To think kids should not chase pigeons

[greentreesdream]

I’m aware miserable bastard of the year award might belong to me but it pisses me off when I’m quietly making my way through a town or city centre and a flock of alarmed pigeons come flying towards me at eye-level.

There’s also something horribly aggressive in kids who stamp at them.

AIBU / miserable or do others agree it’s a bit of a shitty thing to do?

Stamping / stepping on theem is obviously wrong. It never occurred to me that it might be wrong to chase them tbh...

OP, YA absolutely NBU about this. My children are grown up now but I never allowed them to be aggressive towards any animal.

Shooing a pigeon away if it's coming too close is fine, but chasing after them, roaring, as I saw a group of under 10s doing this morning, it's just horrible.

If you wouldn't let your kid do it to a cat or dog, you shouldn't allow them to do it to a pigeon.

I don't like any type of teasing of animals but my MIL (who is otherwise a very nice and decent woman) has taught my kids to chase pigeons! They never did it before but now they do. If ever my MIL sees any kind of animal she thinks it's fun to chase it. She chases away ducks that are sleeping and even chased sheep away when we went for a walk. She finds it hilarious but it drives me mad!!

Absolutely hate it and I always intervene

Got in a right row with some bloke who was allowing his toddler to chase tiny ducklings - it managed to separate one off from the pack and it got distressed

Fucking nobhead

I hope you are all vegetarians who are commenting here with your concerns for pigeons. Other wise its a touch hypocritical.

BTW I do encourage my children to not chase birds but its seems like an inbuilt respond to children under the age of 6/7. I agree its not nice for other people around or the birds.

@SallyWD

I don't like any type of teasing of animals but my MIL (who is otherwise a very nice and decent woman) has taught my kids to chase pigeons! They never did it before but now they do. If ever my MIL sees any kind of animal she thinks it's fun to chase it. She chases away ducks that are sleeping and even chased sheep away when we went for a walk. She finds it hilarious but it drives me mad!!

She doesn't sound at all nice and decent to me. She sounds horrible.

You don't need to be vegetarian to care about animal welfare and stop cruelty.

@Weekday28

I hope you are all vegetarians who are commenting here with your concerns for pigeons. Other wise its a touch hypocritical.

BTW I do encourage my children to not chase birds but its seems like an inbuilt respond to children under the age of 6/7. I agree its not nice for other people around or the birds.

Oh give up. You can find this reprehensible practice without being a vegetarian.

@Weekday28

I hope you are all vegetarians who are commenting here with your concerns for pigeons. Other wise its a touch hypocritical.

BTW I do encourage my children to not chase birds but its seems like an inbuilt respond to children under the age of 6/7. I agree its not nice for other people around or the birds.

Yes I am, and have been for many years. But you don’t have to be vegetarian to think that chasing animals for fun is not a good attitude to have.

I completely agree with you - this is my number one pet hate. I really dislike seeing children chase birds thinking it's funny and even more seeing the parents laugh themselves and do nothing. Children should be bought up to respect all living things.

I hate children chasing birds!! I was walking through town with my mil and my dc once when she grabbed their arms and started running at a group of pigeons! So embarrassing and cruel. I was gob smacked to be honest. I tell my dc not to do it as its cruel and I always secretly think "little shits" in my head when I see other children doing it.

I absolutely seethe when I see it, especially when the adult with them makes no attempt to stop them.

Wrong thread. I've reported myself.

I appreciate its not great for the pigeons but yabu because it's just something kids do

Only if their parents are utter twats, @Delbelleber

Your comment has made my blood boil. "It's something kids do" FFS!

I hate it too. It''s symptomatic of the (majority) human attitude towards other animals - that they are put on this earth for our amusement and we can basically treat them how we like.

I think children should be taught to be kind to animals and this includes not chasing pigeons.

Natural behaviour and most grow out of it. Those that don't would be cruel anyway even if stopped from chasing pigeons.

Oh for gods sake. Try stopping my happy two year old boy. Seriously there are worse things in life. Get a bloody grip. Kids really should be seen and not heard in this country. It’s so sad.

Very quiet those YABU voters

One of the few times I’ve ever properly shouted at my SDS was when he scared some aviary birds on purpose. Got serious red mist.

We treat animals horrendously, we put our own taste above their lives. The pigeons are the lucky ones!

I live in London and see pigeons as rats on legs, but would never encourage cruelty. I guess I never thought chasing a pigeon was particularly cruel, but this may be because they're disease ridden, like rats and flies. Most kids grow out of chasing birds very young and it's an opportunity for parents to teach their children all about the animal and how we should treat them.

Bollocks is it some kind of inbuilt response from children. Most toddlers would instinctively flinch away from flappy birds, not chase them around.

Do the same children chase and harass their family pets? I bet they don't. So why should a wild animal or bird be different?

The only reason children do this is because their parents either encourage it, or are too dimwitted or lazy to stop it.

Honestly it makes me feel ill.

I live in London and see pigeons as rats on legs, but would never encourage cruelty.

That's a kind description. They're basically feathery cockroaches imo.

And then they get all fluttery and fly close to your head.

They're really disgusting imo 🤢

Yanbu at all. I hate seeing this. OK, it's momentarily fun for the child but there is other ways for children to have fun without being cruel to animals/birds.