Men who use dogs as an excuse to walk in public

[Lost Oliver]

Walk about in the dead of night, no need for a dog then, the darkness will hide your shame.

Just after I posted mine I saw this and this cheered me up massively. Thanks Buelligan.

[gilbertharding]

Recently I started just focusing on the dog and blowing it a little kiss. I'm not sure how that's received as I don't look for the owners response.

Recently when out running if I pass a dog and a person walking and I make eye contact with the dog and not the person, I've taken to saying 'hello' to the dog.

Well, not 'hello'. 'Woof' is what I actually say. Quietly, but the dog can hear, right? And I'm running, so any embarrassment there might be if I were caught saying 'woof' to a dog just doesn't happen. I'm gone. Dust.

Love watching the dogs interacting though. I like it when they sniff each others noses, tentatively as if they're frightened they might electrocute one another. Then one of them suddenly decides 'it's off', and barks, lunging, the other one shrinks back. I'm also fascinated when dogs completely ignore each other. "Who taught you THAT?" I wonder to myself.

[gilbertharding]

I had no idea men (some men? most men?) felt awkward walking without either a destination or a dog. I read a thing the other day where a woman said her brother had been reading about harassment and sexism, and he said to her ''Did you know there are men who shout things at women from cars and vans?!'' I feel like him now.

Don't feel sorry for men. At least we CAN walk around wherever we want without too many real worries about what other people might do to us or think of us.

[Buelligan]

Just after I posted mine I saw this and this cheered me up massively. Thanks Buelligan.

Heheh, I live to please.

[Urinal Cake]

It is a lie that dogs help start conversations. A lot of people just ignore you and try to attract the dog. Other dog owners will initiate a conversation.

[EOLAN]

Recently when out running if I pass a dog and a person walking and I make eye contact with the dog and not the person, I've taken to saying 'hello' to the dog.

Well, not 'hello'. 'Woof' is what I actually say. Quietly, but the dog can hear, right? And I'm running, so any embarrassment there might be if I were caught saying 'woof' to a dog just doesn't happen. I'm gone. Dust.

I tend to try to exert a very high pitch whine that shouldn't be audible to humans including myself but that the dog can pick up on. They all seem to ignore it though.

[Bazooka]

It is a lie that dogs help start conversations. A lot of people just ignore you and try to attract the dog. Other dog owners will initiate a conversation.

Completely true, was smoking outside a bar last week, and a French lady with a dog (no idea what breed) was there talking to people, the dog showed some interest in me so I gave it a pat/stroke, and the owner had the audacity to say "don't touch him please he is nervous"! Bring a nervous dog to a bar and don't expect anyone to touch it, that incident took some verbal restraint I will tell you.

[Buelligan]

She was talking to the dog, you fool.

[manticore]

If you're a man and go for a walk in the right/wrong place, men wll think you want sex with them. viz Angel Meadow, Oxford. They only signal it though, no actual approaches, it's all fine, you can go on with your walk.

[Buelligan]

If you're a man and go for a walk in the right/wrong place, men wll think you want sex with them. viz Angel Meadow, Oxford. They only signal it though, no actual approaches, it's all fine, you can go on with your walk.

By contrast, if you're a woman and you walk anywhere at all, maybe even on the moon (if we were allowed), men think you want to have sex with them.

[manticore]

By contrast, if you're a woman and you walk anywhere at all, maybe even on the moon (if we were allowed), men think you want to have sex with them.

I think they will be be much more intimidatory about it too. What I like about the gay cruising spots is that (in my experience) there's really no feeling of threat (other men may have found different I realise).

[Barry Admin]

Saw a woman's cat waiting for her outdone the shop there, and walking home with her. It's not just my cat who likes to dander about with me then!

[bgmnts]

By contrast, if you're a woman and you walk anywhere at all, maybe even on the moon (if we were allowed), men think you want to have sex with them.

I have never thought a woman wants to have sex with me. I may be mistaken but surely most men  are immensely surprised when finding out a random woman wants to sex them.

I feel i'd have more sexual confidence on the moon though as i'd weigh less.

[hummingofevil]

The Sudden Walk

by Franz Kafka

Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir

When it looks as if you had made up your mind finally to stay at home for the evening, when you have put on your house jacket and sat down after supper with a light on the table to the piece of work or the game that usually precedes your going to bed, when the weather outside is unpleasant so that staying indoors seems natural, and when you have already been sitting quietly at the table for so long that your departure must occasion surprise to everyone, when, besides, the stairs are in darkness and the front door locked, and in spite of all that you have started up in a sudden fit of restlessness, changed your jacket, abruptly dressed yourself for the street, explained that you must go out and with a few curt words of leave-taking actually gone out, banging the flat door more or less hastily according to the degree of displeasure you think you have left behind you, and when you find yourself once more in the street with limbs swinging extra freely in answer to the unexpected liberty you have procured for them, when as a result of this decisive action you feel concentrated within yourself all the potentialities of decisive action, when you recognize with more than usual significance that your strength is greater than your need to accomplish effortlessly the swiftest of changes and to cope with it, when in this frame of mind you go striding down the long streets - then for that evening you have completely got away from your family, which fades into insubstantiality, while you yourself, a firm, boldly drawn black figure, slapping yourself on the thigh, grow to your true stature.
All this is still heightened if at such a late hour in the evening you look up a friend to see how he is getting on.

—-

Yep. That sums up my thought in the matter. Walking is the best.

édit: though I bet Kafka wasn't listening to Wrestling Observer Radio on his iPhone like I do.

[Icehaven]

Don't feel sorry for men. At least we CAN walk around wherever we want without too many real worries about what other people might do to us or think of us.

But so do I. Am I supposed to have real worries about what other people might do to me or think of me?

[gilbertharding]

Oops. Sorry - that wasn't what I meant. I think I had something specific in mind, but tried to make it a general post.

Stupid me.

...but by coincidence of you bumping this thread, yesterday I read this piece in the Graun: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/19/girls-miserable-free-happy-male-violence which made me feel sad.

[Dr Rock]

If you are worried how people might judge you walking without a dog, simply look around a bit  and shout 'Fido! Fido?' every so often.