So, we were hiking (naked) along this long straight forest trail, trees stretching to out on both side, Polly and I, and I see this cyclist approaching at a fair pace in front and to my left, directly towards us. I decide to be smart and I take the stick I'm holding and I throw it slightly forward and out to my right-hand side, expecting Polly to head away from the bicyle. What does she do? She darts LEFT!
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I can only watch Murphy's Law in motion. Polly darts directly in front of the startled rider, lunges across to his FAR side, before heading in a firm diagonal line back towards the stick, straight into the rider's right foot, almost knocking him off his bike. There's an almighty thwack as the overweight and running collie slams into the fairly fast moving cyclist.
There's a yelp as Polly limps off into the undergrowth, and a flood of apologies from me. (You are not responsible for your cat, but you ARE responsible for your dog.) Clearly Polly and I were at fault here, and I'm looking at the blood pouring from this poor guy's shin in front of me, as I rapidly start to unpack my rucksack looking for my first aid kit. I pull out a full bandage, and he holds a tissue over the wound, as I step forward to wrap the bandage around his leg, apologizing profusely. I'm thinking that I don't really want to give him my id, but I have caused a fairly unpleasant accident, via my dog, so that's the right thing to do. Sighing inwardly about the likelihood of both a police intervention against the naked man who attacked the cyclist with his dog, and the probable hassle with health insurances and so forth.
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Well, he was understandably not happy about the accident, and he may even have not been so comfortable with this strange naked man strapping his bleeding leg, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when I offered him my name and address, so that he could follow the incident up formally, and he waved it away, saying: "it's ok, these things happen, have a nice day!" And cycled off down the forest path, plus one wound and plus one bandage.
I scowled at Polly, who was just looking at me expectantly with the stick she'd retrieved, and we continued on our naked hike along the warm, open and fresh, mid-summer forest trail. Sometimes, despite setbacks, one has a good day.
Hum that is why leash laws are around at least in this country. Does everyone follow them no.
He took it well. However as a cyclist (and I cycle also) he has a duty of care to others as well. If he had approached you both a little slower he might have had more time to react. It all worked out week in the end but the embarrassment of being judged after being taken out by a naked man's dog may have been more then he was willing to deal with later. 😀
Poor Polly and cyclist. I'm happy it all ended well.