That’s it. It was a really, really depressing experience, actually. I haven’t knowingly hit any type of animal with a car in about 10 years, and it’s still bothering me.
What was so strange about the incident is that it was almost as if the poor bird was commiting suicide. It’s not uncommon to see a pidgeon or other bird wander out in the street to retrieve food and fly away from an oncoming car at the last second. But this bird hopped off the sidewalk and continued to walk toward my car as if it didn’t know I existed. I didn’t even have a thought of swerving because I assumed it would try to avoid me, but no such luck.
Anyway, I just had to share because it was such a sad thing to me, particularly seeing the aftermath in my rear-view mirror.
And also, I’m very tired and realize that “pigeon” doesn’t have a “d” in it. If a mod would be kind enough to at least correct the error in the thread title, I’d appreciate it.
Similarly, I ran over a seagull once. It was sitting in the road as I was driving in to park and didn’t move quickly enough (although I was going only about 10MPH). I was going to spend the afternoon on the boat of one of my father’s friends, and thought this might be considered a bad omen, so I didn’t mention it to anyone. (Fortunately, nothing significant happened.)
it happens. Drive long enough and you will have an incident with an animal. My brothter got into a nasty one with a deer, came up over the hood and smashed the windshield. Unfortunatly the deer didn’t die. My bro finally got out the tire iron and was gonna clunk it to death, but a state trooper showed up and used his side arm to put a quick end to the poor creature’s misery. As for the bro’s car, pretty bad, but that is what insurance is for.
Such mishaps occur, don’t lose sleep over it.
Last year I hit a cat. It was nighttime and I saw a blur run in front of my car. I quickly let off the throttle but didn’t press the brakes. They usually get out of the way in time, (atleast the squirrels and birds do). It was a thump - right under the tires. I felt bad for a little while, but it shouldn’t have been in the road! I got a lot of “meow’s” from Mr Johnson - teasing me about it. I even had a dream about a few kittens attacking me! (Oh no! I killed their mom and now they’re haunting my dreams. :eek:)
I don’t like cats anyway.
Then, a few months ago I saw a pigeon who had been hit (or somehow hurt) but wasn’t killed. He was flopping around in the gas-station parking lot. It was horrifying but I couldn’t look away. I assume he died later that day. I hope yours was quick and painless.
Thanks, and there’s no question that death for the poor guy was instant. Not to be overly graphic, but I’m pretty sure I ran over his head.
And to the rest of you, I know it happens. No big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it’s somehow different when a cat or something darts in front of you, making a poor judgement, versus a bird who just strolls right out to meet your car. Ah well.
I haven’t killed a bird yet, but my last kill was a raccoon that was eating something off the road. It sounded like his skull smacked the axle so at least it was a quick death.
If it makes you feel any better, I saved a pigeon once. My dog trapped a homing pigeon in the yard and broke it’s wing. I picked it up, took it to the VET to have it’s little wing set, and found it’s owner via the tag on his leg, and returned it. I’ll share some of my pigeon karma with you.
The other day I pulled into a parking space and the car in front of me had a perfect specimin of a red-winged black bird stuck face-first, wings spread, in it’s grill. I about cried right then and there. Thought about it all during my trip through the store, and it was still there when I left. This was a week ago and it still makes me very sad
What seenidog said … it’s one of those things that’s almost inevitable. I had an encounter last summer with a squirrel in the early hours of a summer morning. Two squirrels, actually … who were racing to get across the street. I could have tried moving to avoid them, but at the speed I was going, there was no way to tell if such an attempt would’ve made a difference. I might have just as easily run them over if I’d tried to avoid them because it all happens so fast, even if you’re totally alert. You just can’t tell where such a little animal will be once they’ve gone below the line of sight on the hood while travelling 45mph … they might be just as safe if you keep going perfectly straight. It’s a crapshoot. I heard the unsettling, muted sound of bones going crunch as one of my new summer performance driving tires ran one of them over, and since they’re rather firm tires with stiff steel sidewalls and thick rubber treads, the thought of it made me despondent. Only one of them was run over, and I was totally heartbroken thinking about the other one who managed to make it across, assuming that they were probably mates or at least courting one another.
If a pigeon or other city bird doesn’t get out of the way of your car, it’s likely that the bird has been poisoned. Avitrol is a commonly used poison that is supposed to “disorient” the pigeons so that they’ll relocate. Its actual effect is much more lethal, and the birds that don’t die from eating the poison often stumble out in front of cars (or feet, as ouryL’s sister discovered).
I once saw a pigeon crossing the street (at the light) and a car ran over its foot.
It hopped over to the curb and the cars waited for it and all. I wondered what happened to it eventually.
Last year, Hubby and I hit two baby raccoons at the same time. They ran out into a dark country road, and Hubby swerved as much as was safe, but we hit both of them, one with each tire. (A hell of a thing-- doubt it could have been replicated if we tried.)
I made him turn around and go back. One of them was motionless, but the other was struggling horribly. We did the only possible humane thing and ran over them again to end their suffering. I still feel bad about it.
My aunt was a deer magnet. Honestly, I don’t blame any of you if you don’t believe the following tale because I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn’t seen it. She totalled four cars hitting deer. That’s right: four. In less than three years, mind you.
One time, a sparrow ran into me. I was walking across a parking lot and BAM! the bird hit me on the shoulder. It got up and flew away, but it left a dirty spot on my white shirt. I guess I should have dodged.
