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?

@Sertchgi123 my comment made your blood boil? I'm entitled to my opinion as much as you are entitled to yours... So calm yourself down there's no need to get in a flap.

Only feckless parents let their children do this.

It's antisocial, cruel and pretty moronic.

I hate seeing parents let their children harass animals, I usually comment on it if I see it

@Alsohuman

Kids are hardwired to chase pigeons. I’ve never come across one that doesn’t do it. Dogs are the same. 🤷‍♀️

And you parent them and get them to stop.

I stomp on the ground when pigeons get too close myself, which are no different to rats, squirrels and other pests.

Isn't that normal? I don't want a feathered cockrach near me.

Have you ever looked at their feet?

They often have missing toes due to poor hygiene and infections. (those are not the only possible causes btw. But they live in filth / stand in their own excrements) but I obviously would not stomp on the pigeon.

I just don't want one of them too close to me.

Which is perfectly legitimate btw.

Yes pigeons are vermin, they shit on stuff and spread disease. I don’t like them to be honest but the big difference is not allowing your child to be cruel to ANY living thing for fun.

Totally with you OP! I’m heartened at the amount of support for pigeons on here! Most people seem to hate them for some strange reason. I have to step in if I see pigeons being chased, it’s not at all nice too see.

If adults stopped feeding rats with wings, and disposed of their food waste properly, there would be far fewer of the vermin and kids chasing them would cease to be a problem.

Thanks for this post and all the comments. It’s just totally opened my eyes to the horror of this! I never pegged myself as one of those idiotic parents but I’ve realised in this case I am!!! I have let my DD do it... the first time she did it I was just surprised she did it and wondered where she learnt it, it was like a little new development phase, and I became one of those thickos blinded by their little darling. But reading this I can’t believe how blind I’ve been. I bloody hate pigeons, really freak when they fly at my head whilst shopping in the town. Why oh bloody why would I let my child impose this on others?! Not to mention how cruel it is and not teaching DC about being kind to animals in general. To be fair, she was never doing it cruelly, she actually just wants to stroke them (for some unknown reason, gross). Consider this mum well and truly changed.

@Carycy

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.

Try?

I wouldn’t need to try. He’d be told to stop. If he didn’t, he’d be removed.

It’s not about being seen and not heard. It’s about not relying on stressing out animals for entertainment and... as a parent... providing it elsewhere. No brainer 🙄🙄

I don't think children should be allowed to chase pigeons. It's stressful for the birds.

When my son was about 2, if he spotted pigeons in town, he always wanted to run at them. I never let him and always explained that it isn't kind to scare animals. He got the message eventually- he is 6 now and very kind to animals.

This is always something I tried to stop my children doing - explained it was cruel - there did seem to be a strange attraction though to running after pigeons - definitely one of the uphill battles

@Carycy

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.

Yes, because that's what the majority of posters are saying

Stop your happy 2 year old causing distress to birds. It's not hard. It's just requires you to be a parent

If this post was about chasing ducks or geese would that make it less acceptable by some?

I've often seen children allowed to repeatedly chase and taunt them. How can the 'excuse' of "my child was having fun" ever make that ok?

Terrorising and scaring any animals/birds (whether you like them or not) is a horrible behaviour and I think kids need to learn what impact their behaviour has on other people or on animals from a young age.
Pigeons are there minding their own business, probably hoping to find food or stay away from danger and a little twat scaring them for a reaction is just knobbish behaviour

I don't think children should be allowed to chase pigeons. It's stressful for the birds

It’s a damn sight more stressful when they’re killed by hawks, which is the preferred method of disposal round here. They’re given short shrift in arable areas, they destroy complete crops.

Hawks are brilliant. Natural predators; sort the problem out.

A child running at them is NOT sorting the problem of over population and is causing distress to ME. I do not want fifty pigeons flying at my head!

We've never let dd do it when she was little and I've always prevented children at school doing it on school trips or in the playground.

It just doesn't feel right to allow children to run up and scare animals, regardless of the type of animal.

Is it that stressful though? They can escape pretty easily, it’s not a prolonged chase. My dog regularly tries to chase off pigeons in our garden, they fly up into a tree for a bit and then come back down, it’s a bit of a cycle. I don’t think they’re that bothered - there’s plenty of other dog chase free gardens around if they’d prefer 🤷‍♀️

Not that I am a great fan of wood pigeons (great big flappy and clumsy arses), as they are absolute pests, but children should be stopped from chasing any animal.

That can be where cruelty to animals starts. What will they chase next? Cats? Dogs (big and small)? Cattle?

There could be very severe consequences if one of those animals turned on them.

@Alsohuman

Kids are hardwired to chase pigeons. I’ve never come across one that doesn’t do it. Dogs are the same. 🤷‍♀️

Kids are also hardwired to shit in their pants. Responsible parents teach them how to behave.

It’s a damn sight more stressful when they’re killed by hawks, which is the preferred method of disposal round here. They’re given short shrift in arable areas, they destroy complete crops.

How does that mean it's OK for kids to chase them?

I hate it when I see kids do this and the parents do nothing. I always have an urge to run screaming towards the child and see how they like it but obviously I don't, because I do realise it's the parents who should be teaching their child not to do it rather than the child knowingly being a little shit.

God forbid any child that chases pigeons if I'm in the vicinity because I will shout at them to stop and I'm quite happy to give the bloody parents an earful too.

I don’t condone pigeon chasing - but I’d think a lot worse of that kind of unhinged behaviour than the pigeon chasing.

Where are these pigeons to chase? Can’t say mine have ever chased any as there aren’t any to chase where I live. Seagulls when I was young but they didn’t come close. I did get chased by black swans in Australia I really don’t like birds much but wouldn’t chase or hurt them.

Where do you LIVE!?