an unfortunate incident

[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.

[lph]

Him:"He most certainly does not. He is a creature of God and should be free"

well that sure is a novel way of being holier than thou

[divingbiker]

Him:"He most certainly does not. He is a creature of God and should be free"

I wonder what he thinks of zoos.

[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.