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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you stop for a pigeon??

152 replies

BigGreenApple · 25/10/2016 19:37

So, driving along today, pretty wide country road which I know very well. Driving within the limit. I came round a band and there were several pigeons in the road. I braked, a couple flew up, one was too slow and I hit it.
Damaged the front grill of the car which is apparently going to cost £££.
There was a car behind me, and I was taught that it was better to hit something small than stop suddenly (unless it's a person, large animal) and risk being rear ended. And PIGEONS NORMALLY FLY OFF.
DH is pissed off. I have in the recent past kerbed the car (twice Blush) which I admit was my bad judgement.
But today I think I was right to do what I did.....yes?
Also, I had DC in the car! Surely better to hit a bloody bird than do more than slow slightly and risk a bump??

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 25/10/2016 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BigGreenApple · 25/10/2016 20:25

Thanks for the replies - I'm going to go with the majority and assume I was right!! Still feel bad for the pigeon, but it could have been far worse imo.

OP posts:
steff13 · 25/10/2016 20:25

I brake for animals. However, pigeons can fly, so I wouldn't slow down as much as I would for a squirrel, cat, dog, etc., because I'd assume they would fly away once I got close.

Here, if you stop short for any reason, and the person behind you hits you, that person is at fault. They're supposed to leave enough distance to be able to stop abruptly without hitting the person in front of them. That's a small comfort if they hit you, I know, but I'm not going to kill an animal because the person behind me doesn't understand assured clear distance.

Original poster
BigGreenApple · 25/10/2016 20:26

Yes I absolutely would have stopped if it had been safe to do so.

OP posts:
ExitPursuedBySpartacus · 25/10/2016 20:27

I would have stopped. And have done.

Owllady · 25/10/2016 20:28

I stop for anything in our lane even if I want to run them over

QuestionableMouse · 25/10/2016 20:28

If they look like they're not going to fly off, I normally beep the horn. I wouldn't endanger myself or anyone else for one but I don't want to hit one either, because they can do a lot of damage to a car!

howno · 25/10/2016 20:33

Can you imagine the damage a car could do hitting you from behind at speed? And for what? A pigeon.

Years ago on a country road a cat darted out in front of me and sadly it met its end as there was a large jeep type car behind my wee Clio and we were both travelling at speed.

I would never put myself or other people in danger for the sake of an animal.

JedRambosteen · 25/10/2016 20:37

DH hit a hen pheasant today on a fast rural A road. He slowed but it was on a blind curve & he wasn't going to get rear-ended at speed by stopping for it. There was a thud & a bit of a racket in the passenger wheel arch as it went under the car. DS2 (8) was sad, but when we explained why landowners raise pheasants he decided that a quick death on the road was probably preferable to a winter of being flushed out of the undergrowth and shot at. DH nearly made it a brace an hour or so later when a cock pheasant leapt out of the bushes on a country lane, but thankfully got out of the way.

This thread has reminded me to check the car for damage tomorrow morning.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 25/10/2016 20:39

There's your answer OP, if you could have stopped, you would have, enough said. Don't give it another thought, you used your better judgement, and it would have been unwise to brake,
Sadly, these things happen. 💐

UterusUterusGhali · 25/10/2016 20:40

navy I would lightly break, it's a knee-jerk reaction, but my eyes go immediately to the rear view mirror.

There are people saying they'd stop the car for a bird. On a main road. Actually stop their vehicle in the scenario OP is describing.

I travel every day on a pretty fast rural A road. I've nearly come a cropper countless times with people swerving towards me or slamming on the brakes. (Luckily I stay well behind other cars.) I've hit two pheasants this autumn alone, as there's been someone up my arse, and had I done an emergency stop for them, my DC might not be here.

Is that really so hard to understand?

WhyRude · 25/10/2016 20:43

I wouldn't stop or swerve unless I had plenty of time. I'd be more wary about a bigger animal but small animals it's much safer not to try to avoid them.

mad1 · 25/10/2016 20:43

Had a pheasant land in front of me on the motorway yesterday, had my 4 yr old in the car, one car next to me in fast lane, one car behind me, no way am I slamming the brakes on at 60 plus mph, I love animals, birds etc but the lives of my daughter, myself and the others around me at that point in time meant more!

Eevee77 · 25/10/2016 20:43

I would stop but only if it was a straight clear road and there was one behind me. IMO you did the right thing. Should the car behind leave adequate stopping distance? Of course but many don't. Sorry but I wouldn't risk a rear end collision with potential injuries, especially if I had kids in the back. Nope.

UterusUterusGhali · 25/10/2016 20:44

I should add I'm not some Mrs Toad at all.
If it's safe I'll crawl along whilst something frolicks along in front of the car -instead of getting into the bushes, badgers I'm looking at you- .

With another car in sight? Nopity nope.

MrTiddlestheFatCat · 25/10/2016 20:44

I was always told when learning to drive to never stop for birds.

If I was absolutely positive there was nothing behind me or around me, I might try to avoid it, but usually it is far too dangerous and as other posters have said, it is not worth the lives of the people in yours and surrounding cars. They should be far enough behind you to brake safely, but a lot of people drive far too close so I wouldn't risk it.

You did all that you could to both try and avoid hitting it, and avoid being rear ended. These things happen, and its done now, so try not to fret.

Spam88 · 25/10/2016 20:47

You definitely did the right thing. I killed a squirrel the other week because it ran out in front of me when I was doing 70 down a dual carriageway. There wasn't anyone behind me but slamming on at that speed wasn't worth the risk :(

JedRambosteen · 25/10/2016 20:49

Even when you are trying to avoid wildlife, it doesn't always behave predictably. DH and I saw 2 white-tailed deer on the verge of a long, straight highway in Alberta, Canada. We saw them from way off & they were heading back into the forest & seemed to have disappeared. Nonetheless, DH slowed down. Sure enough, we were about 100ft away when they ran back out into the carriage way in a panicked flap. Even at a much slower speed, DH still had to move over a lane to avoid them. Fortunately most of Alberta is deserted, so there was no-one behind us.

StarryIllusion · 25/10/2016 20:49

I hate even treading on snails. Feel horribly guilty. But no I wouldn't have stopped. Too dangerous. I'd come off the gas to give them extra time to fly away but I wouldn't risk being rear ended with my kids in the car.

Arfarfanarf · 25/10/2016 20:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GazingAtStars · 25/10/2016 20:55

If someone hits you up the arse it's their fault, whatever the reason is that you stopped

Mrsmorton · 25/10/2016 20:57

YANBU. It's highly dangerous to do otherwise.

JedRambosteen · 25/10/2016 20:59

If someone hits you up the arse it's their fault, whatever the reason is that you stopped

Small comfort if you or any of your passengers, or someone in an coming vehicle, are killed or suffer life-changing injuries...

UterusUterusGhali · 25/10/2016 21:02

Legally, gazing, yeah.

But if your children end up paralysed because you did an emergency stop at 60mph for an animal that was bred to be shot, it's not going to be of much comfort, is it?

gettingbythistime · 25/10/2016 21:02

i would ALWAYS do my best to avoid hitting anything that is living although am not an idiot and if i was on a motorway (as was the case once) in the slow lane and a bird appeared from nowhere and walked in the lane i would have no choice but to hit it if the middle lane was too busy for me to swerve into (i was sobbing as i killed it, broke my heart) Sad. you don't sound upset that you killed a bird. i wouldn't give a shit about damage to the car over killing a living creature tbh