Total Motorcycle Community Forums

As a postman, dogs are the bane of my riding existence.
I don't know how many times an owner has told me about how friendly their dog is and that it won't bite only to have it saunter up to me and chomp.

Dogs are stupid and unpredictable so I have found that the best defence is a good offense. A size 11 boot in the face is a good way to neutralise a dogs desire to chase you and it gives it something to think about before it tries again tomorrow.

Mintbread wrote:As a postman, dogs are the bane of my riding existence.
I don't know how many times an owner has told me about how friendly their dog is and that it won't bite only to have it saunter up to me and chomp.

Dogs are stupid and unpredictable so I have found that the best defence is a good offense. A size 11 boot in the face is a good way to neutralise a dogs desire to chase you and it gives it something to think about before it tries again tomorrow.

And if it tries enough times its bite won't hurt anymore, cause it won't have any teeth. HAH!

camthepyro, stop threatening me and bandage your bleeding heart. I began with ideas to deal with the dog situation within the spirit and letter of the law. Let me reiterate since you obviously suffer from warm-and-fuzzy syndrome. Call animal control. It's their job to deal with the dog owner. If the owner refuses to control his threat to public safety after a visit from animal control, get the police involved. No pet owner has the right to endanger a motorcycle rider by allowing a dog to impede safe travel by a motorcycle on a public road. If the pet owner still doesn't remove the threat to safe passage of motorcycles on a public road, the best thing to do would probably be to shoot the pet owner, but the powers that be might take a dim view of that. Therefore, if the owner refuses to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety, and the powers that be refuse to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety, it becomes one’s civic duty to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety. This duty is clearly spelled out in the Constitution. I prefer people keep their dogs put up. I have a right to ride without random threat to my life by someone else’s irresponsibility. Being chased by a dog should never happen.

I don’t like the blanket slow-down-to-psyche-the-dog-then-gun-it policy of animal avoidance because there are too many what-ifs. What if the driver of the vehicle behind you isn’t quite paying attention, or has had one too many tokes? You slow down, you’re roadkill. What if you gun it to outrun the dog, and there’s a cop sitting behind a bush. Do you think the cop is going to give a rat’s rump about the dog or MSF training as he writes the speeding ticket?

I’m with Mintbread, anything anyone can do to prevent being chased by animals is good for all of us. If that means a dead dog, well, better a dead dog than a dead cyclist.

scan, anyone who hits a deer is riding at a speed greater than warranted by the assured clear distance ahead. Posted speed limits are secondary to safe speed for conditions. In most jurisdictions, one can be ticketed for excessive speed for conditions and be well below the posted speed limit. For instance, the speed limit on the Interstate is 70mph, but visibility is limited to 60 feet by fog. Is it safe to go 70mph under foggy conditions?

qwerty wrote: Therefore, if the owner refuses to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety, and the powers that be refuse to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety, it becomes one’s civic duty to eliminate the threat to motorcycle safety. This duty is clearly spelled out in the Constitution.

That's interesting. I don't remember reading that part of the constitution (the vigilante clause, perhaps?). Most courts would tend to disagree with your constitutional interpretation.

qwerty wrote:scan, anyone who hits a deer is riding at a speed greater than warranted by the assured clear distance ahead. Posted speed limits are secondary to safe speed for conditions. In most jurisdictions, one can be ticketed for excessive speed for conditions and be well below the posted speed limit. For instance, the speed limit on the Interstate is 70mph, but visibility is limited to 60 feet by fog. Is it safe to go 70mph under foggy conditions?

You are of course correct, and I just didn't state my whole opinion. You should regard all hills, blind corners, and other sight limiting situation carefully. It still does happen when you are careful, a bad thing can happen. That was more my point. You can of course limit the danger by being prepared, being cautious, and not over-riding for conditions. It is only realistic to see some situations are not easy to prepare for though, you know?