Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

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Si
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Si »

[XAP]Bob wrote:
khain wrote:I need to slow down or stop for every one.


Yep - that's the correct thing to do.
Just as we expect motorists to slow down for each and every cyclist on the road.


+1

Also, is it more likely that you will see a dog as they go somewhat slower than a cyclist (the dog being encumbered by their servant), thus on my local bit of cycle path it would take me a couple of mins to cross the park, yet a dog might take 15 mins.....so at any specific time the dog is much more likely to be in sight than the cyclist.
bikerwaser
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by bikerwaser »

We have a cycle path running beside Poole harbour and it's over run with dogs. Many are off leads and the owners don't keep them under control. They also let the dogs run all over the field which is used for football and families with their kids playing. I wonder how many dog doo doo's are on that field. Even if they're picked up there's always some smear left. plus the urine. I saw a rugby game have to be stopped recently when a guy in the scrum got covered in the stuff.
Bigdummysteve
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Bigdummysteve »

The biggest hazard around my local paths is the dogs on those retractable leads, usually the owners are quite oblivious to what thier dogs are doing. If you can't be bothered to train your dog properly keep it on a short lead please!
MikeF
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by MikeF »

Dogs on cycle paths?? Define a cycle path.

Cycle track
A cycle track is a way forming all or part of a highway, over which the public has a right of way on pedal cycle, and usually (but not always) a right of way on foot. A pedal cycle which is a motor vehicle within the RTA 1988 (this means a pedal cycle which is mechanically propelled and intended or adapted for use on a road) may not use a cycle track. A highway authority has power under the CTA 1984 to convert a footpath into a cycle track and power under section 65 of the HA 1980 to construct a cycle track in or next to a carriageway, so that the cycle track becomes part of the highway. A cycle track is always publicly maintainable.

A confusing piece of legislation methinks. What's a footpath in this legislation?? It refers to footway and footpath, but they aren't the same.

There'll be cyclists on roads next. :wink:
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
Psamathe
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Psamathe »

bikerwaser wrote:...They also let the dogs run all over the field which is used for football and families with their kids playing. I wonder how many dog doo doo's are on that field. Even if they're picked up there's always some smear left. plus the urine.....

Not necessarily the case. Where I used to live (with dogs) the village playing field was used by the village (by children, sports teams, dog walkers, etc.) and there was never any issue with dog poo. From my own dog and picking-up, no smear left (due to physical characteristics). And urine is not really a big issue - in France you could say the same about humans. It soaks-in, gets rained-on, etc.

So just because dogs go somewhere does not mean there will be dog poo everywhere. It comes down to individual owner behaviour and just because some areas have an occasional idiot does not mean everywhere does.

Ian
puffin
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by puffin »

Dogs are an important part of our heritage and our national psyche, I am happy to share the roads with them safe in the knowledge of the joy they bring. If it means I have to slow up, that is a very small price to pay.
climo
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by climo »

puffin wrote:Dogs are an important part of our heritage and our national psyche, I am happy to share the roads with them safe in the knowledge of the joy they bring. If it means I have to slow up, that is a very small price to pay.

+1
My dogs are often walked on a shared use path. Many cyclists are a real problem there as they approach silently from behind at speed and passing the pedestrian (with or without dog) far too close for comfort. It seems to be some sort of sport. A reasonable call of 'Slow down' results in a bad tempered look or abuse from the cyclists. The police are aware but can't do anything.
Most dogs are off the lead but then why shouldn't they be? It is, after all, a well known dog walking area. Some dogs are on the retractable type of lead which are almost impossible for the oncoming cyclists to see and avoid. A collision is inevitable and some dogwalkers are now afraid to go there.
Given that cyclists comprise maybe 1% of the path users its incumbent of those cyclists (some who are 'real' cyclists) to respect the majority.

Many people here bang on about motorists driving dangerously and rightly so but can't we extend the same thinking to dogwalkers and pedestrians? If not then all we do is to irritate those people who when they drive may think they can do the same to cyclists. A bit of civility and consideration goes a long way to counter the widely held belief that cyclists are a selfish, arrogant bunch.

So next time you're held up by a dogwalker who may not have seen you approaching just extend them the same amount of curtesy that we want from motorists.
khain
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by khain »

[XAP]Bob wrote:
khain wrote:I need to slow down or stop for every one.


Yep - that's the correct thing to do.
Just as we expect motorists to slow down for each and every cyclist on the road.

I'm happy to know you equate cyclists with dogs. :D

Why would you expect all motorists to slow down or stop for every cyclist? If the road is clear I'm perfectly happy for a car to overtake without slowing down, so long as it gives me plenty of space.

The difference is that dogs are unpredictable and very often stray into your path without warning so you must slow down. Also, they have a tendency to chase bikes. I've been chased myself and have seen a few accidents caused by dogs chasing bikes on cycle paths.

Can you imagine the uproar if dogs were all over the roads? And yet cyclists are supposed to use roads rather than pavements.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

khain wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
khain wrote:I need to slow down or stop for every one.


Yep - that's the correct thing to do.
Just as we expect motorists to slow down for each and every cyclist on the road.

I'm happy to know you equate cyclists with dogs. :D

Why would you expect all motorists to slow down or stop for every cyclist? If the road is clear I'm perfectly happy for a car to overtake without slowing down, so long as it gives me plenty of space.

The difference is that dogs are unpredictable and very often stray into your path without warning so you must slow down. Also, they have a tendency to chase bikes. I've been chased myself and have seen a few accidents caused by dogs chasing bikes on cycle paths.

Can you imagine the uproar if dogs were all over the roads? And yet cyclists are supposed to use roads rather than pavements.


Dogs are not unpredictable - you might not be able to read their body language, but that's a different problem.

If there is sufficient space then you can overtake a dog at some speed - also I've never had a dog *on a walk* chase me at all... No matter what form of transport I was using. I can't recall ever seeing a dog on a walk chase anyone either - I have seen plenty chase other dogs, or squirrels, or.... but never a person.

But basically yes - any time in a car and passing a cyclist I expect to slow down to do so. The exception is when I am on road with two lanes in each direction AND the speed limit is relatively low (30-50 depending on the width of the lanes).



Road users have a duty of care to all road users more vulnerable than themselves...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
khain
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by khain »

climo wrote:
puffin wrote:Dogs are an important part of our heritage and our national psyche, I am happy to share the roads with them safe in the knowledge of the joy they bring. If it means I have to slow up, that is a very small price to pay.

+1
My dogs are often walked on a shared use path. Many cyclists are a real problem there as they approach silently from behind at speed and passing the pedestrian (with or without dog) far too close for comfort. It seems to be some sort of sport. A reasonable call of 'Slow down' results in a bad tempered look or abuse from the cyclists. The police are aware but can't do anything.
Most dogs are off the lead but then why shouldn't they be? It is, after all, a well known dog walking area. Some dogs are on the retractable type of lead which are almost impossible for the oncoming cyclists to see and avoid. A collision is inevitable and some dogwalkers are now afraid to go there.
Given that cyclists comprise maybe 1% of the path users its incumbent of those cyclists (some who are 'real' cyclists) to respect the majority.

Many people here bang on about motorists driving dangerously and rightly so but can't we extend the same thinking to dogwalkers and pedestrians? If not then all we do is to irritate those people who when they drive may think they can do the same to cyclists. A bit of civility and consideration goes a long way to counter the widely held belief that cyclists are a selfish, arrogant bunch.

So next time you're held up by a dogwalker who may not have seen you approaching just extend them the same amount of curtesy that we want from motorists.

Part of the problem is that these paths are being promoted to cyclists as cycle paths, rather than shared use paths, so cyclists, not unreasonably, expect to cycle on them. Plus, where the paths are divided pedestrians and dog-walkers seldom respect the divisions.

The main problem is that the UK's cycling infrastructure is a joke. I doubt cyclists in most European countries would put up with cycle paths where pedestrians and dogs outnumber cyclists.

Please read the guidelines for using shared paths. The fact that many dog walkers use them does not mean they have more rights than cyclists or that it's ok for their dogs to be loose. It is a shared path not a dog-walking area. If a lead on a cycle path is invisible then dog owners should use leads that are visible.

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/change-your-travel/get-cycling/advice-using-shared-use-paths
If walking a dog, keep them under control which may require a short lead
khain
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by khain »

Dogs are not unpredictable - you might not be able to read their body language, but that's a different problem.

So cyclists are expected to be experts on dogs' body language?

I guess you're right in a way. Statistically at least one in every ten dogs can be predicted to run right across your path so they aren't completely unpredictable.
khain
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by khain »

Si wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
khain wrote:I need to slow down or stop for every one.


Yep - that's the correct thing to do.
Just as we expect motorists to slow down for each and every cyclist on the road.


+1

Also, is it more likely that you will see a dog as they go somewhat slower than a cyclist (the dog being encumbered by their servant), thus on my local bit of cycle path it would take me a couple of mins to cross the park, yet a dog might take 15 mins.....so at any specific time the dog is much more likely to be in sight than the cyclist.

That's a very fair point.
khain
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by khain »

kylecycler wrote:Somewhere out in the ether there's a doggy forum where the dogs are complaining about the behaviour of bicycles and their owners on their dog path. :)

If they can show me the sign with a dog on it indicating the path is a dog path I'll happily grant them right of way.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

khain wrote:
Dogs are not unpredictable - you might not be able to read their body language, but that's a different problem.

So cyclists are expected to be experts on dogs' body language?

I guess you're right in a way. Statistically at least one in every ten dogs can be predicted to run right across your path so they aren't completely unpredictable.



So motorists are supposed to be experts on cyclists behaviour?

It cuts both ways - if you can't predict it then behave sensibly, slow down so you can stop if needed.


ALL paths where pedestrians are allowed are doggy paths (there are a few specific exceptions somewhere I guess)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Psamathe
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Psamathe »

khain wrote:
kylecycler wrote:Somewhere out in the ether there's a doggy forum where the dogs are complaining about the behaviour of bicycles and their owners on their dog path. :)

If they can show me the sign with a dog on it indicating the path is a dog path I'll happily grant them right of way.

I've never seen a sign including a baby buggy either so many they should be banned from such shared use paths ?

Ian
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