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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A seagull just flew at me and snatched my sandwich out of my hand

157 replies

Deathbydolla · 27/06/2018 09:16

as above. Just purchased a sandwich from Costa, thought "weather is great, I'll eat outside" and before I knew it, a huge seagull comes out of nowhere, scratches me and steals my sandwich right out of my hand. CF at its finest.

AIBU to think that this is just plain rude?! Wink

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
drnectarine · 27/06/2018 09:49

There are some videos on youtube of seagulls nicking packets of crisps from shops. They are the master criminals of the bird world.

spiderlight · 27/06/2018 09:49

We used to live close to a chip shop. A shout of 'Oi!' followed by a seagull dragging a full bags of chips down the street was a regular sight.

chickedychicked · 27/06/2018 09:49

This happened to me when I was 12, I was almost knocked over by the bloody thing, it took my ice cream and I was stood for a while wondering who had tried to push me to the ground as it has come from behind me and then realised it was a seagull.
Hated the bloody things since then.

Magicpaintbrush · 27/06/2018 09:50

A Herring Gull ate a live duckling on Springwatch the other week. Angry

They are bastards.

KittyVonCatsworth · 27/06/2018 09:51

@chocolatepanda the dirty scrounging seagull should work like other hardworking birds imo. I do however agree about this being a smug post by the OP, and she should consider snacks that are gluten/dairy/nut free in case future CF birds are allergic.

wanderings · 27/06/2018 09:52

My brother once fell victim to a "robber robin", who tried to steal his sandwich.

This reminds me of Adrian Mole, and how he tries to take action against swans near his home:

"I am constantly being harassed by the swans. They strut around the frozen puddles like a bad-tempered Torvill and Dean. I wish to take out an injunction against them: as all swans belong to the Queen, she is responsible for their behaviour, so Her Majesty could end up in court."

Indeed, he tries writing to the council about them, and receives a reply along the lines of "please document all of Mr Swan's behaviour". When Adrian tries to explain that it's about a mute swan, rather than a person, he is accused of being disablist.

Happyhippy45 · 27/06/2018 09:53

Not had and seagulls pinch my food but saw one tucking into a discarded kebab. Judging by its gasping , expression on its face and frantically walking in circles the kebab must have had a lot of chilli sauce on it Grin

shiklah · 27/06/2018 09:57

It's sad for everyone involved - no breakfast for you and nutritionally poor lunch for a bird that has evolved to eat fish.

Zaphodsotherhead · 27/06/2018 09:58

I quite admire the robbing bastards.

My nephew got chips taken out of the wrapper during a fly-past and was most indignant, but then we all grew up on the coast and it was an occupational hazard. The seagulls just think we are pretty inept predators, who can't guard our kills!

I may be more tolerant as I have thieving cats who will attempt to rob me of my food as I eat, and have got used to eating with my elbows out to the side to ward them off.

amusedbush · 27/06/2018 10:00

I was chased by a goose as a small child. It wanted my Wotsits Sad

Years ago an ex bought a hotdog from a food van at the beach and set it down for a second while he tied his shoelace. A seagull swooped down and stole it, and was a few feet away when the sausage tumbled through the air onto the sand. I probably shouldn't have laughed so hard.

kitkatsky · 27/06/2018 10:01

Yep happened to me recently. They're pests

CaledonianQueen · 27/06/2018 10:02

I grew up in the north east of Scotland, where the seagulls were as big as a small- medium size dog and far more vicious! You are lucky that it didn’t take your hand with it! The seagulls have been known to attack children and adults to get food from them! They are known as rats with wings up where I grew up!

I live right next to the sea now and the seagulls are not half as big/ fat as the seagulls from the City I grew up in. Thankfully they don’t attack small children either!

LanguidLobster · 27/06/2018 10:04

They're horrible, they keep going for my cat.

I taunted one earlier as I sat on a bench eating my breakfast sandwich whilst looking very steadily at it. I wouldn't have offered it a crumb. Actually it did look a bit upset and shuffled off...

But yes they can be utter evil

amusedbush · 27/06/2018 10:06

The seagulls have been known to attack children and adults to get food from them!

I grew up on the Firth of Forth and the seagulls there are massive. When I was at primary school a girl was almost scalped one who attacked her for her snack, she had to go to hospital for stitches and nobody was allowed to eat outside after that.

Frosty66612 · 27/06/2018 10:06

I’ve had one take a bag of chips from my hands and fly off with it.

This one isn’t seagull related but I once cooked a fillet of salmon for my dinner and my cat grabbed it off my plate and ran off with it

JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 27/06/2018 10:06

We live on the South Devon coast and DD1 went through a stage of shouting prophylactically, before all meals, "don't take my food, herring gulls!"

Including breakfast, bedtime milk etc - just in case there were any lurking....

I think it is due to once seeing a gull nabbing someone's pastry in Salcombe.

MrMagnoliasBoot · 27/06/2018 10:08

I posted this on the last Seagull thread so feel like I should on this one

Petrolismygas · 27/06/2018 10:09

A while ago at Tower of London (just playing tourist!), sitting on a bench eating a chicken mayo sandwich.
A raven bounces up next to me, beak open staring me down.

Was about to break some off and throw it so raven would leave, big booming voice of a Cold Stream Guard (bearskin) yells "Do not feed the ravens! Slowly stand and remove yourself from the ravens area"
Fucking terrifying.

Heratnumber7 · 27/06/2018 10:09

I've had one take the flake out of my 99!

SandyFagina · 27/06/2018 10:11

Call 101

amusedbush · 27/06/2018 10:12

I've had one take the flake out of my 99!

Now, that's a kick in the nuts Sad

Wittow · 27/06/2018 10:14

You should see the seagulls in St Mark's Piazza in Venice! They literally divebomb the tourists in packs!

mummyretired · 27/06/2018 10:15

I've seen a herring gull forcibly remove a sandwich from XH in the city centre - they were always cheeky but are much more aggressive now. Back in the day when bins were emptied and it was considered rude to eat in the street they tended to stick more to the harbour. I've seen one drown the last ducking in the row behind Mum too. Never looked at them the same again.

pigsDOfly · 27/06/2018 10:16

I remember my DD's horror when walking to work one day she passed two gulls eating another dead gull that was lying in the gutter.

She's not keen on gulls, living near the sea as she does, but that was clearly, in her mind, gulls sinking to a new low.

DontDrinkDontSmoke · 27/06/2018 10:17

In Aberdeen the other day I observed a woman having a sausage roll nicked from out of her hand by a CF seagull.

I was also eating a sausage roll...seagulls apparently know better than to mess with me