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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:
Mamagin · 25/10/2016 23:54

One of my friends was badly injured by someone making a U-turn, because they had seen an injured pigeon in the road and wanted to stop and help it. My friend was on a motorcycle behind and had no chance to stop. Luckily he survived but it was close.

PoppyBirdOnAWire · 26/10/2016 00:01

"ILikeyourHairyHands

I would speed up for a pidgeon. They are twats.

I learnt a very important lesson about this once, DH was driving with me and the DCs in the car on a country lane, we came round a corner and a van was coming in the opposite direction, the driver had a Collie and a Husky in the front, the Collie was on his lap, the window was down, as we drove past, for some unfathomable reason, the Collie flew out of the window (I guess he saw something in the verge) and landed right in front of our fucking car.

I cannot praise DH's presence of mind enough that he kept straight on going and right over the dog, we couldn't have avoided it at all, it had no chance, but if I'd been driving I would have attempted to swerve and would probably have killed the lot of us.

As it was, we had a horrible incident whereby the dog went under our wheels, we ran right over it and it got caught on the towbar at the back. The owner was fucking distraught as he cradled his eviscerated pet and I ran to a nearby house to phone my vet friends to be on standby (the dog obviously died).

BUT, I am SO FUCKING GLAD my husband kept on going, and I am so angry with the owner of that dog that he drove with him on his knee with the window right down, it was all so avoidable and could have been an horrendous accident.

No, you should never stop for animals if it endangers people."

What an ugly post.
You can't even spell pigeon.

LetitiaCropleysCookbook · 26/10/2016 00:02

driving round all the chungalulas

? This is getting more esoteric by the minute Grin

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 00:16

Poppy Ugly? Really? Should DH have swerved to avoid the dog and killed us all? And an extraneous D in pigeon informs my inviability?

The fact I ran to a house, gave the man a blanket and phoned my vet friend to say he was coming and to prepare the surgery. If that's ugly, I can't imagine your version of pretty.

Jolly good, carry on!

Eevee77 · 26/10/2016 00:58

I'm a total dog lover hairy but multiple human casualties trump dog I'm afraid. I don't know what I'd do in that scenario but I know what I should do. Poor dog though. What an obtuse post poppy.

Neverknowing · 26/10/2016 01:01

I think it's basically reflex to brake if there's something there! I would have done the same op.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 01:30

Poppy, maybe I should tell you another story about when DH was driving to work early in the morning, came round a corner and there were about 30 young pheasants in the road. He carried on then too, he probably took out about 10.

I guess you'd prefer my children to be fatherless in either of those situations?

I took my driving test late, and I was always taught to carry on and not divert if there was an animal in the road (unless it was bigger than a sheep).

Maybe you were an urban driver?

enolagayits0815 · 26/10/2016 01:40

I'd slow down if it was safe but I wouldn't do an emergency stop, round here I only tend to have to do that for the deer.

YouHadMeAtCake · 26/10/2016 01:44

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SpaceUnicorn · 26/10/2016 01:51

I guess you'd prefer my children to be fatherless in either of those situations?

I wouldn't waste your time engaging, HairyHands. At best, you'll get another goady response, maybe with another handy spelling critique thrown in for good measure Wink

SpaceUnicorn · 26/10/2016 01:56

Your husband could have stopped/slowed down for the dog

How can you possibly know that if you weren't there and didn't witness what happened? Unfortunately sometimes you cannot slow down or stop in time, not least if a dog jumps out of another moving vehicle and lands directly in front of your car.

oldlaundbooth · 26/10/2016 02:01

This woman stopped her car in the middle of the motorway to help some ducklings. She caused the death of two people. She got 90 days in jail.

Link: www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/montreal/emma-czornobaj-gets-90-days-in-jail-for-duck-stopping-deaths-1.2877437

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:01

I'm not engaging Space, I just hope I don't meet one of these folks on the road in such a situation.

I was not 'proud', there was NO WAY we could have avoided the dog, I lay the blame firmly at the dickish driver that had a dog on his lap and the window all the way down which is why I was a bit graphic in my description, it was an horrific situation, that I STILL lay the blame firmly with the owner of the dog that put us ALL in that situation, his dog and all. What I said was, I was impressed my DH carried on AS YOU ARE TOLD TO.

He ended up killing a dog, it was completely unavoidable, thankfully, he didn't end up killing six people too.

Can you not see that?

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:04

Thanks Space btw.

SpaceUnicorn · 26/10/2016 02:07

I just hope I don't meet one of these folks on the road in such a situation.

Me too. I'm surprised by the number of people on this thread who apparently think 'well if someone is too close and hits me, that's their own fault'.

Yeah, tell them that from your hospital bed - if you're that lucky. But hey, at least no cute ickle animals got hurt Hmm

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:11

It's kind of why I don;t like driving Space, late learner, know human nature, doesn't fill me with confidence.

(But I'd still mow down a hedgehog if need be, just scared of the fuckers that wouldn't).

MsMims · 26/10/2016 02:13

Hairy the tone of your post does seem to relish telling the story. Bit sick really, why share all the gory details? Good job it wasn't a child that stepped into your DHs path, given his apparent inability to carry out a controlled brake. Interesting that you're happy to admit deliberately killing animals, a trait often shown by psychopaths and people who go on to hurt humans.

I do slow for any living creature in the road. I live rurally and have had no dangerous incidents and never been rear ended. Not even had a horn pipped at me when doing so. Makes me wonder just how often people really can't slow. I was taught to always be prepared for a child to step out in front of me. In rural areas with hedgerows along the carriageway if you can't stop safely, you're driving too fast. What if round the next corner there's walkers in the road or a deer which could kill you if you hit it?

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:26

No, the tone of my post is because I was exceedingly pissed off with the bloke that put us all in danger and essentially killed his own dog by driving with a Collie on his knee with the window fully down. He nearly killed my children. He killed his own dog by his stupid actions, the point I am making is (and why my description is quite so visceral) that, there was NO FUCKING OPTION TO SLOW DOWN, WE WERE NOT GOING OVER THE SPEED LIMIT, WE WERE DOING 40, HIS DOG JUMPED UNDER THE WHEELS OF OUR CAR AND MY HUSBAND HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO KEEP GOING AND NOT KILL THE LOT OF US.

I don't understand why some of you are so hard of thinking that that seems an utterly remiss act.

I shared the gory details as a fucking salutary tale. Not a jolly.

I despair.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:32

And we have always lived rurally and are used to animals in the road.

There was no fucking option, the dog was under the wheels before we could have even done anything, what I'm saying is, I'm a shit driver, I would have swerved, my husband is a good driver and had the presence of mind to carry on until he could safely stop.

This is why I don't like to drive, because there are people like you on the roads.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:39

And MsMims great to know that you could overcome Newtonian Physics if a child was lobed out of a moving vehicle in the opposite direction to you and STOP, send me the equation for that, we could probably both make some money.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:40

Or do you not actually understand what happened?

YouHadMeAtCake · 26/10/2016 02:46

MsMims you put it absolutely perfectly. I won't converse with hairy because I believe she actually relishes the situations she describes and sounds generally unpleasant.

Solasum · 26/10/2016 02:54

Ilikeyourhairy just to say I absolutely agree your husband did the right thing. Anything else would have put people at risk. I like animals, but children > dog every time. I hope your DC didn't find it too upsetting Flowers

MsMims · 26/10/2016 02:56

People like me, who don't go around carelessly mowing down animals then bask in the gruesome details, Hannibal lector style? Ok then Grin

I'd rather send you a dose of compassion and humanity.

'I would speed up for a pidgeon (sic).'

'DH was driving to work early in the morning, came round a corner and there were about 30 young pheasants in the road. He carried on then too, he probably took out about 10.'

Driving round a bend where he can't safely stop in the distance he can see ahead of himself? It's people like your DH that put me off driving.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 26/10/2016 02:56

I relish my children nearly dying?

I fucking love that obviously.

I think odious little shite would be a little bit gentle for you.

I think people that elevate animal life above human life have conversations that need to be had.

I don't wish to converse with you, believe me. Of course I deliberately kill animals, unless you're a vegan, so do you.

You seem a little confused in your thinking.

You silly sausage.