Quote Originally Posted by Lisa S.H. View Post
Isn't this a discussion forum? Hmmm...I thought in discussion forums people were allowed to express various viewpoints as long as they are politely worded.
The discussion is in FULL swing and everyone is being polite, civil, and stressing their point of view. Sure, some points are more emotional than others … we’re women aren’t we?!

As a woman, I can appreciate other points of view until I feel someone has crossed the line, adding insult to injury. In this case, I am injured and I feel it is very insulting to imply that an automobile and a bicycle are equal in defining accidental fault. I feel that the person who implied this preposterous perspective was trying to say that we as cyclists are at fault if we hit an attacking out-of-control animal, thus I was at fault for hitting a dog that ran into me and into my direct line of travel. Fact is, a cyclist is vulnerable to the environment in which they ride; automobiles are much more protected. However, if we are to use the automobile example, this is like saying that the deer that leaped across the road and landed on a car’s roof was the fault of the driver. Maybe the fault would be equal in this case (both a victim of an uncontrolled animal), but the injuries, property damages, and legal ramifications would be significantly different.

I am the OP. Obviously; this is a very personal, emotional, and frustrating situation for me. I wrote the OP to ask for advice, support, and a sharing of experiences. Dogs are a universal problem for cyclist! It NEVER occurred to me that a fellow cyclist would find fault in the situation and put blame on a cyclist. It is an opinion, but I will actively discuss the point and stress my distress for their perspective.