NCBC meeting notes - October '97


These are the notes from the October 6th, 1997 meeting of the NCBC.

The meeting was convened at REI at Crossroads Shopping Center in Cary. ?? members attended the meeting.

Feature presentation

The speaker was Officer Dale of the Cary Police Department. His topic was "How to Deal with Dogs." Dale said that, according to the Animal Control Officer in Cary, there are three kinds of dogs:

  1. the passive dogs that don't chase you.
  2. the passive-aggressive dogs that stand at the edge of their yard and bark.
  3. the aggressive dogs that leave their yard and come into the road, taking an offensive stance.
Since most cyclists ride the same routes a lot, most of us know which dogs are aggressive. Dale suggested three ways to deal with an aggressive dog:
  1. Sprint away. The success of this approach depends on the terrain, the cyclist, and the dog.
  2. Spray the dog in the face with your water bottle. This can make the dog stop and hesitate long enough for you to sprint away.
  3. If the road is clear, move to the opposite side of the road to give the dog some space. If the dog follows you, try to keep the bike between you and the dog.
Most of the time the dog's owner will call it off, or the dog will stop following you and break away. Dale emphasized that, if the dog leaves its yard to attack you in the road, anything you do to keep it from biting you or to stop it biting you is fair. He said that the bridge of the nose is very sensitive in dogs and a blow to that area should make it stop biting. Remember that a human on a bicycle is much larger and powerful than a dog. Dale advised that if you are in a pack ride the riders should stay in the pack. If you're by yourself then ride away. Dale pointed out that the dog's owner is liable for any damage caused by the dog, including damage to your bike if you wreck while being chased by the dog. A cyclist who is injured should get the address of the house where the dog lives and call the police department that has jurisdiction. You do not have to confront the owner.

When asked, Dale clarified that there is no leash law in Wake County. A dog has the free run of its yard. In the Town of Cary, however, a dog must be on a leash at all times.

Ed Downing asked if "Halt!" was effective. Officer Dale said that 10% pepper spray is very effective against aggressive dogs, although it is hard to use while you're moving. However, if you're stopped and the dog is biting then it will probably get the dog to stop.

Officer Dale also offered advise about dealing with aggressive motorists. He said that if a motorist causes you to wreck, and you have witnesses, you should report the offense, but there's not much we can do about simple aggressive behavior. In general these sorts of offenses must be witnessed by a police officer or nothing can be done. If you are hit by a bottle or other thrown debris this is assault and can be reported. If a motorist throws something at you, but misses, this is attempted assault. If you get the license tag and report it the police will investigate. If you are passed and cut off by a motorist this is considered an improper lane change, but unless it is witnessed by a police officer nothing can be done. "No magistrate in the world would give you charges," said Dale.

Fall Rally

Vice-president Henri Bohl reported that 69 people attended the Fall Rally. There were no incidents and the rally was well-received. Henri said she heard good reviews on the markings.

1998 Officer nominations

The attendees suggested names for the 1998 slate of club officers. Henri and Webmaster David Cole agreed to contact those who were not present and see if they are willing to run. The elections will be held at the November meeting. Jim noted that nominees do not have to be present at the meeting to be elected.

Christmas party

In other business, Al Johnson, club brewmeister, offered to make another batch of his famous Christmas beer for the club party, to be held in December. Club past-president Sheila Miller explained to Henri, this year's host, that the club normally buys the paper products and drinks for the party and the attendees bring a dish to share.

Page maintained by David L. Cole and last revised on Wednesday, November 5, 1997.
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