are weird though. If mine did that I'd keep the windows up.

The other day she was riding on the back of my kayak. As I approached shore -- was about 50 yards out still -- she starts barking at a fisherman on shore. I have no idea what she was thinking. She'd never been to the beach before, so maybe she was just freaking out a bit from the entire setting.

CACycling

And I ALWAYS bark back!

cooker

I was in my car, sitting in one of two parallel lines of cars waiting for the light to change, but then we had to wait even longer on the green, as a fire engine came through on the cross street and crossed in front of us against the red light. The siren was pretty loud, but as it's blaring, I swear I'm hearing a kind of eerie echo of it coming from close by. I glance to my right and it's the labrador in the next car howling along with the siren. It was kind of cool.

Luddite

I don't remember this ever happening to me. I LOLd hard at "cager mutt" though. Good one.

Usually I am making kissy kissy noises at dogs out for a walk that I pass and I meow at cats I pass, too. This morning I kissy kissyed at a big raccoon that was on the sidewalk.

Ok, I'm completely weird.

bmclaughlin807

Air zounds, for the win! (Speaking of, I need to put mine back on the bike!)

I've never seen anything funnier than a dog (that was just milliseconds before racing towards me at full speed) doing a somersault trying to get away from me.