Flexi Leash Problem; Equip or Handler?

[Namara]

I know Flexis have their purposes and are fine when used properly, but...

...every time I've seen them used, it was not the appropriate situation!

I see people with their dogs on Flexis walking through the middle of town, their dog several feet out in front of them, peeing wherever they please and making people go out of their way to step and weave around the line trailing behind them. What would happen if that dog decided to take those few steps into the street? The owner would be too far away, and probably at the wrong angle, to properly pull the dog out of the way. I've seen people using them at the pet stores that are browsing and not even paying attention to their little creature as they go bug everyone around them. (Yes, it's usually the little dogs in a harness that are on a Flexi leash... not very many big dogs on Flexis. The big dogs are usually in an improperly fitted, oversized prong collar...)

I hate it when people still use a broken Flexi, too, except I've seen people use them even after they don't reel in anymore. What's the point of having a Flexi that doesn't retract???

[Chicagocanine]

I love my Flexi. I've had it for at least 15 years, used it for many dogs and it's still going strong.
They are very useful if used properly. Now some people might want to ban them because of misuse, but how many times have you heard this about a dog product? For example, choke collars can be VERY dangerous unless used properly, so why not ban those too while you're at it? Other training devices often have the same caveat.

I used one a lot when walking my well trained dog, Ginger. She understood the Flexi's limitations and would not try to run to the end. If she seemed to be getting near the end, I'd skim the lock over the leash which made a noise and vibration of the leash and reminded her that it was getting close to the limit. Ginger did not need a leash for control, she was off leash trained, but we had a leash law so I had to have something.
Even if I walked her only on the Flexi every day for weeks, I still had no problems with her loose-leash walking when I switched to a regular lead.
She was trained to stop and sit at streets so I never had to worry about her wandering into streets just because of the longer leash. She would stay at the curb until I released her into a heel, and then heel across the street. I only used the Flexi for regular walks (or potty breaks on trips) NOT if we were going to be in an area with a lot of people around or other dogs around, and I would never use one in a store. If we were walking and saw a person approaching, I always called her back and had her heel next to me until we passed them (whether or not she was on a Flexi.)

I started using the Flexi for Ginger when I was training my terrier, Pooch. I was working on his loose-leash walking and I did this by backing up when he pulled (well, that's a simplified explanation of it). For this method to work I had to use it EVERY time he pulled, including when I was walking both my dogs. When walking both, Ginger did not understand this sudden backing up and could not move as quickly as Pooch, so would either just stop or would slow me down and hinder the process. I started using the Flexi so I would not have to pull poor Ginger backwards every time I backed up with Pooch. I continued to use the Flexi for Ginger fairly often because it allowed more freedom and I didn't have to worry about the leash getting tangled. I would not use a Flexi for any dog who thinks "off leash" means "free" because a lot of dogs think they are off leash when they get on a Flexi. I would also not use one on any dog who still needs the leash for control.