Dogs on the Bike Path

Scott said:

So yesterday, it being warm and all here in WI, I got the son's bike out of the basement and we
took off down the bike path. This is a somewhat alarming experience for me, as he isn't quite
steady in the seat. Still, he only ran off the path a couple times, and although some of his
passes by pedestrians were closer than I would've done...Not too bad for an 8-year old.

We approached one cluster of women standing on the bike path talking. They were surrounded by
dogs, some on leash, some not. One particularly old canine -- really a cute dog! -- stood blocking
half the bike path, while its owner called in vain for it to move. The other women were laughing,
yucking it up at how the dog would not move. As we passed I conversationally mentioned, with as
much neighborly asperity as I could manage, "That's 'cause he's not wearing a leash". We were
beyond the gaggle by then. Hopefully they moved the dog off the path.

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. We rode all the way down to the Pacific Cycle
Headquarters, then turned around. The dog was gone on the way back

Scott, really at notscape det not

The bike paths were crazy on Sat. We started at Pacific HQ and by the time we got to Odana we opted
to take the roads cause they were less stressful. It was fun cheering for the racer boys though, you
know, the guys who get really irritated when they have to drop below 20 mph.

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 07:24:19 -0600, Scott <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

One particularly old canine -- really a cute dog! -- stood blocking half the bike path, while its
owner called in vain for it to move. The other women were laughing, yucking it up at how the dog
would not move.

I'm mellowing out a lot wrt to this phenom. Yesterday I actually talked to several nice ladies
walking dogs.

One guy was on the otherside of the trail, and his med. sized dog was broadside.

I yelled (nicely) "Sir could you 'heel' your dog?" He started towards the center of the trail rather
menacingly with mirrored shades on and said 'Why'?

I said 'b/c he'll jump out in front of me...'

He calmed and said 'no he won't'

I said 'ok', and continued on. I resolved to test that assumption on the way back, (but not hit
the dog) by just doing my 'clicking' the breaks. But on the pass, he was close enough that he
reached down and clipped the leash on his pet. If the pet can't 'heel' and come, then why are they
not on a leash??

The thing is, he wasn't visibly packing, and was ordinary size. I couldn't believe my eyes that he'd
'menace' a biker, chest out, fists clenched striding like a challenge. Boy he'd have been surprised
when he discovered he'd connected up with a lifter and bjj guy, heh. Plus I know I outweighed him by
like 60lbs. sheesh. I checked him for printing, and he wasn't showing, tank top and running shorts.
(yeah i know you can clip in a lightweight, etc.) ;-)

Later a nice lady was walking two dogs, and one stayed behind next to a copse of trees - she
couldn't see him. Well he was off the trail to the left, and not moving, so I continued.

At the exact moment I came up on him, he runs right out in front of me tail between his legs. I
-almost- hit him.

Later I caught up with her after my U-turn, coming back, and stopped and gently suggested her dog
had misbehaved a little. She said 'oh he's afraid of bikes'. I said, 'fine, but he shows this by
jumping out in front of me and running (too slowly); I just don't want to hit him'. She says OK. So
the dog is staning like 20 feet up the road looking the same way and she continues on the opposite
way, behind me. I had to call out and insist 'Ma'am, please call your dog (I had stopped to chat).
She called and the dog didn't come, sitting there. I go 'MA'AM', call your dog, I don't want to have
him jump in front of me again.

Well she seems unable to comprehend this, and I'm between her and the dog.

So I said "OK" and started riding slowly towards my house (and the dog).

Hahah. He skittered in front of me the whole way (about 3 miles) with her running behind, and fading
into the distance calling him. She realized 'hey, I should have paid attention! (doh). About 10 min
later I turn off into my back yard and the dog is still running away down the far trail, as another
bike had taken over.

-B

Badger_South said:

Scott said:

One particularly old canine -- really a cute dog! -- stood blocking half the bike path, while its
owner called in vain for it to move. The other women were laughing, yucking it up at how the dog
would not move.

I'm mellowing out a lot wrt to this phenom. Yesterday I actually talked to several nice ladies
walking dogs.

I'm actually pretty mellow about it (although I do look for opportunities to make a snarky comment
when I'm in the mood). I was more concerned for the neophyte biker son, although he did a great job
of slowing down and riding in a reasonably straight line before walking his bike around the dog.

Half the dogs on the bike path I recognize anyway, from back when we had a dog and I was walking her
in the woods between the bike path and the cemetery and Golf Course.

Scott, really at notscape det not

Quoted message said:

Badger_South <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Scott <[email hidden]>wrote:

Quoted message said:

One particularly old canine -- really a cute dog! -- stood blocking half the bike path, while
its owner called in vain for it to move. The other women were laughing, yucking it up at how the
dog would not move.

I'm mellowing out a lot wrt to this phenom. Yesterday I actually talked to several nice ladies
walking dogs.

One guy was on the otherside of the trail, and his med. sized dog was broadside.

I yelled (nicely) "Sir could you 'heel' your dog?" He started towards the center of the trail
rather menacingly with mirrored shades on and said 'Why'?

[fox river trail between St. Charles and Batavia]

I don't even bother anymore, partly because I can't seem to make the request sound anything other
than a disguised "hey dumbass, control your effing mutt" ;-) and partly because i've found a lower
risk solution to letting Sparky get jammed in my chainstays.

I always slow down when approaching peds.

I basically pick a point outside the dog's leash-arc. If that arc extends past the edge of the
trail, i slow down to walking speed and come off the saddle w/ one foot off the other side pedal,
keeping an eye on the dog and just chat up the owners. Sometimes I'll stop, and sometimes i'll pull
off a glove and let the dog smell my sweaty fingers and pet it.

Being a little sweaty, flushed and breathing hard makes the unpoken point that i _was_ on my way
somewhere with a purpose (I usu. have my gate card visible), but i'm so nice that i'll stop to smell
the dog butts (figuratively, mostly), which leaves the owners feeling good about meeting me, as
opposed to embarASSed or resentful.

In general i've found owners respond v. well to this approach, and on subsequent meets they'll pull
Sparky out of the nice man's [that's me] way.

And, in terms of my commute, i find it doesn't really add that much time, and besides, it gives me
an opportunity to flex my enormous ripply quads, tight buns and giant calves for the hotties when i
leave. :-)

.max

--
the part of <[email hidden]> was played by maxwell monningh 8-p

You people got seized headsets? Paying attention and avoiding is one of the essential skills for
every cyclist. If ya wanna let it rip get off the path and onto the road.

jb

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 07:24:19 -0600, Scott <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

So yesterday, it being warm and all here in WI, I got the son's bike out of the basement and we
took off down the bike path.

<snip>

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

CSB said:

Scott said:

So yesterday, it being warm and all here in WI, I got the son's bike out of the basement and we
took off down the bike path.

<snip>

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

Maybe -- but's it's much easier to type 'bike path' than 'multiuse paved transportation corridor'. I
trust you took my meaning and were only being pedantic.

Scott, really at notscape det not

get an air horn for boats......people will pay attention.

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:22:53 -0600, Scott <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

CSB said:

Scott said:

So yesterday, it being warm and all here in WI, I got the son's bike out of the basement and we
took off down the bike path.

<snip>

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

Maybe -- but's it's much easier to type 'bike path' than 'multiuse paved transportation corridor'.
I trust you took my meaning and were only being pedantic.

I can only wish that it is a trivial difference.

"CSB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 07:24:19 -0600, Scott <[email hidden]>

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

What exactly are you claiming doesn't exist? Paved, bike-only paths? I've seen those in a couple of
different places, just not in the USA.

CSB said:

Quoted message said:

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

Scott said:

Maybe -- but's it's much easier to type 'bike path' than 'multiuse paved transportation corridor'.
I trust you took my meaning and were only being pedantic.

MUP is pretty well understood here to mean "Multi Use Path", referring to a paved path often
mislabeled "bike path" which may or may not be suitable for bikes.
--
Rick Onanian

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 17:26:30 GMT,
<[email hidden]>,

jeffbonny said:

You people got seized headsets? Paying attention and avoiding is one of the essential skills for
every cyclist. If ya wanna let it rip get off the path and onto the road.

jb

Ask Ms. Breakswind, she'll tell you that bikes don't belong on HER road when they have dog walking
paths on which to play with the skaters and jogging strollers.
--
zk

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:22:53 -0600,
<[email hidden]>, Scott

Quoted message said:

Maybe -- but's it's much easier to type 'bike path' than 'multiuse paved transportation corridor'.
I trust you took my meaning and were only being pedantic.

Multi-Use Path through a recreational corridor. aka FMUP
--
zk

"Scott" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

<<snip..>>

Quoted message said:

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. We rode all the way down to the Pacific Cycle
Headquarters, then turned around. The dog was gone on the way back

Scott, really at notscape det not

I'm a big dog lover but owners like that really are rather irresponsible. And unfortunately, it'll
be the dog that gets hit. I hope that if you ever have to pull an avoid move to miss a dog that you
somehow run over the owner!! Honestly, "bike paths" are an oxymoron, at least they are here. As I've
said before here, we had a bike path that was really a pedestrian path, despite signs asking people
to walk on the grass. Eventually, after people were hurt, they decided to twin the path, one for
walking, one for riding, rollerblading etc. All it really did was split the number of pedestrians
among 2 paths. Which is an improvement I guess, but not the hoped for result. So don't ever believe
there will be a "bikes only" path, it won't happen. And it drives me nuts because people still
insist on walking their baby carriages down the paved path 2 abreast. One day there is going to be a
horribly unfortunate accident and the blame will be levelled quite obviously at the cyclist. A
bewildered parent crying about their injured infant when really the blame is at least equally
shared, wouldn't you say? In any event, I pick and choose my times on the path, resigned to fact
that I can't fight the sum total of ignorance that exists in the general population. I lose, which
sucks I guess, and I give up, which makes me a quitter I suppose. C'est la vie.

Cheers,

Scott..

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There is no such thing as a 'bike path'.

What exactly are you claiming doesn't exist? Paved, bike-only paths?

I've

Quoted message said:

seen those in a couple of different places, just not in the USA.

No, what I get out of it is that he's saying those paths are supposed to be bike paths but the
idiots disregard that entirely. Our town has a bike path complete with "bicycles only" signs AND a
parallel path for joggers and dog walkers. But no--they all want to be on the bike path and then
look at the cyclists as if we are the interlopers. Sad, but that's what goes on. Even when I swim
laps, I've had some idiot tell me that the lap lanes are "really" multi-use lanes in the "multi-use"
pool; i.e., it's not a "swimming pool" any more....

Pat in TX

In article <[email hidden]>,

jawnn said:

get an air horn for boats......people will pay attention.

Quoted message said:

--

Quoted message said:

I have an air horn from an Amtrak Metroliner. Works great!
Give em a blast, and you can ride right underneath them without changing your
line.

Now what to do with te 80lbs of compressor and battery......)

HAND

--
"Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness"

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

In article <[email hidden]>, mikie357 @forgedabit.net says...

...

Quoted message said:

I have an air horn from an Amtrak Metroliner. Works great! Give em a blast, and you can ride right
underneath them without changing your line.

Now what to do with te 80lbs of compressor and battery......)

Bob trailer.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the newsgroups if possible).

On Tue, 2 Mar 2004 09:23:47 -0500, David Kerber

ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net said:

In article <[email hidden]>, mikie357 @forgedabit.net says...

...

Quoted message said:

I have an air horn from an Amtrak Metroliner. Works great! Give em a blast, and you can ride
right underneath them without changing your line.

Now what to do with te 80lbs of compressor and battery......)

Bob trailer.

you forgot the shimidt dynohubs to power the compressor.

S. Anderson said:

All it really did was split the number of pedestrians among 2 paths. Which is an improvement I
guess, but not the hoped for result. So don't ever believe there will be a "bikes only" path, it
won't happen. And it drives me nuts because people still insist on walking their baby carriages
down the paved path 2 abreast.

What all this again shows is that fast bikers belong on the road, while paths are OK for the more
inexperienced ones. You belong to the "inexperienced" as long as the feeling of safety makes you
find acceptable to stop for all dogs and babies you meet.

This doesn't mean that pedestrians should be banned from bike paths. They need paths too, and have
no reason to follow a strict discipline - they are not driving a vehicule !

But what it means is that no path should be made mandatory for bikes.

Jacques