Well we were out on our walk this morning for those who do not know I walk Buddy & Patches with a Red 4 wheel Medical Scooter, I have a bicycle orange flag with the American flag tapped on top of the orange flag, Buddy stand about 30" at the shoulder weighs about 88#, he wears a bright red & blue back pack, he is almost the same size as the scooter. When crossing streets Patches rides on the scooter or if we are on the street. Patches only trots beside the scooter on wide side walks which are up at the Fairgrounds.We have one really busy street to cross that has a light to tell you when to cross. We got the light to cross and people were making right hand turns in front of us which is ok but they are suppose to stop and let someons cross the street when they have the light. Good thing I follow my intuition I keep a Dog Whistle on my handle bars something told me to take it off & put it around my neck so I did.We were crossing the street made it about 3/4th of the way across looked like this truck was not going to stop so I stopped I blew my whistle at him made me mad, the jerk. Hubby would have had a cow he says we are going to get run over one of these days he really would have a cow if he knew I blew my whistle at some guy.heck we had the light to cross the jerk no one better hurt my dogs or hubby will be getting me out of jail. Any ideas thinking about getting one of those refillable boat Air Horns it might be louder than my whistle.Guess in the morning I will hang a blinking light i have on the dog or the scooter its little but it blinks. Maybe go to the bicycle shop and see what they might have.???
Patches Mom
Buddy & Patches.
That is scary!!! Just glad you are all three ok... Give the furkids a belly rub for me...
I don't walk Parker at night as we don't have any sidewalks on our street. I usually carry him to the corner (about 1/2 block), and that is where the sidewalk starts. I do have a blinking light that I attach to his collar. It's the best investment I have ever made. Especially in the back yard, I can let him out at night, and because he is sooo dark, I can't see him unless the light is blinking. My husband rolled his eyes when I bought it, and now he makes sure it's on him at night, so he knows where he is in the backyard.
Whew - glad all is ok..... I would definately get something louder !!!
Oh Papbouv, how scary for you. I would have hubby attach a loud siren to the front of the scooter.....that will teach them!!! So glad you are all okay :thumb:
I'm glad you all are OK, but I would get something louder.
As a bicyclist, I face similar hazards. What I've done is make myself as visible as possible. Most of my jerseys are now the hi-vis yellow. With cooler weather, you can get a hi-vis windbreaker from any online cycling store such as Bike Nashbar, Performance Bike or PricePoint.com. Or, if the weather is warm, you can get a Hi-vis vest.
Lights also help. Something that is either very bright, flashes, or both. I own a HID light, like those bright bluish lights you see on cars. It is so bright that when I put it on my bike, people actually think I'm a car. That's a good thing. I once had a driver thanking me for making myself so visible.
A whistle is a good thing as well. You can get a referee whistle at any surplus store. It will probably be heard better than the dog whistle.
Even with all of those items, you're still going to have drivers with their head up their butts. There's nothing you can do about that. I always thought about having a rocket-propelled grenade launcher as a last resort. THAT would get their attention!
Thank you one and all for the ideas,just not our week this morning decided not to go to the Fairgrounds went down the street in back of my house have a gravel walk way around a flood zone area.Nothing back there but businesses but the Police Auxiliary building is across the street from it so Police always go up & down the road makes me feel safer.It is Boring back there for the dogs though went around about 4-5 times 2 x = a mile some one told me?Then went down to the side walk to go to the vets wanted to weigh Patches right before the vets is a building that sells Building supplies. Saw a Big rig pulling a long trailer comming out of there drive so I stopped way back knowing it takes allot of room for a right hand turn. Well the trailer tail end had Patches worried was a little close to us on the side walk with us too.That driver was really in a big hurry too. At the vets Patches weighed 12.2# down from 15# last winter weight yeah. Buddy weighed 90.5 #he is about 30" he is over sized for a Doberman.We saw the biggest St.Bernard I have ever seen in at the vets bet he weighed 250-275# tall as Buddy or taller he was really dragging that vet tech around.We sorta left in a hurry since both boys growled at each other.Going to order the boat air horn some bicycle riders on Dobe talk have carried them to scare away other dogs.
QuoteEven with all of those items, you're still going to have drivers with their head up their butts. There's nothing you can do about that. I always thought about having a rocket-propelled grenade launcher as a last resort. THAT would get their attention!
This I can relate to. I am a pedestrian (do not have a driver's license) and I can tell you so many times that I have been AT A LIGHT, IN A CROSSWALK and have just about gotten hit. People just aren't paying attention and are not watching for people in crosswalks. The worst offenders are those jerks on cell phones who are OBLIVIOUS to what's going on. Oh, and I'm talking about BROAD DAYLIGHT. Good grief, don't get me started. :blowup: I'm very careful when I walk Madison that it's with Mark (she wouldn't have it any other way) I just don't trust that I wouldn't go off and get us kilt. Be safe and go for a BIG light and BIG noise to wake up the idiots who aren't paying attention in their cars.
Quote from: Madderoos Mom on September 18, 2008, 10:51:11 PMThis I can relate to. I am a pedestrian (do not have a driver's license) and I can tell you so many times that I have been AT A LIGHT, IN A CROSSWALK and have just about gotten hit. People just aren't paying attention and are not watching for people in crosswalks. The worst offenders are those jerks on cell phones who are OBLIVIOUS to what's going on. Oh, and I'm talking about BROAD DAYLIGHT.
Good grief, don't get me started. :blowup:
This is why I follow my theory that it is safer to cross in the middle of the block.
You're only worrying about traffic coming in two directions. If you watch the timing of the lights down the street, you can usually get across with no problem. At an intersection, you have to worry about cars coming up from behind you and circling around you.
I use an electric wheelchair when I have to go places that have too much walking for me - like the Smithsonian in D.C. and Johns Hopkins Hospital and their MILES of corridors! - and one time a woman was turning right and waited until I was 3/4 of the way across the hood of her car, then turned right into ME! :verdict:
Now I was over 350 pounds at the time, and my wheelchair is this HUGE specialty number for big people. So, what, she couldn't see me?? :dontknow:
People - I'd prefer dachshunds on the road!! :BangHead:
Karen
Ordered the boat air horn its re-fillable not sure when it will get here on back order.After three times this week of us bing hood ornaments it was a little foggy so no walk at all figure maybe next week will be safer???Oh boy Fall is Monday hope it will be cooler soon & we can go walking any time in the daytime.Papbouv