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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think if you don't like dogs, you shouldn't sit on the tiny bit of beach where dogs are allowed?

31 replies

freddiefrog · 10/08/2012 22:20

DH and I took DDs and dog to the beach this evening for a BBQ and for the kids to go crabbing.

We have a really long beach with dogs banned from about 3/4s of it. We were on the 1/4 where dogs are allowed.

Dog was with DH on an extendable lead running in and out of the sea and kids were nearby crabbing while I was cooking sausages

This woman then comes marching up to me asking can I read the signs (which she had misread), telling me how disgusting I am for allowing my dog on the beach and she will be reporting me to the police.

I pointed out to her that dogs were actually allowed on that area of the beach and showed her the (massive) area of the beach where they weren't allowed and wouldn't be bothered by them.

I was very polite, despite her aggressiveness towards me, but she then completely blew her top.

Her child wanted to go rock pooling in the specific rock pool at our end of the beach so we would have to leave.

I refused, dog was on a lead, not bothering anyone, and it was perfectly legal for him to be there, and she marched off calling me all the names under the sun

OP posts:
boschy · 10/08/2012 22:21

o god I sympathise!! similar situation here - village/tourist beach is dog-free from April 1-Sept 30 every year, yet every year we have visitors alleging that us locals should not be on the dog-free bit with our dogs. drives me INSANE!

WithoutCaution · 10/08/2012 22:23

YANBU let her waste her time calling the police.

It annoys me when people without dogs think that they have monopoly over entire areas. I had a similar problem on a ferry last year with the indoor doggy area

Olympia2012 · 10/08/2012 22:23

Glad you stood your ground!!

Yanbu!

bogeyface · 10/08/2012 22:25

I dont like dogs at all which is why I make a point of reading the notices very carefully so I can a) make sure I am well away from any dogs and b) make sure that I am in the right before having a go at someone for allowing their dog on the beach! Ime it is tourists that ignore the signs not locals, and dont get me started on the ones that dont bother using leads when they shouldnt even have a dog on the beach in the first place Angry.

YANBU.

SarahStratton · 10/08/2012 22:25

We get that too. The main beaches are dog free, the little known ones, that the locals use, are not.

Even though they have miles and miles of virtually empty sandy beaches, they still feel the need to invade 'our' bit and whinge.

hermionestranger · 10/08/2012 22:26

You are so NBU!

sostressedsostressed · 10/08/2012 22:26

I believe your dog may have been perceived vicious. Dog owners never see the other side of the story.

She was rude though so I sympathise.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 10/08/2012 22:29

Yes, I assume this was a tourist as all the locals know dogs are allowed there.

The beach is massive, the dog free area has loads of rock pools they could have gone in, there's nothing special about that particular one

OP posts:
Original poster
freddiefrog · 10/08/2012 22:30

Vicious? He's not, but even if he was, he was on a lead, under DH's control on an area of beach were dogs are allowed

OP posts:
SarahStratton · 10/08/2012 22:30

But was your dog vicious?

As the owner of a very small, pink tracksuit-wearing doglet, who is very obviously Highly Vicious and shouldn't be allowed outside at all.

germyrabbit · 10/08/2012 22:31

i was on the beach at the iow the other month and a woman was complaining about dogs on the sand. she then proceeded to get a cat out of her bag (on a lead) and took it for a walk.

was most odd

Original poster
freddiefrog · 10/08/2012 22:34

No, he's not.

He's a springer spaniel so not a stereotypical vicious breed. He was on a lead, chasing stones in and out of the sea with DH. He was little way away from them and didn't even glance their way

OP posts:
SarahStratton · 10/08/2012 22:34

A cat? Shock

Birdsgottafly · 10/08/2012 22:35

I believe your dog may have been perceived vicious

It's very rare that i am left in any doubt who is the crazed bitch that should be on a lead, when i and my female GS is approached by a women as described by the OP, luckily i'm scary enough to chase fuckwits off before my dog even notices that there is a problem.

bogeyface · 10/08/2012 22:38

:o @ a cat on a lead.

When we moved when I was 15, we had a very cossetted cat. My mother utterly adored it and was terrified that if we let it out it would bolt "all the way" back to our old house. Three streets away [himm]

So, after the requisite 6 weeks she took it into the garden.

On a lead.

And then wondered why the cat went completely frigging batshit crazy! She ended up convinced that it was because it didnt like being somewhere new and kept it in for the next 4 years until it died (I think it died out of desperation Wink). To be fair, the cat didnt seem to care, but still........

To this day she wont accept that attaching a lead to the collar of a cat that a) had never even worn a collar before and b) was very independent, wasnt going to end well!

QuacksForDoughnuts · 10/08/2012 22:40

YANBU. I went to Aldeburgh a few years ago with my friend and his very elderly dog and we had to travel miles to find a bit of beach where the dog could go for a swim. People who want to avoid dogs for whatever reason have loads of choice of where to go. Personally I do often opt for the dog-free bits if I'm not in a group that includes a dog, because I am wary around dogs I don't know and prefer to eat in peace without food invasions of the furry kind. Even if she did think your dog looked dangerous she could have gone somewhere else!

GrimmaTheNome · 10/08/2012 22:49

YANBU. Nasty selfish woman.

We're quite lucky, the nearest beaches to us (St Annes) the pier makes a clear dividing line between the dogless and dog-rich beaches. Even without reading the notices its pretty clear which is which! The dogless side has donkeys, so ironically more shit than the doggy side.

Moominsarescary · 10/08/2012 22:55

Yanbu

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 10/08/2012 22:56

I am confused. If you perceived a dog to be vicious, on a lead, away from you and your children, why would walk up to someone and tell Tom they are on the wrong part of the beach?

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 10/08/2012 22:57

Hang on I know the answer to that

Because your a mad crazy person.

Op UANBU

Mrsjay · 10/08/2012 23:01

I had a woman and her child come up to me on a dog walking bit of a campsite and asked if we would turn the other way as child was scared of dogs and they were looking for butterflies and insects I pointed them in the direction of the nature trail and jaydog hit her with her waggy tail Grin

Mrsjay · 10/08/2012 23:01

oh YANBU silly woman her not you

bogeyface · 10/08/2012 23:01

Has anyone said "entitled" yet?

LST · 10/08/2012 23:02

Yanbu

Mrsjay · 10/08/2012 23:02

Has anyone said "entitled" yet?

they have now Grin