Just everyday people

I've been searching for relevant forums and posting information about this blog and the online petition. In general, the response has been positive. There's a small group of folks over at the Brooklynian forums who act as though they need their prescriptions changed. Anyway, let the courts work it out.

Along the lines of strange people I stumbled across the following blog posting. I think the blog is called "Pretentious" (it hard to tell from the design). It will give you a look into one dog owner's attitude of entitlement. Note also that the FIDO website used to give the same advice on how to avoid getting a ticket. When I complained to the parks department, FIDO removed it from their website:

"First Offense

January 17, 2006

This is just an FYI for any dog-owners who happens to live in the Prospect Heights/Park Slope area. There is some lady (an Officer Rose) from the Parks department writing tickets like crazy for dogs off the leash in Mount Prospect. Yes, its sign posted that dogs should be on the leash. Our bad (because Wifey got a ticket!). But bearing in mind that its $25 for a parking ticket and $100 for dog-owners! One hundred dollars!? Thats pretty steep. I wish the Parks Department would be more concerned with those people who let their dogs shit all over the parks and side-walks. Or the ones who are off the leash in the neighborhood streets when traffic and children are around. I'm also a little peeved that they chose now to enforce this. We've had our dog off the leash so often while the Parks Dept was around (as in within 10 feet of us and not just 'in the park somewhere'). I had the impression that as long as your dog was visibly under control that the leash was not an issue. I was wrong.

I know there's no happy medium - you either enforce off-the-leash offences or not. Call me old-fashioned but whatever happened to giving a warning on your first offense? You get that sometimes when you're speeding, right? The owner of Bar Sepia has had two tickets (one for each dog) which is excessive. However shes going to court to fight that.

If you happen to be a dog-owner and someones writing you a ticket, I have a piece of advice...

Hypothetically speaking, if I were caught (cos our dog is extremely friendly and well behaved that I'm going to give her a chance to run when no one else is around) I would not be inclined to give my real name and address. When I walk my dog I rarely have my wallet etc. on me... but thats all just hypothetical... In the meantime, if I see any Parks workers I'll make sure the leash is back on and I'll deny everything until I'm blue in the face. Failing that, just call me Kenny "Buck" Rogers... We payed the fine this time, but Officer Rose can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. [ ... ] Posted by michael at January 17, 2006 10:18 AM"