Dealing With Dogs

I admit it, I've simply had it with dogs and I'm refusing to deal with them anymore. If a dog chases me on rural roads beyond their property and on to the roads in an attack mode, and do not respond to a "GO HOME" shouted at them, I'm calling the Sheriff's Department of that county to report them. I simply don't have time or the will to talk to every individual dog owner anymore.

Since CDV was bitten a couple weeks ago, he's been pretty gun shy on the roads when it comes to dogs. Today got my guard up a little as well. CDV, Kathy R., and myself were headed up towards Spink. Kathy had no more talked about dogs that had come at her last June and here they came. I was hoping they would remain on their property, but it wasn't to be. They worked damn well as a team too. While I was yelling at the one on my right to go home, I suddenly felt hot breath as I had one nipping at my left heel. I accelerated to get away but CDV had already dismounted and was using his bike as a shield between himself and the dog. That worked for one, but like I said, they were working VERY well in pairs and Craig had his head on a swivel watching both dogs. He slowly walked down the road watching the dogs, with his dog spray in one hand.

The dogs didn't give up for the better part of a half mile. I didn't settle down all day about the incident. When we got around to Elk Point I called the Sheriff's Office. There were supposedly going to contact me later. They didn't. I called back later in the evening and I received a "Um, I'm not sure, but we had a deputy in the area and I *think* he talked to them." Um...not good enough. I turned it up a notch by emailing. We will see if I get a response. The email? Allow me to make it public here for conversation:

Dear Union County Sheriff's Department:

Today at about 1:45 pm, between 317th and 316th street on the Spink Oil (473rd Ave.) we had a major dog incident. As bicyclists, we have encounters with dogs and are skilled in how to handle them. Most of them, with a simple "GO HOME" will turn tail and go home. Most never leave their yards and are just protecting their property line. These two dogs did not respond to many very loud "GO HOME" yells and were very aggressively bearing their teeth and working as a team to approach me on each side of the bike, one nipping at my left heel.

My friend, Craig DeVelder, dismounted his bike as he was recently bit by a dog in Meckling, SD and is understandably a little "dog shy". He was keeping his bike between himself and the dogs as we know as the best method from articles we have read and from other riders. These dogs did NOT tire of the chase as he continued to walk his bike away from them. The dogs were no less than a 1/4 mile away from their farm and closer to a 1/2 mile before they gave up finally.

Kathy Roberts from McCook Lake, who was also with us today, has had a run in last June with these same dogs and stated that the owner was outside and managed to get one of the two back but one still was on the road before it finally turned around.

Based on SD Codified Law 40-34-14, I see no reason for these dogs to not be on record as vicious dogs. To save you having to look it up it is copied below:

40-34-14. Vicious dog defined. For the purposes of §§ 40-34-13 to 40-34-15, inclusive, a vicious dog is:

(1) Any dog which, when unprovoked, in a vicious or terrorizing manner approaches in apparent attitude of attack, or bites, inflicts injury, assaults, or otherwise attacks a human being upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds or places; or

(2) Any dog which, on private property, when unprovoked, in a vicious or terrifying manner approaches in apparent attitude of attack, or bites, or inflicts injury, or otherwise attacks a mailman, meter reader, serviceman, journeyman, delivery man, or other employed person who is on private property by reason of permission of the owner or occupant of such property or who is on private property by reason of a course of dealing with the owner of such private property.

Source: SL 1988, ch 330, § 2.

There is no doubt in my mind that these dogs are both well within the realms of being labeled vicious and I would appreciate them being labeled as such. I refuse to give up one of our training routes because of dogs. Once these dogs came on the road and were nipping at my heels, the line was clearly crossed. Attached are some pictures that Kathy Roberts took during our ride today.

Please feel free to contact me anytime for further information or to inform me of the action that was taken in this complaint. I have also cc'd Craig and Kathy so you have their emails if you have further questions as well.



Sincerely,


Kevin Brady
Vice President, South Dakota Bicycle Coalition
*street*
*town - zip*
*phone*

Mean People Suck

It's too cold to leave for lunch today so I thought that I'd eat at my desk and share a little rant/pet peeve. My rant/pet peeve for the day: People who continuously try to cut you down to build themselves up. Before I continue, I can be a smart ass with the best of them. After all, my wife made sure that I obtained professional status in that area last year. That being said, I try to the utmost of my ability to be obviously funny and not hurtful or crass.

This last weekend my pet-peeve-o-meter was set off on a couple of occasions by different people. One by somebody who seems to have a personal cob up their butt for me as of late. Of course, this same person will talk about anybody at any time so it shouldn't be totally shocking to me or anyone. It is kind of funny because now that I have started taking this person to task more, the attacks seem to have become more relentless. I'm trying my best to not communicate except when necessary with that person, which is probably playing into exactly what they want.

The other person doesn't necessarily say as much to me as my wife, and my wife used to just deal with it and be hurt by the comments. Now she's getting stronger and letting the person know that it was uncalled for. When she did that this weekend, the person backed off saying "geez, don't you know humor. You take me too serious!". Unfortunately, this person is unlikely to change either.

In both cases, it seems to be the best way they know how to make themselves feel better. In both cases, it's really sad. There is much about each person to be liked. It's too bad that too often gets overshadowed by their nasty, hurtful sides. In other words, mean people suck.

I Am NOT a Babysitter to My Children

It's been awhile since I've had to post on a pet peeve, so it's about time.

My wife and her mother went to see my nephew in a national piano competition in Denver, Colorado this weekend (good luck Nicholas!) so I am in charge of the three precious little angels that contain substantial portions of my DNA.

Last night we went to the PTA Carnival at the high school, which is a fund raiser for the PTA and a fun night for the children. Once that some knew Laura was gone for the weekend, I had more than one person comment, "So you get to babysit for the weekend, huh?".

I don't "babysit" my children. I'm a Dad. It comes with the territory. If you are a Dad and you "babysit" your children, you are not a real Dad in my humble opinion.

Being a Dad is a commitment to:
* Play with your children
* Teach them right from wrong
* Help them with their spiritual growth
* Prepare them for the future
* Discipline when necessary
* Being a mentor
* Showing them respect and expecting the same
* BEING THERE

Sure the list goes on. Being a Dad is a never ending learning experience. It's a growing process. It should never be seen as babysitting however. It should be a partnership with your children.

What do I say when somebody asks me if I'm babysitting my children? I say "No, I'm being a Dad to my kids". Usually with a look of stupor, they walk away, hopefully realizing the err of their big mouth.

Now if you'll excuse me, Dad is being paged by his children. We have a weekend to experience together.

It's Me, Causing Trouble Again

This will fall into another Pet Peeve category, but I'm now officially trying to stir the pot a little at work. It's been wearing on me for awhile, but I finally got up the cajones to call somebody about it. Well, I left a message on their audix and I'm patiently waiting a reply.

This issue? Well, like a few hearty souls here at work, I bike to work regardless of the weather. That includes snow, something we have had a decent amount of as of late. This issue has been worse in the past, but it was JUST bad enough today that I decided to tactfully bring it to somebody's attention.

I still digress. The issue: Snow, Bike Racks, and the supreme ability to plow snow up to them but not clean them out. You know, sort of like when you shovel out the driveway and that damn snowplow comes by and puts that hard stuff right where you just shoveled? Well, maybe that's worse. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures I took today. One at the dome and one outside my office building.

The Dakota Dome bike rack:	Outside My Office

My dream (Oh yes, I have a dream baby!): To have at least a couple stalls (if not the whole bike rack) shoveled out. It's MY parking spot. Would car drivers bitch if their parking spot had six inches of snow and they had to step in it? Darn straight they would. Then why should I have to step in it to park my bike? So help me God, if one of you "cagers" (that's a vehicle driver for those uninformed with cyclist lingo) tell me that I should be driving because of the conditions, I shall be most inclined to go postal upside your head.

I shall be updating you on this issue as I foresee a battle about to commence. Now that the ball is rolling, I don't intend to let it rest. Snow removal or bust!

Icy Windshields

Imagine this coming at you while on a bike:


Yesterday I had to work in Sioux Falls again so I biked out to fleet to get a car to drive up there. It was a balmy 0 (ZERO) degrees when I left my house so I was pretty bundled up. The number of car windshields that looked similar to the above photo were shocking.

I may not be the greatest morning person in the world, but I don't have to get up and make sure my car is scraped off and warmed up. My "car" has a great unobstructed view. So many cars had one little square (sort of) cleared off so they could (kind of) see. Others had their heads tilted so that they could see through a small open patch. I just wanted to scream "Get off yer lazy butts and scrape your window!!".

"But Bikingbrady, it's cold out!". I understand that as I'm on my BIKE. Lazy, overweight, in a rush, have to get the kids to school, I don't care WHAT your excuse is: MAKE TIME TO CLEAN YOUR WINDSHIELD!!!

Finishing the Job

I'm going to start a new label for posts entitled "Pet Peeves". There are so many peeves, and they often happen to me and cause great mental anguish. My therapist (the various voices in my head) tells me that writing about them will help me cope. Hence, I feel the need to share them with you here.

Pet Peeve posting number one comes from my recent trip to the bathroom at a multipurpose facility.

IF you must use the gi-hugic industrial round rolls of toilet paper, make the toilet paper strong enough so you can actually pull the roll so that you get more than one square before it breaks and you have to repeat the process over and over. A few individual squares does not help me complete "the process" easily if you get my drift.

I guarantee you there will be more rants/pet peeves to come, many cycling related. I had to start somewhere!