[nellybuck@msn.com]

…to break a puppies leg? Not very I would guess.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21359230

I must admit that most of the time I use the Taff Trail is as a runner, and it’s generally cyclists who annoy me the most with their behaviour, acting as if they have right of way and everyone else should get out of the way for them.

That said, I do also have to regularly hurdle/sidestep unleashed dogs, so can understand how the collision in the article would have happened.

Seems like another example of different groups of users not taking account of other groups and adjusting their behaviour accordingly.

Topic

[bendertherobot]

It’s a really terrible
It’s a really terrible article. The Code of Conduct requires, as stated, users to take account of each other.

It also requires dog users to control their animals. Despite the wide open green spaces the dog owners prefer to use the paved sections rather than the grass sections.

Onto this article. What evidence is there of speed? You could run over a dog at walking pace and cause these injuries. If I were the cyclist I might well consider my legal position here. I wonder what injuries he suffered? What damage was done to his bike?

A couple more points. To exit Cardiff in a Northerly direction there is no choice OTHER than to use cycle paths. You cannot use the road because there is a legal restriction on using the A470. So, it’s the Taff Trail or the various underpasses. So the Trail is basically the default choice. Sustrans need to be clear when making such sweeping statements.

Lastly, the article finishes with a campaign on pavement use. This use was lawful. Pavement use is not. Poor implied journalism.

[cidermart]

Damned if you do damned if
Damned if you do damned if you don’t obviously not in control of his dog, not that I am condoning running it over. Did the cyclist stop or not? Thought it had been hit by a motorbike? That would be because if you say bike instead of bicycle default setting for the majority of people is motorbike, I had lots of grief and constant explaining in hospital with that one. What about compulsory training for dog walkers 😕 , that should upset most people which is why they didn’t pick it, and make the twats pick up their dogs faecal matter X( . Better than that dog-tax, insurance and, while I’m ranting crap, number plates for them “Poochie Plates” a DNA database so we can post the shit back to the owner. Sorry lost it a bit there i’m off to my quiet corner now 😀 .

[bashthebox]

I fell off my bike once on a
I fell off my bike once on a shared use path going through a park – a dog bolted straight in front of my front wheel. I wasn’t going fast, but there wasn’t anything I could do.
Luckily the daft hound was ok, and I wasn’t too badly scuffed wither. Cracked one of my shifters but no real harm done – although it did shake me up a bit.

[700c]

Exactly. The code of conduct
Exactly. The code of conduct for use of this particular path requires dogs to be kept under control. So quite possibly the Walker’s fault.
You can’t legislate for a dog running into your path, doesn’t matter how slowly you are riding. Shows how dangerous shared use paths are, I tend to avoid if I can.

[nevman]

I would always keep my dogs
I would always keep my dogs on close control if there were cyclists about-they cant be trusted to know to keep out of the way.Certainly wouldnt want to expose a puppy to a risk of even a slow contact.

[Author]

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