La Dolce Doggie Or Isn’t That Really Dangerous?
A BHB tipster sends in this photo and observation:
There’s a nabe dog walker who consistently puts her charges in danger by “walking” the dogs while she rides on her Vespa scooter. Here’s a photo snapped this morning.
A few things to point out about the photo:
- She’s endangering those dogs with this unprofessional and reckless behavior. A dog could easily get caught her wheels, and how can she have much control over the dogs if she’s trying to control her scooter?
- The brake light indicates the Vespa is on.
- She’s driving down a one way street the wrong way with an oncoming car right in front of her. This is dangerous to everyone involved—particularly the dogs
- She’s not wearing a helmet (illegal).
In April, Brooklyn Heights super attorney/BHB super commenter TK Small observed:
This week I saw something somewhat bizarre. The heavyset woman who walks dogs in the neighborhood was doing so while slowly rolling up Pierrepont street on her scooter. I only saw her do this for 20 or 30 feet, but quickly cars were accumulating behind her. I come from a cat loving family so I am not sure whether this would be considered good practice.
Is this all that dangerous? (Update: The NY Times wrote about Brooklyn Heights dogs walkers in 2002)
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Posted : May 28th, 2008 at 8:06 am by Homer Fink under News.
Tags:11201, dog walking, most outrageous bhb, vespa
Comments: 23
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Comments
Comment from clarknt67
Time: May 28, 2008, 9:36 am
wow, I’d be truly upset if I was paying someone to “walk” my dogs and found out they were committing this dangerous travesty. It does seem like an accident waiting to happen. I can easily see her losing control of both the scooter and her charges.
Comment from Ethan
Time: May 28, 2008, 9:50 am
To be written in Cornflower Blue Crayola:
Your Vespa scooter was walking my dog for a very long time waking up my conscience. Please don’t scooter walk on this block again, ever.
Comment from Janice, “Open Your Heart with Pets”
Time: May 28, 2008, 9:50 am
I agree with the other comments, wrong on so many levels. How can she be attuned to the animals needs, other traffic, pedestrians, etc.? This is not the way to multi-task. I can’t imagine the dogs enjoy being pulled along this way. How can other vehicles navigate around her? Are dogs supposed to be walked in the street rather than on a sidewalk? But, bottom line, she isn’t doing the job she should in caring for the dogs. And she’s putting them and humans in danger. Maybe she’ll get a ticket.
Comment from Bongo
Time: May 28, 2008, 10:32 am
I saw this a couple of weeks ago, and was on the brink of calling the police, but she zoomed off. Oddly enough, when I’ve recounted the tale, opinions are mixed. I think it’s absurdly dangerous on so many points, to her, the dogs, other road users, and other pedestrians.
Comment from GHB
Time: May 28, 2008, 11:39 am
Hopefully, one of the owners will see this and put a stop to it. She has trouble controlling some of her charges on foot. One of them repeatedly lunges at my dog without provocation. I’d hate to see that happen while she’s scootin’.
Comment from Okamura
Time: May 28, 2008, 1:08 pm
I just wonder how many people see her on daily basis thinking that she might be very irresponsible and perhaps dangerous to herself, dogs, others.. (in this case)– and not saying anything.
Comment from jiker
Time: May 28, 2008, 1:48 pm
this disgusts me. riding a vespa while walking dogs is completely irresponsible and unprofessional. operating a vehicle while walking dogs is very dangerous and a distaster waiting to happen. that is just common sense. i would never let anyone walk my dog who does this. these are animals who their owners see as their children and mean so much to them. this person should not be walking dogs if she can’t do it safely.
Comment from frances
Time: May 28, 2008, 2:13 pm
My, what seething responses, riddled with innuendo, one-off sightings, suppositions, insults, accusations and rumors. Dogs on sidewalks? Not with double-wide strollers. Sidewalk biscuits while trotting along a scooter? I don’t think so. Look at just how many of these responses rest on shaky facts. I’m not defending the practice but I’m amazed at the viciousness that accompanies the lack of further investigation.
Comment from anon
Time: May 28, 2008, 2:23 pm
What shaky facts? What’s vicious about posting eyewitness accounts?
Many people in the nabe have seen this person repeatedly riding her Vespa on the sidewalk, pulling dogs along behind her moterized scooter, and as the photo shows, engaging in multiple illegal activities. Condeming someone’s unprofessional, dangerous and illegal behavior? Puleeze, that’s not vicious.
Why post something just to be contrarian?
Comment from Cranberry St
Time: May 28, 2008, 3:22 pm
I’ll give it to you that an assumption that someone who cannot walk a dog (as evidenced by the photo in case you missed it - dog “walker” on a motorized scooter for the visually impaired) also cannot pick up after our four legged friends is quite presumptious. Just went out on a complete limb that the sidewalk droppings we all dodge on a daily basis walking through BH has little to do with this scenario.
Comment from ABC
Time: May 28, 2008, 3:51 pm
I’ve seen her “walk” the bike with the dogs (as pictured), but I’ve never seen her actually riding the bike. Are we sure those are break lights and not just the tailights?
Comment from Cranberry St
Time: May 28, 2008, 3:55 pm
Not a mathematician here but pretty sure the scooter should not be a part of a dog walking equation.
Comment from Yuppers
Time: May 28, 2008, 4:09 pm
Seen it with my own two eyes - at least 5 times, ABC.
Comment from Peter
Time: May 28, 2008, 4:26 pm
I would not let her walk my dog.
Comment from peppermint
Time: May 28, 2008, 4:34 pm
I’ve seen her before too. She was on her scooter on the sidewalk and had a few dogs in tow. Granted, she was going super slow - like slower than she would be going if she were actually walking. However, it doesn’t seem as though the dogs are getting much exercise and it certainly is unsafe if she’s going the wrong way on a one way street. Also, I can just see the scooter falling on a dog or nipping a paw or something. :(
Comment from Alison
Time: May 28, 2008, 4:38 pm
Okay. This is very very wrong. As a dog owner I know I don’t let my dog walk on grates or con ed manholes, avoid salt when it snows, steer clear of bicyclists, running children, broken glass…you know, the typical ‘keep my dog from harm and keep my dog from causing harm’ stuff. Someone needs to stop this woman. I’m pretty sure if she injures one of those dogs she doesn’t have the insurance to cover the bills. If I saw this on my street I’d be the first to wrench the leashes from her while calling the cops.
Comment from ABC
Time: May 28, 2008, 4:46 pm
Yuppers, if I would have seen this five times — or even once — I would have confronted her. Did you?
Comment from suitep
Time: May 28, 2008, 6:40 pm
How in the world are the dogs able to pee or poop? Not to mention her being able to scoop that poop….
This is ridiculous, and I wouldn’t let her near a dog of mine.
Comment from silly
Time: May 29, 2008, 1:36 am
We need to treat animals humanely. However, why is that people go nuts about animals being treated poorly but don’t care about people suffering?
What about this poor lady? Maybe she has difficulty walking or is extremely lazy and would rather sit her butt down instead of exercise?
Comment from anon
Time: May 29, 2008, 3:33 am
i’ve seen her ride the scooter first the wrong way on a one way street while “walking” the dogs, and then onto the sidewalk to mail a letter. i couldn’t believe my eyes!
it is bad for the environment for her to be burning the gas like that, and i agree, it does put herself and the animals at risk by going the wrong way.
she may be a nice person, and might need the money, but this is no way to take care of others’ animals.
Comment from chris
Time: May 29, 2008, 9:27 am
Silly said:
“We need to treat animals humanely. However, why is that people go nuts about animals being treated poorly but don’t care about people suffering?
What about this poor lady? Maybe she has difficulty walking or is extremely lazy and would rather sit her butt down instead of exercise?”
What? She’s breaking the law and putting people danger. Like I said before, law breaker, danger, menace, end of story.
Comment from Caring Neighbor
Time: May 29, 2008, 11:15 am
I read this because a concerned friend was so distraught over the thread of comments. I share the distress. So many people have piled on that it reminds me of my farm girl days in California where one turkey would peck at another more vulnerable bird and everyone in the barnyard would attack. You are dumping on another human being for a simple act of indiscretion. I don’t know if this blog has rules, but if it does, clearly they should prohibit this type of assasination. The webmaster should delete the entire blog and set some rules that require human decency and respect. Good G-d; no wonder our world is in such trouble when people are so cruel to one another on the level of a supposedly civilized neighborhood.
Comment from anon
Time: May 28, 2008, 8:22 am
No no no, she’s doing it all wrong. The dog are supposed to be pulling her along on the scooter. Think of it as the urban version of a dogsled.
(Note to all dog lovers: I’m kidding. No, really- I am)