To think these dog walkers are bonkers.

[QuebecBagnet]

So at the weekend me and a mate went mountain biking in a local wood. The wood is totally private property and owned by the local cycle shop. No public right of way at all. There is a sign by the entrance saying “bike trail”. You used to have to be a member of the shop’s cycling club to use it but think they’ve stopped that now (I’m a member anyway).

it’s a proper mountain bike track, single track, twisty through the trees, loads of jumps and berms. It’s admittedly not very well used and I’m often the only person there when I go.

we came across two different groups of dog walkers on the path. First one a solo woman with an off lead dog. The second lot a group of 5-6 people with 5-6 off lead dogs. Dogs were running infront of the people (out of their sight) and I nearly flattened them as I came round a bend. First dog was growling and snarling and baring it’s teeth at me. We obviously stopped until the owners came running and put them on leads. They were apologetic about the dogs

I Politely pointed out it’s not a public right of way and they just sort of shrugged and said it’s a nice walk and that maybe we should go slower! They seemed so adamant that it was ok them being there that I came home and checked the OS map and definitely no right of way. No where near a right of way.

Why would they walk on a single track mountain bike trail? It’s dangerous for me as well as them!

Yes imagine the temerity of someone cycling at speed on a bike track. Next we'll see paintballers recklessly shooting paint pellets on a paint balling range in the woods or golfers whacking tiny white balls at a high speed across a golf course with no regard for poor hard done by dog walkers who have no where else to walk their precious pooches!!

(I have a dog so not a dog hater).

I agree. If a saw a sign just saying "Bike Trail", I'd assume that it was there to point cyclists to the bridleway, rather than have them cycling across access land or on public footpaths.

I do think it would be useful to have more segregation in public spaces due to the increasing numbers of irresponsible dog owners. Our local beach has become a no go area for picnics and small children, and there are ‘shared’ pedestrian/ cyclist paths near us which are becoming unusable as dog owners don’t understand that extendable leads are inappropriate on these paths and down right dangerous for those cycling.

It made me feel sick and slightly dizzy!

🍿 😁

It's interesting isn't it how differently people think. I live very near the beach and have deliberately avoided taking the dog there for most of the summer as I know there will be people with small kids and food that DDog would be all over. To me it's about being sensible and considerate. But so many people just have the entitled attitude. Of course I am perfectly entitled to take my dog to the beach however crowded it is but I just can't bring myself to say 'I don't give a shit about anyone else'

We have dog free parts of the beach all year round here but still some dog owners completely ignore it and last year an off lead dog was injured on a no dogs beach by a kite surfer which it ran out in front of as he was launching from the beach. You wouldn't believe (or perhaps you would) the vitriol the kite surfing community were faced with on SM - people calling for them to be banned. They launch from a part of the beach that is specifically allocate to them and the local sailing club. Everything is well signed, it is really clear which bits of the beach are off limits to dogs but people just don't care.

@NumptiesIncorporated I was thinking of the exact same analogy. Imagine walking onto an F1 racing track and telling the cars to slow down for your doggo😂
I guess people are confusing trails biking with downhill Mtb.

Perhaps a bigger sign prior to the trail advising its only a bike trail and there's danger of serious accidents to unauthorised people walking/dog walking..it's all about a bit of consideration but that seems lacking nowadays.

Unfortunately many people don’t seem to realise privately owned land is not somewhere for them to walk dogs, ride bikes, camp etc. you would not want people doing this in your garden. Large amounts of land are used for growing food, not places for entitled idiots to walk on.

Does this qualify as a zombie thread?

No, it's less than a year old