an unfortunate incident

[divingbiker]

I had the same experience as blueskies a few months ago. An older man had his dog on a retractable leash, with the dog on one side of the trail and him on the other. I came up on them around a curve, slowly, and had to stop. I might have rung my bell. He started ranting that "you bike riders think you own the trail" and on and on.

I also didn't engage with him, just went on the grass and on my way, but I really wanted to tell him, "no, I don't think I own the trail, but I'd like to borrow just one little strip over here on the right if you don't mind."

I've got a retractable leash but haven't used it in about 11 years, since I saw how dangerous they are.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

OMG Zen that's exactly the old guy I was thinking of!

I hear you on the post conflict adrenaline rush. I hate that. I am with the other poster that stated that he probably figured out afterward that he was probably in the wrong, but he was too stubborn to say "My bad!"

When I was at my dad's last year, I went to a local multiuse trail park and while driving down the dirt road, a woman walking a dog started yelling at me "SLOW DOWN!!!!". I was going about 8 mph and it was posted for 15. I was so mad that I actually pulled over and walked up to her. Of course she simmered down...but I told her that if she had a problem the ranger is probably at the office. And she had a retractable leash and had her dog strung across the road!!

I just don't like that crazy drama people deal out.

For the record I have a retractable leash but I don't use it that often. If I'm going for a long walk where there is NO ONE, I use it, but if it's around where I'm staying in Mass (busy beach area), I don't use it. I don't want her that far from me. I think the 3 foot rule applies when you are on a multiuse trail (well the common sense 3 foot rule leash law-where the dog is not on a leash longer than 3 feet within your control).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Too bad someone doesn't invent a James Bond-like retractable leash cutter for bikes that can razor-cut a leash as we ride through it.

[Flybye]

Too bad someone doesn't invent a James Bond-like retractable leash cutter for bikes that can razor-cut a leash as we ride through it.

Hey, I think I just might have to agree with you on something for once

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hey, I think I just might have to agree with you on something for once

Maybe it's best you don't- you wouldn't want it to become a bad habit.

[SouthernBelle]

Interestingly, dogs are not allowed on our local paths. At all.

I'll be riding some of the greenways in Nashville this weekend, but I'm not sure about the rules there. If I see them posted, I'll check.

[Iris616]

I'm sorry that happened to you. I agree with others that there probably isn't much you could've said in the moment that would've got through to the man. I don't have much skill at being witty or well spoken during an adrenalin rush.

Last month, I had an experience with an irresponsible dog owner. For 3 days in a row, I saw him "walking" his dog off leash (huge pet peave of mine). He had no control of the dog, who was running across every ones yards, doing his business every where. On the 3rd day his dog came after mine.
So,I said to him "your dog belongs on a leash at all times"
Him:"He most certainly does not. He is a creature of God and should be free"
Me:"It's the LAW!"
Him: Turned around and gave me the finger.
Man watching the whole thing from his driveway: "That's a godly response."

Just goes to show, that you can't always have a reasonable conversation with some people.

[Tuckervill]

Devil's advocate. I had two Jack Russells and used retractable leashes when I walked them (mostly in campground settings). I never allowed my kids to use them because they couldn't control the dogs the way I could. I paid attention to the stinkin' dogs! It was like a ballet, having those dogs on a leash. Retractable leashes are the only way I could walk those dogs. I never had any "incidents" with them, except for the time some stupid dog owner had their dog's leash attached to a FLIP FLOP and thought that would hold the dog down and their dog attacked mine!

Yeah, yeah, training and all that. Those dogs are gone and I have more sane dogs, now. Retractable leashes are only as good as the people using them. Properly used, they're fine.

Also, from a pedestrian's viewpoint on a gravel road, every car is fast--and has the potential to throw rocks at almost any speed. Also, the dust that is thrown up is terrible. Bikes throw rocks in gravel, too. The pedestrian only knows this, and doesn't know if the driver/cyclist is paying attention enough to stop in time, or if she is taking the pedestrian into account. It's a vulnerable feeling walking down a road when a big noisy thing comes along. I experience this myself, and it's an instinctual feeling, that vulnerability.

Karen

[Flur]

Retractable leashes are only as good as the people using them. Properly used, they're fine.

+1. There are no bad leashes, only bad owners.

We use our retractable leash to walk our mini dachshund on the MUT at the lake by our house. He gets excited by people and wants to run up to everyone to get petted (he knows he's cute!), so when the path is narrow I can retract it to it's lowest setting (2.5 feet approx.) and keep him close. When the path is wider I can set it at a normal leash length (4-6 feet), and when we get to a clearing we can pull off and romp in the grass with a longer leash. And all this without losing blood flow to my hand like I would with a regular leash wrapped around it. This leash is a godsend pretty much everywhere (not just the MUT) b/c 4-6 feet can be too much for such a little dog in tight areas, but in more open areas w/o people or dogs around we can give him the full 16 feet and let him run a bit (we don't have a yard so this is great for him).

That said, in MN most paths are divided into pedestrian only and bike/skate. Usually they are separate paths that run parallel to each other with grass in between, and the bike/skate paths almost always are either one way, or two paths parallel, each one way, or one path with marked lanes, and they're all marked with pictures of bikes and the direction arrows. So when I say I walk him on a MUT, it's the pedestrian/stroller/dog walker/jogger path next to the bike/skate path.

[uforgot]

Too bad someone doesn't invent a James Bond-like retractable leash cutter for bikes that can razor-cut a leash as we ride through it.

And they would be so busy trying to recover their dog that they would have no time to rant at you! A clean getaway.

[teigyr]

Last week I did a training ride then immediately went for a run. While I was on my ride, I noticed a woman with a dog NOT on a leash. The woman was talking on a cell phone and the dog was running free. When I went out for my run, I was on the street (my ride was on a MUT by the house) and the woman was walking toward me NOT on the phone carrying an empty leash. She asked if I had seen a dog.

I almost had to laugh at her but I feel bad for the dog.

Maybe the people around our MUT are more irresponsible than most but if they do bag up dog poop, they leave the baggies on or beside the trail! (Some of them, not all.) The trail used to be gravel and was paved about 5 years ago or so. The neighbors along the trail, especially since it got paved, have taken to putting up "pick up after your dog, it's the law" signs because I guess it gets pretty nasty.

I don't get it. It's just more cases of people thinking that their actions are what's important (and they disregard cyclists and neighbors) and don't really think beyond their own little scope of existence.

Oh and regarding the good dogs (whether not on leash or on retractable leash) how do we know? It's ok when I run but when I'm on my bike I have to act as if any uncontrolled dog could dart in front of me. I love dogs, I just don't love falling.

[OakLeaf]

Oh and regarding the good dogs (whether not on leash or on retractable leash) how do we know?

With a dog on a retractable leash, you know the same way that you know with a dog on a non-retractable leash. That is, you trust the owner to not drop the freakin' leash. Or you don't trust them, but there's no difference there whether the leash is retractable, or a 4 foot non-retractable, or a 12 foot non-retractable.

[GLC1968]

I hate irresponsible dog owners as much as I hate irresponsible bikers. It's the same thing. People have issues with retractable leashes because many people don't use them correctly. People have issues with cyclists because there are those out there who don't use them correctly (following the rules).


I'm glad no one got hurt! I know exactly what you mean about not being able to get the right words out when it matters. I do the same thing and it's so frustrating!!

[BethG]

I know exactly what you mean about not being able to get the right words out when it matters. I do the same thing and it's so frustrating!!

FWIW, it doesn't sound like anything she said would have mattered - because it doesn't sound like grumpasaurus was interested in being reasonable. blueskies could have quoted her favorite soup recipe for all the difference it would have made to this guy

Happy to her neither you, nor the dog was hurt

(aside: as a dog owner, my personal suspicion is that retractable leashes were invented by the Devil. They're too easy to drop, prone to giving people around you rope burns, and give people a false sense of security about how well they're controlling their dogs - if you can't trust your dog to behave 10 feet way from you if it's off leash, you can't count on it being safe and under control when it's 10 feet away from you on a retractable. /rant /soapbox)

[blueskies]

I guess sharing the MUPs is just like sharing the road-- lots of food for thought & discussion.

I wanted to add that I've ridden this path a couple times per week over the last couple years, and only had one other negative experience in all that time. Mostly, I enjoy this path a lot. It's lovely & it's a busy park. That's part of the charm for me, and I ride there specifically when my intention is to do a slow, easy recovery spin. All the people & dogs actually make it easier for me to glo slow, which is my goal.

I've had so many small moments there that put a smile on my face...

Last year, I came upon a group of young boys that had stopped in the middle of the path. I stopped to give them a moment to move, and they asked me if I happened to have binoculars with me. I didn't. They pointed to a big tree in the distance & told me that they thought there was a spy in that tree. They went on to say that once I passed a certain point, I'd be entering the ghetto, and did I have a weapon. I admitted that I did not have a weapon & they started an earnest conversation amongst themselves about whether or not I could proceed, deciding eventually that because I was a grown-up it was probably all right. It was comic.

The other day, I passed (very slowly) a small girl on a bike with training wheels. She grinned & pointed at me & said "Look, mom, a racer girl!" I'm 49.

Another time, I saw a couple people looking up at a tree, very intently. I slowed & looked but didn't see anything. The next week, I saw another group, looking at this same tree again. I stopped and asked what they were looking at, and it was a baby owl, who nested in that tree all last summer.

I love the mix of people there-- mom's with jogging strollers, the local cross country team, kids on bikes, families at the playgrounds, elderly people who are just shuffling along... It just puts a smile on my face when I ride.

I like the green space & the birds & the ducks & nearly all of the dogs.

I've learned to expect people to behave unpredictably, when I come up behind them. I do call out. And 99.99% of the time, it all goes well. Maybe that's why I felt so bad getting yelled at in such a pleasant place, it was just so unexpected.