Originally Posted by
emily_in_nc
Everything Blueberry says is true. We lived mostly in the rural area of Orange County near Hillsborough, and we did experience some "cyclist hate" incidents, but very few given the 1000s of miles we rode over the years. However, loose dog incidents were more common, and that's exactly what caused my accident in '05 where I fractured my pelvis and have never been the same (though I've come a long, long way). Despite leash laws, there is a pervading mentality in the south that dogs are for protection and should not have to be restrained. I agree with not chaining dogs, which is cruel, but to leave them free to roam is another matter entirely.
That said, on our recent RV trip through SC, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas, being terrorized by loose dogs was a whole different level than rural NC. I knew within every mile or so cycled on rural roads in the aforementioned states, we were going to be chased by at least one dog, if not a couple or three together. I got to where I didn't even want to ride other than on bike paths or in park boundaries. Since getting into the midwest/plains (not really sure what to call it, but Missouri/Iowa), we have not had ONE dog incident. And we almost never have had problems with dogs anytime we've ridden in the western US. Pepper spray is a must when riding in the southeast, sadly.