Irresponsible Dog Owners!

[smutchin]

There seems to be a good deal of cake-and-eatery going on here (not necessarily in the post quoted above. This is a more general comment). We expect give and take on the roads, but as soon as it comes to shared use paths it's "Poop poop, out of the way! Here comes an entitled cyclist"

It's funny, I've been involved in a similar discussion elsewhere with regard to motorists using their horn to "warn" cyclists who are blocking their way that they want to get past. In that situation, it's the cyclists who are the out-of-control menace.

There are so many underlying assumptions and prejudices behind these confrontations, driven by a divisive "us and them" mentality. I also note the OP's casual misogyny (the reductive "orange women with ridiculous eyebrows").

Anyone who genuinely believes in the "shared" part of the "shared path" equation should try to think of it less as two distinct groups of users sharing one space, rather as a shared experience involving lots of individuals interacting with each other.

 

[PeteXXX]

Signs on the St Ives to Cambridge path alongside the guided bus route.
No dog on the sign, but still...

 

[Lavender Rose]

I have to say it is the most frustrating thing to see when I am abiding by the rules and cycling on the cycle path marked for me, then there's kids, dogs, people on the cycle path - WHEN THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM ON YOUR OWN PATHWAY.

People would kick the fu*k off if I started swerving around on my bike on the Pedestrian path! GGGRRRR GRINDS MY GEARS!

 

[hoppym27]

. I also note the OP's casual misogyny (the reductive "orange women with ridiculous eyebrows").

This isnt misogyny...its a genuine observation...I ride through wannabee cheshirite land.....

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I have to say it is the most frustrating thing to see when I am abiding by the rules and cycling on the cycle path marked for me, then there's kids, dogs, people on the cycle path - WHEN THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM ON YOUR OWN PATHWAY.

People would kick the fu*k off if I started swerving around on my bike on the Pedestrian path! GGGRRRR GRINDS MY GEARS!

As I understand it, on a path where there is demarcation for cycling, cyclists must keep to the area marked for them while the entire path is available to pedestrians.

 

[Lavender Rose]

As I understand it, on a path where there is demarcation for cycling, cyclists must keep to the area marked for them while the entire path is available to pedestrians.

Yes and then I get remarks and cursed because I ask very politely, if I can come through...

 

[guitarpete247]

Don't go within a couple of miles of a secondary school at either end of the school day. If you do you'll have kids, boys usually, walking in the road and giving you the finger into the bargain.
What is the opposite of misogyny? As I have suggested it is usually boys I must be guilty of it.

 

[smutchin]

. I also note the OP's casual misogyny (the reductive "orange women with ridiculous eyebrows").

This isnt misogyny...its a genuine observation...I ride through wannabee cheshirite land.....

It's reductive and demeaning, and irrelevant to your story.

 

[Lavender Rose]

It's reductive and demeaning, and irrelevant to your story.

I kinda found it amusing to be honest....

 

[mjr]

As I understand it, on a path where there is demarcation for cycling, cyclists must keep to the area marked for them while the entire path is available to pedestrians.

However, one case where a camera-using cyclist refused to pay the fine for leaving a substandard cycleway and infringing the footway was decided to be "not in the public interest" to prosecute. Make of that what you will.

I have very mixed feelings about cycleways with adjacent footways for this sort of reason, that people can and do still walk on both, so it's probably better to have the full width available to both for people to sort it out themselves. One I can remember near me had its white line removed nearly 20 years ago and there seems pretty much no chance of the councils spending money on the white paint to reintroduce it. The few remaining ones are the responsibility of Highways England and they are basically ignored: the 1.5m cycleways are too narrow for the current volume of traffic, the cycleway is counterintuitively OUTSIDE the footway (because otherwise it would be too difficult to make some of the tight turns needed to cross side roads), and now many people treat the white lines as centre lines, keeping left of it except where turning circles encourage otherwise, with walkers almost always using the outer edge, furthest away from motorists.

I know cycleways with adjacent footways work in other countries. Even in other cities like Cambridge. But would they work in much of the UK? People walking do tend to ignore signs we don't like...

 

[hoppym27]

Surely its only reductive, deamining and irrelevent if its not true?..and it is true

 

[Sharky]

The great late Jonny Helms drew some great "Cyclists & Dogs" cartoons. There were a couple of books published back in the 80's with some great examples.

There is one on this tribute site
http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/helms-a-tribute-64689

 

[Maenchi]

Anybody remember the advice given in 'Richards Bicycle Book' ? about dogs .... in it he wrote, something like (from memory) 'when attacked by a dog, dismount, remove pump from bike and hold up with both hands, most dogs will jump up to bite this, then deliver a swift kick to the dogs(' nuts')....belly, underside,( I forget this bit.......this is from the 1970s and my copy got lost somewhere in the 1980s,) I thought this was odd advice at the time, although the book was considered a good book....

 

[Maenchi]

I don't remember small children ever running straight at me, but I guess bikes are commonplace here and they grow up learning how to interact. Unlike dogs, which never learn except when the pack leader (hopefully the owner) wants to teach them.

I remember riding along a small no-through-motors residential street and a maybe 7yo girl was playing in the road. Her mother told her to beware as I passed or similar and the child replied "don't be silly, Mummy, it's a bike and I'm not too close" (she was about 3m away). Human-scale transport

'Small children' ie; under 3, or toddlers, just learning to walk, not a common occurrence, but it has happened...

 

[hoppym27]

Perhaps I should have said..'.these artificially skin toned ladies with sculpted body hair features observing their multi media device intensely'