My trick or treat run-in with a dog today
 

So I go out for a run today and I'm still being cautious about not overdoing it, not straining or spraining anything since I'm still not in the best shape yet.

Just starting out and about 5 minutes into a jog on a paved, rails to trails multi-use path, I see a woman ahead with a leashed black lab. They move from the left side of the trail to the right and I make eye contact with the lady about 10 seconds before I get near her. I move all the way to the left side of the trail and she remains on the right along with the dog.

Just as I get within leash distance of her (and she was violating the regulation because she obviously was using a leash much longer than the mandated 6 foot leash for the trail) the dog jumps out in front of me and before I could react I trip over the dog and go head first for the pavement.

Somehow I get my hands in front of me and I fall on them and slide along the pavement. I think I rolled as well. I now look up and the dog is right in my face. It's a nice dog, but I'm very angry to say the least.

I'll spare everyone the colorful language I hurled at this woman. But what really annoyed me, more than the dog jumping out from a longer leash than allowed, and this woman's inability to contain her animal (and she was not by any means petite) was the fact that she just said "I'm sorry". She didn't ask if I was OK, just said "I'm sorry" about 3 times as I hurled some choice words at her.

As I got up and started to jog away, she said sorry the last time and I turned around and said "Don't be sorry, get effin' SMART! I should sue you!". :o I'm pretty sure she'll be more careful next time.

I don't know how, but somehow I didn't even have any scrapes on me. My Gore-Tex suit was unscathed, and my hands were a little raw but not bleeding. That was my trick somehow on this Halloween. :rolleyes:

You were lucky. I hate people that don't control their animals. most people here let their mutts roam the neighborhood free. One day I'm going to take a baseball bat to a dog owner. Maybe then they'll get the point.

You darn right I was lucky. I can't believe I didn't smash my face or break a hand or even a finger. Hell, I hardly got scraped at all. I just can't believe how fortunate I was.

Tomorrow I'm going to the police station. I'm going to inform them about all of the regulations being broken on that path when it comes to these considerate dog owners. I see joggers all the time jogging with unleashed dogs. Or they intentionally drop the leash and let the dog run free with the leash dragging, then when someone approaches they stop and grab the leash.

I'm going to tell the police that they have an untapped source of revenue on that trail in the form of tickets. Plus it's just a matter of time until someone gets seriously injured. :mad:

If they are like the cops here, you won't find the at the police station because they are all at the donuts shops getting fatter.

LOL. We have that here too. But we also have cops on mountain bikes as their job. That's what I'm going to suggest they use to patrol the trail for a while. Once these dog owners get busted and the news spreads, they'll stop crapping up the trail as well (literally which is yet another violation for not picking it up).

Yeah the cops here are to lazy to peddle a bike. If it's not a car, it a horse (just in New Orleans in the French Quarter or for parades)

Horses make a forceful statement, that's for sure.

One of these days I'd like to visit Louisiana, and besides the usual, I'd like to see St. James Parish. That's were Perique pipe tobacco is grown, on a small plot of land. No other place on earth comes close to growing it like the real deal grown there. I have 1/2 pound of it just in case something ever happens (like flooding). That's enough for the rest of my life because you only use a pinch of the stuff added to your Virginia because it's so robust. The stuff is amazingly good. They ferment it like wine. :D

Cool if you're ever out this way let me know and I'll show you around.

I have to say...at least you got an apology, even if she didn't ask about your injuries. Clearly you weren't hurt - at least from an observer's stand point. I have been in that situation more times than I care to count particularly on trails and I figure it is just part of sharing the road.

I am really, really sorry you got tripped up by the lab, but I suggest that you just chalk it up to experience and realize that not all dog walkers are as responsible as you are.

Ain't that the truth, Pam.

It was also the way she said "I'm sorry". It's like she didn't mean it. It was very cold/clinical and it was more like she was sorry for herself and the dog that she had gotten into that situation.

The trail is slowly going "to the dogs" and I'm going do something about it. If the police won't patrol it, maybe the local news will be interested or the Mayor will have something to say about it.

Thanks Mike. I'll keep that in mind.

Sucks that happened to you Vito. It also sucks that most of the dog owners on your trail are giving those of us who do be responsible with our pets a bad image.

Thanks April.

I know there are PLENTY of responsible dog owners out there. I've got friends with dogs (although two cats own me LOL) and they are very responsible. I think it's just the location where I live. Lots of "yuppies" who think they can do as they please.

I kinda felt bad for the dog. He looked very confused after I tripped over him and started yelling at his owner. But he didn't bark or get mad in any way. I think he was just curious and moved over to me as I was coming. I was looking down, TRUSTING that the owner would do the right thing so I never saw the dog coming. I didn't even know what had tripped me up until I had started to go down.

The dog was smarter than the owner in this case, because it knew to shut up and not patronize me.

LOL ... Yeah my ferocious boxers would have either licked you while you were down or hid behind me when you started yelling. But then again I wouldn't have let them trip you to start with. I see so many poorly controlled animals that it isn't funny. My youngest is a handfull on a leash but she was never on one until I got her at 15 months in January. I don't get her out as often as I would like but she is still in control by my side.

So why didn't you teach this person a lesson? People like this are not going to change unless they are made to change and the best way to do that is there pocket book. What you should have done is treated it like a traffic accident called the cop and got her information. Then proceed to the doctor for tests and ex-rays to make sure nothing got broken. When she got the bill or her home owners insurance went up maybe she would get the picture. Ya its a pain for you and takes up your time but that is the only way these type of people are going to get it short of punching them in the face or shooting there dog which would only land you in jail.

If she would have tried to leave the scene I would have followed her with 911on the line explaining that she was leaving the scene and get her plate number if she got in a car. The big thing here is don't get mad, cuss or be rude just play the victim you are and state that you are not sure how bad you are hurt but you hit the pavement hard. Don't give them any reason to fear for there safety or think you are going to hurt them.

We have these same types of trails around here that my wife, kids and I like to bike on. We get the same problems with dogs and people. One of our biggest problems is with people either walking or riding bikes 2 to 3 abreast on the trail coming the opposite direction. Well its fun coming around a sharp corner and there is another bike or person walking right in front of you trying to cause a head on. I am usually in the lead just because my wife likes to follow me for what ever reason, now I am a big boy (6'10" 290 pounds and falling) and not scared of much so when I come around a corner and see the idiot in my lane I figure that if I risk my neck getting out of there way they will probably just run into the wife or kids so if anyone is going to take a hit it might as well be me. After more then 1000 miles on the local trails I am happy to say that I have not hit a one of them but I have watched quite a few eat some grass and dirt as they crash off the trail getting out of my way. Some of the best wrecks have been when the bike in my lane trys to cut back into there lane hitting the rear tire of the bike in front of them sending both into the woods.

Well, if I had my cell phone with me, I may have just called 911 to report it, right in front of her for a scare at least, and to report her for the illegal chain. But I didn't have my phone and hanging around her without phoning the cops would have been perceived as threatening and then I would be on the hot seat.

Nobody else was around to see what happened so I can just see someone finally arriving on the scene, this woman lying and telling the other person that I tried to assault her, a cell call made and now I'm the one in trouble. And guess what, the cops would probably side with her because that's the way our wonderful society works.

We have posted rules on our Rails to Trails. They state that you must stay to the right at all times, pass on the left, and call out to the person in front of you that you are passing on the left. Is that so difficult? No. But people today only care about themselves and don't give a flip about anyone nor are they remotely interested in rules.

A few weeks ago I was on my mountain bike on another part of the trail and way up ahead of me I saw about 4 people and what looked to be a dog on a very long leash stretching the width of the entire trail so I could not pass. As I approached the mother, father, two kids and dog didn't bother to move out of my way so I had to stop. Guess what I found. The father was playing with his 5 year old daughter, allowing her to play doggy and pretend she was on this retractable leash while blocking the width of the entire trail (violation blocking and more than the 6 foot limit) while the dog walked along side without being leashed (violation) and they weren't walking on the right side of the trail (violation) nor did they move out of the way as I approached but continued to block the entire trail (violation).

Of course at least I got the obligatory "Oh, we're sorry" but were they? Are inconsiderate people like this really ever sorry? I don't believe so. Because they will do it again as you state.