I rode over a dogs tail today.
I didn't mean to, was cycling through a tunnel on
a mixed use path ( the tunnel at Colinton on the
Water of Leith Walkway for those that know
the Edinburgh area) two women had stopped in
the tunnel to have a blether they seemed to have
four dogs each . These dogs were scattered all
over the tunnel ,some lying down, one of the
women even quipped "this is like a slalom" what
I should have done was stop and wait. tutting,
until they moved there dogs instead I tried to
ride through . one of the dogs was lying/sitting
on the "roadway"went around the back of it missed
its tail with my front wheel but the back wheel
went over the very tip of its tail fur ,not even the
bony part dog didn't even yelp. One of the women
was making a comment about "oh you ran over the
dog's tail" all I could say was "I know" and "sorry"
could have stopped and remonstrated with them for
deciding to stop in a tunnel stand in the middle of the
roadway and have a natter with all these uncontrolled
dogs but decided to cycle off, rather than have a
slanging match in the middle of the walkway. Feel
sorry for the dog/s they are the ones that get blamed
for fouling, attacking cyclists, being uncontrolled etc
but it is really their owners fault. Brother had a dog
that would sit and wait at the kerb (and it was a
rescued dog[had been battered as a pup]) it would
also do its business on a sewer grate at the side of
a road so I do not believe their is a dog in existance
that cannot be trained (barring "mental" dogs)
--
yours S
Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione