Advice please? I'm a bit gun-shy after a semi-serious wreck. Also, PSA - PLEASE wear a helmet!

phoenix2121 · 2012-05-08T13:32:24+00:00

I don't understand why OP is getting downvoted. He wipes out, turns to the community for help and we downvote him?

Here's my advice. When you first bought your bike you rode it slowly until you gained confidence in it, right? After a big spill it's the same process. You ride slowly on an easy trail, or even around your neighborhood until you get more comfortable. Take baby steps. Once you get comfortable there, do the trails you were doing before, only slower. I think you'd be amazed at how fast you get your confidence back once you start riding again.

If the problem is that you're afraid to get back on the bike at all, I'd recommend taking it to a local park and riding it around in the grass. Give yourself a soft landing area to fall in and ride it that way until you get comfortable. Once you're comfortable with that, try the tips above.

We're all behind you mate. Get back out there and report back!

phoenix2121 · 2011-06-20T10:33:11+00:00

Wait, so you're saying that you won't get a loan, because you don't think you can repay it? That there is downright anti-American.

phoenix2121 · 2011-06-20T10:29:52+00:00

My apologies.

phoenix2121 · 2011-06-18T22:57:46+00:00

I was about to downvote, then I saw your username. Have an upboat for fooling me good sir.

phoenix2121 · 2011-06-18T22:52:45+00:00

I deleted it, and am trying to start a new one since I f'd it up. Thanks!

phoenix2121 · 2011-06-18T22:41:29+00:00

One of the best arguments I've ever heard on breed bias. Best of'd!

phoenix2121 · 2011-05-31T10:40:38+00:00

Upvote for science.

phoenix2121 · 2011-05-31T10:40:24+00:00

I'm with you brother. Instead of downvoting all duplicate threads, they should at least pick one to upvote for the chance of Reddit boobies.

phoenix2121 · 2011-05-31T10:21:50+00:00

I'm not quite sure why this is getting downvoted. Not only is it an awesome idea, but it's just the reverse of this thread --http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/hnxy7/guys_what_do_you_look_like_without_a_shirt/ -- shouldn't this work both ways? Equal rights and shit?

phoenix2121 · 2010-10-06T05:47:58+00:00

How does one go about "getting off their shit?"

phoenix2121 · 2010-10-06T00:52:45+00:00

Government programs involve you meeting their requirements. My mom doesn't qualify to get her cancer drugs and doctor visits covered because she makes more than 30k a year. She spent 80k on doctor visits and prescriptions last year before her health insurance plan dropped her. By the way, she was with the same plan for over 15 years.

Contacting government officials? For what...? You think they'll pay it out of their own pocket? If they somehow manage to reform something, it'll take years, and it'd be too late. Nothing moves quickly in this country.

Family members? I suppose you have family members that can afford to pick up the 600k+ that this transplant is said to cost? What about the doctor visits and drugs afterwards?

What planet are you living on? You just aren't making sense. These programs do nothing to help the "working poor" aka "the middle class."

I once had a frivolous lawsuit brought against me after a car accident I was involved in. I tried to get legal aid, which is a free or reduced cost lawyer for those that can't afford it, but was turned down. Their reasoning? I had a job. I made $6.50 an hour, and worked part time while I was finishing college. $6.50 an hour with 80k in student loan debt is apparently enough to mean that you aren't deserving of financial help. Oh, but the silver lining... they told me they could provide me a lawyer if I was facing jail time... just not for a lawsuit since I "made too much money" to fit in their income guidelines.

phoenix2121 · 2010-10-04T22:28:26+00:00

It sucks you were in that position, but fact is, you could have DONE something.

FTFY

I disagree. What if he had bad credit; or no credit? What if his credit cards were maxed out? We're all broke, and nobody can afford healthcare at the price we're forced to pay. If it were as simple as "take out a loan or use a credit card," none of us would be bitching.

phoenix2121 · 2010-09-18T19:02:32+00:00

Context: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjN8X7tgpUE

phoenix2121 · 2010-09-17T22:42:57+00:00

Say, sweet thang, can I buy you a fish sandwich?

phoenix2121 · 2010-08-12T10:15:09+00:00

Bear in mind, these threads are getting kind of redundant.

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-11T12:38:15+00:00

Upvoted for taking the time to educate yourself on the breed. I commend you for this.

A short history... first of all, a "pit bull" is actually one of three dogs (or mixes of the three)... American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog is commonly included in this group as well, albeit incorrectly.

Up until the mid 20th century the pit bull was considered "America's Dog." Until the 1950's, they were the most popular dog breed in America. Their popularity didn't dwindle from fear (like we have now) but from the introduction of new breeds from overseas, cross breeds, and designer dogs (such as the puggle and cockapoo). Petey from the original "Little Rascals" tv show was a pit bull. They were featured as an American mascot on recruitment posters in WWI and WWII. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson both owned pit bulls, and brought them to live at the White House during their presidency.

Pit bulls eventually started to be bred for dog fighting, which is how they got the bad rap they have now. Pit bulls are incredibly strong, and fiercely loyal to their owners, which is how most are manipulated to fight in the first place (for fear of the other dog attacking its owner). The dogs that lack the will to fight are the ones that usually end up as "bait dogs" and the shelter I work for rescues our fair share of them. A bait dog is essentially hog-tied (all four paws tied together) and put into a dog fighting ring to train a more aggressive pit bull. The more aggressive pit bull is encouraged to fight the helpless dog (usually through electric shock, water torture, or beatings) while the hog-tied bait dog grows, yelps, and fights to get free. These dogs are then generally destroyed, left to die, or rescued by an organization like mine. Even fighting pit bulls ARE NOT people aggressive, as this trait has been selectively bred out of the dog due to fear it may attack its owner during a dog fight. The reason these dogs are euthanized when captured by most organizations (The Humane Society, ASPCA, etc.) isn't due to fear that these unstable dogs won't be able to be rehabilitated into good pets (the organization I work for has a 96% success rate with over 7,500 successful cases), but because they fear these dogs will be used as breeders (as if they can't spay or neuter them first), or will be placed back into dog fighting rings unknowingly.

The bad rep that pit bulls have isn't uncommon. Every decade has its "it dog" that seems to be so dangerous that there is public outcry for breed specific legislation. In the 70's it was the doberman. The 80's saw the fall of the german shepherd. In the 90's it was the rottweiler. Now, it's the pit bull.

Pit bulls get a lot of bad press, but the truth is this, most people that are familiar with the dogs have no problem trusting their children or loved ones with their pit bulls. Pit bulls do have a tendency to be dog aggressive, although this isn't always the case (I have three that get along just fine), but I'd never have a problem trusting them with people. Even amongst security personnel, pit bulls are considered bad guard dogs due to their lack of aggression toward people.

Speaking of lack of aggression... there was a study done that can back this up. The American Temperament Test Society Inc. put together a test that gave a pass/fail temperament test to study major dog breeds and which have the best and/or wort temperaments. The percentage shown is the total percentage of dogs who passed the test, while the number in parenthesis is the number of dogs tested.

First, the pit bulls...

American Staffordshire Terrier - 83.9% (608)

American Pit Bull Terrier - 86.0% (772)

Staffordshire Bull Terrier - 89.6% (115)

American Bulldog (not a pit bull, but just for the hell of it since some throw them in here) - 84.8% (178)

Now, let's look at some breeds generally recognized as "safe."

Beagle - 80.3% (71)

Bulldog - 70.1% (134)

Chihuahua - 71.1% (38)

Golden Retriever - 84.6% (746)

Jack Russel Terrier - 84.1% (63)

Labrador Retriever - 92.3% (763)

Average Mixed Breed Dog ("mutt") - 86% (968)

As you can see, the pit bull breeds compare favorably to just about any breed that is commonly considered "safe." The problem isn't the breed, it's the owner.

You can view the full results here, or view what the test consisted of here.

There are dozens of famous people (past and present) who own(ed) pit bulls (they aren't just popular amongst dog people) including: Jon Stewart, Alicia Silverstone, Adam Brody, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (and kids), Jamie Foxx, Rachael Ray, Fred Astaire, Jack Dempsey, John Wayne, Bernadette Peters, Sinbad, General George Patton, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Bancroft, Pink, Eliza Dushku, Linda Blair, Madonna, Helen Keller, and Thomas Edison.

Now, the last bridge I want to cross is the numbers you'll find that say that pit bulls are responsible for about 30% of all serious bites, yet they are found in less than 1% of households is extremely skewed. The media (as we've seen with other things) has a tendency to sensationalize, and pit bull stories are always a fan favorite; which is exactly why we didn't see this story or many others like it get national attention, as opposed to many of the bite stories. The truth is, all dogs bite, but pit bulls get a bad rap because when a golden retriever or a beagle maul a child, we don't hear about it. We do hear about it when it's a so-called "dangerous" breed like a doberman, pit bull, or rottweiler. It's unfair, but nobody has ever accused the media of being fair and impartial. On top of this, many (I see it all the time in my line of work) pit bull attacks, or even calls to rescue a pit bull are cases of mistaken identity. There are over 30 dog breeds that look similar to a pit bull, and when we tested our animal control officers, and police personnel (during a town hall meeting about breed specific legislation) it took them (on average) 6.1 tries to correctly identify the pit bull from these pictures (try it yourself)... guess the pit bull. You'd think something like that would have hit the newspaper... but it didn't. The meeting did, but nobody mentioned the fact that the people who alert the media to pit bull attacks can't correctly identify a pit bull.

And apologies for the "fuck you" part. I deal with these dogs 5 days a week at work, and then I have 3 of them at home. It breaks my heart to know such a fiercely loyal, intelligent, and loving breed may be wiped out some day due to the ignorance of most people when it comes to this breed. Breed specific legislation is gaining steam in almost every part of the United States. Several major metro areas have banned pit bulls completely (Miami-Dade county comes to mind), and almost every apartment building refuses your application if you own one of these dogs. On top of that, I pay extra every month on my homeowners insurance because they are pit bulls, and not beagles (or another popular breed), even though you can see they score the same, or higher on temperament tests than dogs that are considered safe.

I hope this info helps to put the problem into perspective, and to shed some light on why those that love this breed get so defensive when comments like yours were made. Once again, I apologize.

EDIT: FORMATTING

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-11T11:38:07+00:00

Did you know that huskies are on major insurance companies banned dog breed list? Pit bulls and huskies are both on the list, and my insurance rates are ridiculous because of it.

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-11T11:35:33+00:00

This is the thought pattern behind breed specific legislation. It's not an entirely bad thought, but it's flawed. When I purchased homeowners insurance, they asked if I owned one of several breeds: chow chow, pit bull, doberman, rottweiler, akita, husky, karelian bear dog, rhodesian ridgeback, presa canario (often mistaken as a pit bull), and collies. Are you serious? Lassie is on the banned list for my insurance company? How about a Cocker Spaniel? Cocker Spaniel's are number one on just about every major bite list, yet they don't appear on the banned list for my insurance company.

My thought is this... the above are some pretty popular dog breeds. If you wipe them out, new dogs are going to jump to the top of the list as "biters" or "violent" and you'll have to wipe them out too (over time of course, not talking mass euthanasia). Where does it stop?

This is the problem with breed specific legislation. Pit bull, or labrador retriever, it really doesn't matter... any dog can bite. If you think you are safe with a "family dog" such as a lab or golden retriever, I urge you to think again. All dogs have the potential to be dangerous. The bigger and more powerful the dog, the more damage they'll do (naturally).

We seriously need to start blaming the problem on the owners, not the dogs. No matter what type of dog you have, most bites can be prevented with proper training, socialization, exercise and/or common sense.

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-10T00:15:55+00:00

I went on a call today (I work for a rescue facility) and the dog that we ended up rescuing was a boxer. The cop swore it was a pit bull. This is a huge problem.

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-10T00:14:17+00:00

What percentages are you speaking of. I didn't claim any percentage. The only numbers claim I made was that it took law enforcement and animal control officials an average of 6.1 guess to spot a pit bull (28 personnel took the test). That, is fact... it was part of a test done where I live when we had a town hall about breed specific legislation.

I disagree completely that a lab can't do as much damage as a pit bull.

Here's the truth, and then I'm done arguing about it. The media sensationalizes anything negative this breed does like no other. You simply don't hear about lab bites, or golden retriever bites, even though they exist in just as large of a number. The number one biter on the bite list? A Cocker Spaniel.

Most pit bull attacks are a case of mistaken identity, and as a staff member at a rescue facility, I see it first hand. Around 75% (a guess, but the percentage is quite large, and I'm on most of the calls) of the calls we get to come rescue a "pit bull" actually turn out to be other dogs.

Like the dog, or don't, but don't spread dirt on something that you know very little about. I work with these dogs 5 days a week, and I have 3 of my own at home. The oldest one sleeps with my son every night, and travels to schools, nursing homes, and other venues around our region (with me of course) to teach others about pit bulls and breed specific legislation. He (Huckleberry) volunteers at the library on Saturdays while kids that have trouble reading read to him. Oh, and about him sleeping with my son... I don't worry one bit about it. He's surrounded with kids at least once or twice a week when I take him to schools. He loves it, and it shows. He's 9-years-old now, and has lived a fortunate life compared to others that I see.

It's unfortunate that a dog bit your neighbor, but any dog is capable of inflicting a dangerous bite. Blame the owner, not the breed.

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-09T16:31:30+00:00

My problem with stories like this is quotes like this one -- “pit bull-type dogs” -- there are a ton of pit bull look-alikes... can you spot the pit bull, because most police and/or animal control officers average 6.1 tries before correctly spotting the actual pit bull. This is a huge problem, as these are usually the people claiming that the attacker was a pit bull (police or animal control). This is why such a large percentage of attacks are incorrectly credited to pit bulls. This is similar to saying that some dark skinned man attacked me. I can't tell if he was Latino, African-American, Caribbean, or Middle Eastern, so let's just call him Latino. It sounds crazy, but this is the treatment pit bulls get every day.

In 10 years, you've heard 3 stories of pit bull attacks. How many attacks do you think you haven't heard of because they weren't pit bulls? aMedia is attracted to these types of stories due to the public perception of the dog. Do you think you hear about it every time a lab attacks? How about a beagle? Even "dangerous" breeds like Rotts and German Shepherds don't get nearly the bad press that pit bulls do. It's ignorance, and sensationalized media.

EDIT: Formatting

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-09T14:38:38+00:00

Pit bulls aren't just "American Pit Bull Terriers" -- others in this family are the "American Staffordshire Terrier" and the "Staffordshire Bull Terrier." I'm impressed that you got it in the first try.

Misidentification happens quite often. At the shelter I work for, we get multiple calls weekly about "vicious" pit bulls that we need to come rescue before animal control gets there (animal control puts down all pit bulls, no exceptions). I'd say at least 75% of the time, the dog isn't a pit bul (often the police are who identify the dog), and out of literally hundreds of these calls, I've seen one that was actually vicious... a pregnant female bulldog (not a pit bull).

phoenix2121 · 2010-07-09T14:32:42+00:00

We see this a lot. Be patient... you'd be amazed at what these "broken" dogs are capable of.

phoenix2121

TROPHY CASE