Still steamed about an encounter in our local park with a leash law scofflaw. My dog was on leash, and when I saw the scofflaw coming with two unleashed big dogs, I reminded her that leashes are required. She nodded but did nothting to stop her dogs from going right up to mine, who snapped in response. She said sorry and I said that's why leashes are required. She kept going as did I, then she called to me from some distance. When I stopped and turned around, she said the leash laws are only for dogs like mine! At that point I told her I was calling animal control, and headed right back after her to get her license. She gave me a big song and dance about how well she controls her dogs and when I didn't lay off she finally fled the park with her dogs (at last) leashed.. Meanwhile while she argued and kept her dogs off leash, they kept right on trying to approach mine, with no word or sign from her for said control.

I have to say I see red when I deal with people who are convinced rules and laws don't apply to them. So today my husband and I are lobbying the regional animal control folks, who are sadly understaffed, to send an officer into the park to hand out some citations. But I remain steamed.

That is obnoxious! I hate when people let their dogs roam unleashed. You can tell me all you want that they're so nice and well-behaved and yada yada, but all I know is that my dog is not friendly and I don't want a strange dog jumping up on either of us.

Yeah, seriously.

On Sunday, we were at our favorite brunch place and invited our other friend along. Said friend is a smoker of the world's most grody cigarettes, and slips out every 20 minutes, but is generally very conscious of other people and smoking rules.

For some reason, we decided to sit outside even though it was colder than usual. This girl was sitting next to us, reading/grading, with an open pack of Camel menthols right on the table and a lit ciggie in her fingers. Five feet away from the "NO SMOKING ON THE PATIO" sign.

I was really, really steamed but didn't say anything. But I didn't want to get in a situation where our friend would show up and I'd have to say something mom-like about not having him smoke just because everybody else does it, or saying ANYTHING out loud with the girl sitting right next to us, because oh, then I'm the passive aggressive asshole and she's all EDGY for flouting SOCIETY or whatever.

Gaaaaaaah!

Yes, I hate how it makes me the bad guy for speaking up. I mean, why do I have to speak up? And if I am forced to, why isn't the other person apologizing profusely and behaving properly thereafter?

On the doggy front, I'd just add that it is pretty basic dog knowledge that even the friendliest dog does not normally appreciate having strange dogs bound up to it when said friendly dog is leashed. Talk about getting into your face! And unlike me, my dog can't speak up to say "You're too close," he has to growl or snap to make his point.

Did I add that there is a leash free area in this park? My dog would be happy to be friendly there.

Maybe the other thing steaming me is the criticism of my dog. *growls protectively*

Totally! I was at the airport once going through security, and after I went through the metal detector and put the dog back in her carrybag, one of the security officers got all OMGPUPPYWUPPY and started sticking her hands and her face in the bag. I said, oh sorry, she's not really friendly (plus she's really stressed out at this point, lady, being shaken up and dragged around and all that). And the woman gets all offended, huffing and puffing about how dogs should really be trained properly and can you believe what a horrible pet owner am. She says this to the next person in line- who, what do you know, happens to be my husband, dumbass! What can you do, I'm not gonna pick a fight with a TSA employee, I need to get OUT, so I just grabbed my stuff and ran away. I do sort of wish my dog had bitten her, though.

I can't say anything to such people any more. Confrontation even when I am obviously right gives me chest pains that can last for days.

I'm beginning to have the same reaction as you, Adiril.

I was EXCEEDINGLY cordial to an older fellow, this past weekend, about leaving his dog in the car (it was a hot day recently here in New England). He told me to F-off and that he knew how to take care of his dog.

Now I keep animal control and police numbers in my car. For now on, I'm just gonna call.

GOD! It KILLS me to see dogs treated this way.

I have been bitten by a dog exactly once.

I was 12, walking along the sidewalk to a baseball game I was scheduled to pitch, wearing those stupid baseball stirrup socks, red, imagining the game and totally unaware of my surroundings, when I felt a sharp pain in my right leg between ankle and calf.

I jerked around and there was this Blue Heeler-sized white dog about two feet from me in an unfenced yard, totally silent but staring at me with its hackles raised and its lip pulled up on one side.

"Hey!" I yelled, at the man who was raking up clippings by the lilac hedge, "your dog just bit me!" He got a startlingly comic look of dismay on his face, and at the same time, it dawned on me that this dog lived in the exact house my family had rented for several years before we bought a house and moved 4 blocks down the street about 18 months before.

It was so weird that I couldn't help laughing, and it was kind of hard to stop. Then the guy REALLY looked upset, and was sort of crying. He'd already run over and grabbed the dog, and he could see that my sock was torn and blood was dripping down, but I told him it was OK and got out of there so I wouldn't be late.

I told my parents I'd gotten cleated because I didn't want them to get all worked up, and because I'd read dozens of dog stories where this lovable dog bites some cruel tormentor and is sentenced to death, and I just couldn't be part of that.

Scene - @ park with leash laws clearly posted.

The husband is just letting the leashed Chow Chow out of the car. Two unleashed dogs quickly accost them. Chow Chow growls and bristles.

Husband: "Woah woah woah, control your dogs!"

Owner of unleashed dogs: "We only bring NICE dogs to this park!"

Husband: "Lady, the signs say all dogs must be LEASHED, not all dogs must be NICE!"

True story.

I live in the country, so I often walk my dog off-leash and encounter other off-leash dogs. That's just how we roll in The Holler. However, when we are in town, walking in a park or in the high street, my girl is ALWAYS leashed. That's how civilized people behave. My dog has never met a stranger, just friends she doesn't know yet. I know this, but J. Random Parkwalker doesn't and it would be a huge imposition on his psyche to freak him out over nothing.

As an aside, my dog is rarely around children and used to keep a gimlet eye on them, posturing defensively if they got too close. She has now decided that kids are THE BEST THING EVER and they are EVEN BETTER if she can lick them until they squeal. This poses an entirely new set of problems in terms of civilized behavior in the park, but they're problems I'm happy to have.

I was driving up my parents' street when their neighbor's off leash pugs started running near my wheels. I told her to leash them and her response was something to the effect of " I'm not in a good mood so I can do whatever I want. Have a nice day!" If I had hit them it would have been HER fault.

One day I was walking home when I heard a tiny little whimper coming from, apparently, a crumpled up paper bag in the street. I looked closer. That crumpled bag was in fact a puppy small enough to fit in my hand.

I scooted into the street and scooped him up, then wondered what the heck to do. The only other signs of life on the block (besides me, the puppy, and the cars he so narrowly avoided) came from the rear porch of a the building next to mine.

Carrying the trembling puppy, I walked around the building's parking lot, approached the family I saw having lemonade on the back porch, and asked, "Do you know whose puppy this is?"

The mom said, "He's OURS, don't pick him up," and leaned dangerously far over the railing to snatch him out of my hands.

"Oh. Gosh, I found him around the block, in the street."

"He's fine."

"Really? Because I found him in the street."

"He likes to play in the yard."

"Well, I found him in the street. With the cars."

The next day, her landlord came to speak to me because she'd complained that I'd been trespassing (yes, by crossing a parking lot to return a lost puppy). Whevs, lady. But I never did find the puppy cowering in the street again. He's a half-grown dog now, and whenever we meet on the paths between buildings and he tries to lick my hand, she yanks him away quite crankily. She's delightful.

There are several parks here in which, at certain times of day, dog owners gather to let their dogs off the leash to romp and play. They are at risk for tickets, should the county's one animal control officer come by. I sometimes walk through there on my way to work, and get barked at and sometimes accosted. But I am pretty good with dogs and never feel threatened.

But if the dominant culture in any given place is to have your dog(s) leashed, then anyone varying from that needs to own up to it.

Now, MY grouch button is pushed when I see people riding bikes on the sidewalk!

Here's one that really burns my britches.
My dog has a vaccine that she received in 2010 that is valid for three years. Because the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (whose approval I need for her to leave Brazil) has decided to not recognize her vaccine (they only recognize 1 year vaccines, which wasn't the case when we got here seven months ago), so now we have to pay for the privilege of someone forging a rabies vaccine card for her. Basically, a bribe. Love the fact that I just found this site. I will be complaining, but only when I am safely back in the northern hemisphere.

Now, MY grouch button is pushed when I see people riding bikes on the sidewalk!
Yeah, me too. I get why they do it and I think more facilities should be provided for cyclists in general, but at least acknowledge that footpaths are primarily for pedestrians and be courteous about it. I was walking yesterday across the Story Bridge (where cyclists and pedestrians are required to share the path) and saw a couple being abused by a cyclist because they didn't move over to let him past without slowing down. He yelled out 'read the fucking signs, you idiots!'. The signs say 'Keep left. Cyclists must give way to pedestrians.'...