This morning we rode out to Riis Park. On my way back we cut through Prospect Park. As we were approaching the hill at Battle Pass at around 8:30am we saw Marcia, PE#1, coming down the path by the Donegan Oak Monument. Both dogs were unleashed, as usual, and she was carrying that wooden post with the sharpened metal spike on the end. We yelled really loudly, "Marcia!" She smiled and yelled, "Hi Guy." We bellowed back, "Leash those dogs" then just kept on riding.
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5:20 P.M., in the plaza near Central Park's Delacorte Clock, a yuppy-looking white male with a large brown dog. The owner held both ends of the leash. Not only was it not dog hours, but also large prominent signs all around say "Dogs Must Be Leashed At All Times In This Area." Lots of little kids around too. We yelled at him, "Hey mister, leash your dog." The response: "F----you." We're glad he didn't disappoint; this is the type of response we've come to expect from members of the off-leash community, and a sentiment that fairly sums up how they view the rest of us.
4 comments:
I beg to differ. Your "yuppy-looking" person is quite likely not a member of the "off-leash community". True, he had his dog illegally off leash. But, you have no evidence as to whether he attends or even knows of Off Leash Hours. In fact, as long as were making suppositions I would offer that his flagrant behavior in itself is evidence of someone who does NOT know of a legal alternative.
(1) I guess it depends on how you define "off-leash community". (2) Given that every other dog-walker we saw in the park at that hour had his dog leashed, it is difficult to believe that he didn't know, or cared, about a legal alternative. (3) It wasn't that he was playing with his dog on an empty lawn; this was in-your-face. (4) As we've reported before, we've seen identical behavior from people leaving off-leash areas during dog hours.
1) Yes, it very much depends on what and who you choose to define, as well as what your assumptions are based on.
2) That's quite a leap you just took: The "legal alternative" I mentioned was meant to connote official Off Leash Hours. This person may likely be jerky enough, or stupid enough, to not understand that dogs must be on leash in all other times and public places other than those defined in the Off Leash hours statutes. But that's clearly not what I was implying.
3) I'm not sure what I'm to be inferring here.
4) I won't be so misguided as to counter your observations. However, MY observations, as a frequent participant during Off Leash Hours are evidence to quite different behavior. I've never witnessed owners being belligerent and refusing to leash their dogs after leaving Off Leash areas. I have certainly not behaved in such a way myself. I would hope you would give my word the benefit of the doubt I've granted yours.
Confronting people or yelling at them rarely produces the desire results. Wouldn't it be better to calmly, politely remind someone of the rules?
Also, do you yell at speeders, bikes on sidewalks, litterbugs, people who spit, etc. If you take it upon yourselves to discipline others, you have to expect equally angry responses. This does not mean that violators are right. It does mean they are human.
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