Real Life Trolls

I just got home from a long run to make up for missing Sundays run. I got into an argument with a man on the way home. There were 6 dogs off leashes on the path so I stopped before we got to them. I must include here that my dog is just a teensy bit aggressive. She picked up a terripoo and tried to shake him to death in August this year. She's really smart though, she has a repertoire of about 7 good tricks, she can solve small problems and she listens very well. Sometimes she can be about as dumb as a post, case in point would be the time she attacked a 130 pound chocolate lab named George because he was carrying the stick that she wanted to carry. That and she's been sprayed by skunks 4 TIMES! With all the frothing and the dreaded bath afterwards you would think she would learn!

Back on the path, I stopped running well before the other dogs noticed us and gave the owners some 'what the hell do you want me to do now?' kind of hand gestures. After waiting a moment I figured they wouldn't do anything so I tried to show Tess that I was calm and we would walk through this pack on the leash without incident. Immediately their little dogs came running and barking towards us so I yelled to the men that my dog was aggressive, ie. put a leash on your animals. He told me then I should get the fuck off the path because he's been bringing his dogs here for 5 years and how long have I been coming here? When I asked if I should turn around and go out to the service road where cars are driving at least 80 Km per hour to get home, he said yes! Unfortunately I sunk to his level and spouted out a few phrases using the nasty F word as well. When I informed him that it was not a leash-free park this dingbat responded that it wasn't a running path either. Dude, why on earth would they pave a path through a park if not to walk or walk very fast on it?

I can't say that it ruined my day or my run. Now that I'm all showered, I should be feeling great but I'm just worked up. Despite being worked up I'm a little proud of myself for telling him off. I think it was the adrenaline talking and then I ran the last km of my run at a faster pace than I ever run. This is what I've always needed to boost my confidence to debate with someone; stupid people sharing their stupid opinions with me!