Friday 18 November 2011

Insane Situation

I picked up Toddler N from nursery and I'd brought his "small" pushchair. We walked up the hill - it's a nasty hill - and we were at the top when I saw a lady with a dog cross the road in front of us. The lady looked at us and quite abruptly changed direction and started towards me and Toddler N. 

When they got closer the dog sort of got a bit "stiff" and started to look towards the push chair and Toddler N. This got me worried. I think you know what I mean when I say "stiff". I've grown up with dogs and always been around dogs and Husband and I are basically just waiting for Toddler N to get a bit older (and more sensible) before we get one of our own so I am quite used to read a dog's body language. 

What I mean is that there's is a difference between "oh-this-is-something-new-i-haven't-seen-before-and-I-am-a-little-bit-unconfortable" stiff and "I'm-starting-to-feel-angry" stiff and this dog was definitely the latter kind of stiff. This made me extremely uncomfortable as 1) Toddler N's is sitting in a "perfect" height to get bitten in. 2) Toddler N is very accessible in the small pushchair. 3) Toddler N is at a perfect height to get his face bitten off in just one attack.

Call me neurotic or whatever but I was absolutely bricking it. I got off the sidewalk and walked on the road as we passed them and whadd'ya know - the dog got super tense and started to drag its owner towards us -staring at Toddler N- and growled a not so friendly growl. The Lady just ran forward so she could drag him with her (I guess so she wouldn't pull him backwards which is a big no no with dogs). and I just pushed Toddler N quicker than I ever have before.

If I had been on my own it would have been different and I probably wouldn't have hurried off like that as it can make things worse. But I wasn't going to risk it. 

The really weird thing is that I was so focused on getting Toddler N away safely that I didn't say a word and thinking of it, the Lady didn't say anything either. Odd.

And the weirdest thing of all is that when I turned off into our drive, they're behind us!! And this is the opposite direction from where she was walking to when we met -although it was the direction she "abandoned" when she saw us. When I unlocked the door, she stopped and looked at us. How strange and uncomfortable is that on a scale from 1-100??

WHY did she change directions in the first place? Did she just do it so she could pass us? Why did she then change directions again?! And why did she stop to stare at us?? Completely insane situation!!

I was ready to totally freak out but I didn't want to do it when Toddler N was around. I really don't want him to be frightened of dogs or be aware of the fact that a woman was acting like a freakin' nutter around him.

Anyway, nothing happened - Thank God - and I'll be making sure that Husband puts a security chain on our door this weekend.*

No comments: