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As far as I'm aware the American Kennel Club doesn't recognise a specific breed breed American Pit Bull and it's a term used for a few very simar breeds including the American Staffy. Wikipedia seems to agree with me too.
You may not care for grouping of similar dogs but equally I'm not interested in trying to specify out one type of dog bred for fighting from another very similar one especially when there's been so much mixed breeding. You know what I mean by pit bull type, a small pure breed English staffy looks slightly different but when they get bigger and leaner it doesn't matter the exact genetics, they're essentially a pit bull. American bulldog, American bully, American XL, whatever, they're all from the same root and all have the same potential to kill.
Sumo-
I didn't say the AKC and others recognise the pit bull, I said it is the Amstaff...
Unfortunately, you haven't got a clue what you're talking about and, if you're using Wikipedia as your source, then I'm not surprised. It's too late to explain and you wouldn't be interested, which is of course your prerogative.
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Many breeds have the potential to kill, my bloody great labs certainly could and my cockers would do considerable damage. There seems to be some confusion between dangerous owners, who are dangerous for reasons of their own attitude or incompetence and dogs which are inherently dangerous. A lot of the bad press bull breeds get is down to bad ownership, some of the nicest dogs I have met are allegedly sharks on a leash. I am sure I have said before that the nastiest dog I have ever seen was a Yorkie called Cleo (complete with bow) which would have maimed thousands if equipped with larger jaws.
Markyboy
ColinTheBald
This statement simply is not true. The American Staffordshire Terrier is a breed of dog, quite distinct from the pit bull (American Pit Bull Terrier), recognised by the different US equivalents of the Kennel Club. It is not a pit bull, but a show dog. I very much doubt they are being imported to the UK in any significant numbers. It is American Bullies and XL Bullies (as opposed to American Bulldogs) that have been imported and are currently popular in the UK, but this is a different breed and, again, not a pit bull, but often owned by people who wish they could own a pit bull.
What do you mean by a "pit bull type"? Most journalists/people, couldn't recognise a pit bull if it licked their hand and pretty much every story I read (e.g. the Scottish RSPCA recent petition to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act) is accompanied by a photo of a vicious looking dog, labelled a pit bull, which is not actually a pit bull.
If the woman you mention in your anectdote had her dog on a lead and gestured for you to keep your dog away, then she was acting responsibly if her dog is reactive (which it could be for any number of reasons).
Apologies for coming across as defensive, but I get tired of this kind of misinformation.