Would you stop for a pigeon??

[BigGreenApple]

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 ) 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??

MsMims I agree again.

So you admit you kill animals deliberately. Delightful.I am in fact Vegan and have been for a very long time , not that it's at all relevant to this and I don't usually feel the need to bring it up but you felt you had to ask hey. By stating that, you're saying that all the other posters, if they're not vegan, don't care about animals being deliberately hit. Ridiculous.

As for calling me an odious little shite, the words pot and kettle spring to mind. Don't paint yourself as innocent, mims has nicely pointed out your relishing in the horror and boasting about it. Silly sausage might be funny if it wasn't coming from someone so utterly creepy.

I do kill animals deliberately, to eat, as do 90-odd percent of the human race.

I don't relish in anything, I don't boast, I have stated facts, I believe human life is worth more than lesser mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, arthropods, bacteria - would you like me to carry on?

At no point have I relished what happened, I stated a fact, I described a situation. I am glad it unfolded it as it did, rather than the alternative. That doesn't mean I enjoyed it. Would you revel in the alternative, where I'm not around to tell you how my children were orphaned by an idiotic man who drove stupidly with a dog in an inadvisable position? Would you rather hear that?

The reason I was very fucking graphic in the first place was two-fold, 1)It was fucking hideous, and it was ENTIRELY THE DOG OWNER'S FAULT, 2) I saw what can happen when cars hit things. I would rather that not be me or my family at the other end of that velocity. I find it very difficult to see that you are failing to understand that repeatedly.

Hence, silly sausage is the kindest thing I can bring myself to call you.

I would stop and kill the pigeon if it was injured.

If I see a racer dead. I used to take the tag off (not easy) but now I just take a photo on my phone and contact the society with the details.

Those who would have braked when there was are car behind need to think back to their driving lessons I was told it was unsafe to brake suddenly for anything smaller than a dog. Birds can fly you don't put your passengers at risk for a bird however much you love animals. You were right op

No, I wouldn't have stopped. You could easily cause a serious accident in those circumstances. It would be a different matter on a quiet street with good visibility and no one behind you.

Pigeons usually do fly off anyway.

It is fucking terrifying that there are people on the roads who would "stop every time", regardless of who was behind them or how fast they were going, and people who would actually stop their car on a fucking highway to photograph roadkill! What the actual fuck, perdita?!

Hairy For what it's worth I think your husband did brilliantly and in the same position of course I'd have bawled over what happened to the dog and I'm sure it'd stay with me for some time, but I'd have been far more affected if a person had been hurt instead. The van driver was a prat and I'm sure he knows it. It was entirely his fault for having unrestrained animals in the van.

I am angry on your behalf at the silly posters winding you up because it is not a situation to be taking the piss out of as it has clearly affected you badly. MsSims and Cake I hope neither of you end up in the same situation as I fear you'd come off worse and possibly take others with you. There is no world in which animals are worth more than humans, not even a vegan world.

If you are driving at such a speed you either can't stop you are going too fast.

Does everyone realise the speed limit is advisory not compulsory.

A few years ago I was driving in a town down a single lane one way street. I was doing about 12mph because I couldn't see what or who was coming on the pavement at the end. I was getting a lot of beeps. Just as I came to the end a girl skipped out in front of my car . Because I was driving the speed I was driving I was able to stop nd so did the cars behind.

I cannot believe the callousness on here. Not stopping for anything less than a small dog.
My little cat got killed on our road earlier this year probably by someone sticking to the speed limit and not stopping for anything less than a small dog. A damaged rear end you can fix. The devastation and the ramifications on our family will never be forgotten.

If you are so worried about your dc why do you drive at such a speed you cannot stop safely.

As for those that hit a small animal whilst driving round a blind bend. Words fail me. If it is a blind bend you don't know what is round the bend. A pidgeon, a fox, or in the case of a friend who sadly was killed, a tractor.

Oliversmumsarmy is right. Most people drive too fast, particularly on country roads. Most people drive too close to the car in front, particularly at higher speeds. Most people don't adequately secure their children in appropriate car seats.

I wouldn't brake sharply for a pigeon with a car close behind me.

You were unlucky to have damage to your car from a pigeon. Ive hit the odd pheasant which is bigger and not had damage.

I think I'd have honked my horn. Doesn't work for pheasants but pigeons are quite flighty and might have reacted to the noise.

When I was learning to drive (only a couple of years ago) I was told I should be far enough away from the car in front that, if they made an emergency stop, I would be able to come to a complete stop and not hit them. I follow that advice. If someone in front of me stopped for a pigeon, a fox or a cat, it wouldn't bother me, because I am not driving up their arse.

Give it some thought if you have been going on about the person in front of you 'causing you to rear end them'

And what happens if you manage to stop but the car behind you doesn't? You'll still be grateful the car in front saved a pigeon?

I love how many peoe are piling on here to say "well, I always leave enough space to stop safely, so I would brake for a pigeon." The majority of the people on here who have hit something may well have been able to stop, but were realistic enough to know the drivers behind them may not have been one of them. My example above was on a blind corner, likewise HairyHands pheasant example. I would definitely brake hard (emergency stop) if there were walkers, a cyclist, a child, a horse or a runner etc in the road in the same curcumstances. I would not risk a pile up and catastrophic injuries for a pigeon. Many of you have clearly never had the misfortune to visit friends or relatives in a spinal injuries unit or ICU, or see how long and painstaking the recovery can be after a major traumatic injury.

Of course I wouldn't be grateful. But I wouldn't blame the car in front. I would blame the car behind for leaving an inadequate stopping distance.

When someone is driving up my bum I slow down - allow them to overtake me or slow down. I've heard arsehole aggressive drivers really love that.

Aargh, so many typos in the post above. Circumstances...

I haven't said I would always brake. If someone was driving too close to me I would be well aware of this and would make my judgement accordingly, but if I did brake and they hit me, it would be their fault.

hairy, your husband did the right thing. Horrible for everyone involved but the split decision not to endanger several lives for the sake of one animal one was correct. I really don't know why you are getting such a hard time about it.

Olivers if you let your cat roam freely then there's always a chance it could come a cropper. You should know that from the start. Why should anybody else be responsible for your pet?

So what would you all have done in the ducklings on dual carriageway scenario?? You cannot safely drive miles under the speed limit on a dual carriageway just in case you need to stop.

Sometimes it's just unavoidable. Sounds like the dog situation was unavoidable too. It's all very well saying, what if it had been a child, but that would sadly have been equally unavoidable.

My friend killed a man who literally chucked himself under her wheels. Literally not a thing she could do.

Hairy of course your husband did the right thing.
Those accusing you of being a horrid person and showing psychopathic tendencies need to catch a grip !