[Dave P]

Ah, to live in the land of milk and honey ...

Man Arrested For Running Over 15 Pigeons


REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- A 22-year-old man was arrested after he ran over 15 pigeons in a Redwood City Longs Drug Store parking lot.

Elock Poon was arrested Friday when witnesses reported that he drove his car through a large flock of pigeons.

"They decided to do donuts in the parking lot and they drove thru a flock of 50 pigeons and killed 15 birds," Humane Officer Debi Denardi, who was one of the first people at the scene told KNTV News. She says the driver didn't think what he was doing would actually harm the birds.

Pigeons aren't exactly everyone favorite animal, but still, Malu Trehan, of the Peninsula Humane Society, says anytime someone abuses any type of creature, it's a cause for concern, according to the report.

Poon is charged with a felony and could face up to a year in jail.

[MuzzleBlast]

Felony for Pigeons??? I guess if it had been kittens, that would be different?

[Kharn]

I'd better kiss my guns good-bye then.
My driver's ed instructor ordered me to run over two pigeons on my second day of road instruction (it was either the pigeons, the Lexus in the opposing lane, the retaining fence to my right, or the car that was tailgating me).
So long THR, its been fun...

Oh, wait a sec, I dont live in Kali. Nevermind. :neener:

Kharn

[Skunkabilly]

Poon? I'm guessing he is Cantonese. Pigeons are fair game for us. Best eaten at 14 weeks (or was it 14 months?) of age.

What did the guy who killed the 8-10+ people at the Santa Monica farmer's market get?

[grampster]

Probably mad at everything due to the name his parents gave him........Elock Poon?

[Betty]

Well, that's an unusual method of pest control.

[pax]

An old guy I know told me about running over some pigeons (or was it seagulls??) years ago, in a supermarket parking lot. He was young at the time, and trying to get the attention of a pretty girl who was walking to her car. He thought the birds would just fly up all around him when he squealed the tires a little, and she'd look at him, and life would be good.

Instead, he hit a couple of the birds, and one of them splattered onto her. She looked down, said, "Yuck" and gave him the dirtiest look imaginable.

He slunk away and never tried it again.

Seems to me that a felony for running over pigeons is a bit much. The guy should have just gotten sneered at by the pretty girls in the area. That lesson would last longer.

pax

So if Sunday you're free
why don't you come with me,
and we'll poison the pigeons in the park?
We'll murder them all amidst laughter and merriment,
except for a few we take home to experiment... -- Tom Lehrer

[Balog]

Maybe it's just me, but I look at pigeons the same way I look at rats and roachs: disease carrying little vermin to be killed at will. And a felony for killing any animal accidentally seems excessive.

[C.R.Sam]

I would think more bustable for reckless driving...
Cuttin donuts in public parking lot.

Sam

[Brian Dale]

There's no bag limit on pigeons here in N.C. - do they have to be taken with firearms in Cali? Seems counterintuitive to me. I'd have expected them to be happy that he didn't use a shotgun. Oh, wait ... Malu Trehan, of the Peninsula Humane Society, says anytime someone abuses any type of creature, it's a cause for concern So Skunky, are they trying to make everybody in the state vegans (or detritivores) by law?

[Skunkabilly]

dettiwhativore? :confused:

This is a step up, usually only the cute animals are protected :rolleyes:

[Sergeant Bob]

Pigeons (as well as seagulls) are nothing but skyrats . If he had run over a herd(?) of rats, would he be in trouble now?

[Brian Dale]

detritivore (noun), Like carnivore, herbivore, omnivore: one who eats what the word names. In this case, it would be one who eats detritus, like dead leaves, plankton sinking to the bottom of a lake, and anything that's cast-off "waste." We mustn't hurt the pretty plants and animals, you see. Remember, "Every living thing has just as much right to be here as ..." :barf: Sorry; I couldn't stand to keep going. You've heard that "philosophy," I suppose.

The word might have been first used at the dinner table by a buddy of mine at a biological field station in 1980, commenting on the food at the station's dining hall. The vegetarians got really good meals, and we omnivores who hadn't signed up for the vegetarian menu got things that were "mostly fine, but..." Such as the chicken one day that was undercooked enough that, as I picked through mine for the cooked bits, a dining companion leaned over and (without thinking, not purposely) said, "My God - how can you eat that?" I said, "Yeah, you're right" (pushing it away and going to the green beans). "Maybe they're trying to turn us all into vegetarians," and the friend I mentioned, down the table, said "Or detritivores." We were all biology under- or graduate students or faculty; everybody laughed.

Maybe ya had to be there; :o they say that some people just can't tell a joke. :neener: Oh, well.

[AJ Dual]

Reminds me of a family story.

We were on family vacation to Virginia Beach, with a detour to tour D.C., and Milwaukee-born-and-raised Dad trying to puzzle his way around the unusual D.C. topography.

Tons of pigeons were in the road, somewhere near the Mall, and trafic was rather heavy, so Dad kept on going. Mom complained for the sake of the birds, Dad insisted they'd fly away in time.

Picture five year old Andrew crying over the "dead birdies" upon seeing the feathers scattering in the rear window of the rental car. I'm sure I'm scarred for life. :D

Pigeons? The Redwood city man should have gotten a littering ticket for the carcases, little more.

[Navy joe]

We mustn't hurt the pretty plants and animals, you see. Remember, "Every living thing has just as much right to be here as ..."

Snappy reply for vegans from whom I have heard the above quote paraphrased. "But I don't eat living things, I shoot them first."

[cordex]

For those of you who defend "felons shouldn't own guns!", I give you this meaningful pause ...

[Brian Dale]

Declare pigeon poop to be a health hazard, for the Chilll-drennn! Pay him a bounty of a buck a pigeon.

cordex, you're scarin' me. Appropriately.

[Brian Dale]

Navy joe, I'm going to use that, w/yr/permission. I also want to get a T-shirt made that reads:

WE DON'T WEAR FUR!
We have it made into Cowboy Hats.

{Edited to get the letters the sizes I wanted}

[JohnBT]

I vote for a littering conviction.

A friend used to raise pigeons among other things. A squab is a young one about 4 weeks old that has never flown. They're much more tender if they haven't flown. About a pound IIRC.

John

[gunsmith]

If he had run over a herd(?) of rats, would he be in trouble now?

He did,he ran over a flock of rats with wings.
A guy in San Jose got more jail time for a road rage killing of a cute doggie (7yrs)
then the high school student got for a hit & run killing of a cute little girl.(1yr)

california uber alles:barf:

[jimpeel]

Pigeons are considered a public nuisance and a public health hazard. Many cities have imported Perrigrine Falcons to abate the things and it is working very well. This guy did a public service.

When I lived in CA we had flocks of pigeons (French for "dove" so anything French should be fair game) which were ruining the roof of the building. I brought in a pump BB gun and abated a few but then thought it a good idea to ask F&G about this practice. The guy, who I knew, came out and said that shooting them was against the law; but what he didn't see he didn't see.

Why would they protect a public health menace? Oh, yeah, we are talking CA aren't we?

[answerguy]

Poon? I'm guessing he is Cantonese.


I ran into a Poon Tang in Nam. I think she was a working girl.:neener:

[Standing Wolf]

...Malu Trehan, of the Peninsula Humane Society, says anytime someone abuses any type of creature, it's a cause for concern...

I'll bet she swats mosquitoes.

[Redlg155]

If the pidgeons were that stupid to hold still while the guy did donuts in the parking lot and run them over in the process then they deserved to die!

I've lined on plenty of them but they always move at the last moment. I'd have 15 little pidgeon stickers on my car if I would have busted that many at one shot! So far I only have one armadillo sticker. :D

Good Shooting
Red

[Coronach]

Well, I see the humor here just got lowered to the least common denominator. :rolleyes:

Mike

PS Stupid law. They're pigeons.

[jimpeel]

Live with it.

Pigeons are like flying rats. They are a health menace.

[Skunkabilly]

Flying rats? I wonder if rats taste as good? :confused:

[jimpeel]

Mmmmm! Tastes like chicken!

[4v50 Gary]

Felony arrest or should he receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom (from bird droppings)? The Animal Rite PeePul need to have pigeons dropping on their heads to remind them that we're suppose to be on the top of the food chain and only "nature" gets to dump on us, not pigeons. Having twice been blessed with white fecal matters, I've got over a 15:1 ratio in my favor. Mind you, I got many as a kid and it's been many years since I got my last kill. Wanna see ugly? Look at pigeon chicks. :barf:

[sturmruger]

I hate pigeons, IMO they are just rats with wings.

[mhdishere]

I used to live in NYC, where there are more pigeons than people, largely because no other self respecting bird would live there. They're the dumbest birds in the world, they see you coming and try to RUN AWAY! News flash for pigeons, you have wings, you can fly, I don't, I can't.

Apparently it is illegal in NYC to kill seagulls though. I remember quite a few years ago a Yankee outfielder (seems to me it was Dave Winfield) was warming up in the outfield and he hit a flying seagull with the ball, the ball won. There was talk of charging him with killing the seagull. My attitude was that if any outfielder could intentionally hit a flying seagull he shouldn't be in the outfield, he should be on the pitcher's mound.

[Smoke]

Sillyness. He should have breasted out the birds and ate...ummm...destroyed the evidence.

Pigeons don't taste too bad. Once shot a homing pigeon that was ducking and diving pretending to be a dove during opening weekend. He was banded....guess he lost that race. :evil:

Felt bad; those racing birds are expensive. But we breasted him and threw it on the grill ...just to see.

A man should be in no more trouble for killing a pigeon than for killing Guinea hens. I once got 22 with a pickup and gooseneck trailer. I called the farmer to apologize...they were in the road, I couldn't stop...and he thanked me for thinning the herd.

Felony for killing pigeons is asinine.

Come to Texas...we like to kill birds here.

Smoke

[R.H. Lee]

An Asian driver charged with a felony for running over pigeons in Redwood City (a burb of SF). That is just too funny. Welcome to California.

[JPL]

Years ago Dave Winfield was playing in a game in Toronto.

He threw a ball over to the dugout prior to the start of an inning, hit a seagull that had landed on the field, and killed it.

He made the throw from over 150 feet away, pretty much an impossible throw to call.

After the game he was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

Charges were dropped after prosecutors realzied that they would never be able to prove that Winfield threw the ball with the intent of killing the bird.

[Penforhire]

Wow. I would've figured misdemeaner at most. That kid's name is enough of a curse. I went to High School in Redwood City. Population density is too high and cops there are too bored for this idiot to be doing doughnuts in lots. He should a ticket for being that stupid too!

[Pilgrim]

Felony for Pigeons???

Cruelty to animals in California can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor. For an officer to arrest without having witnessed the offense he or she must charge the felony.

The officer probably thought it was minor offense, but when he or she has angry witnesses breathing down the neck the easiest solution is charge the felony. The district attorney later, depending on the political climate and the publicity the act aroused, can reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.

Pilgrim

[flatrock]

Pigeons are basically flying rodents. Charge the guy with whatever people get charged with for doing donuts in a parking lot these days. When I was a kid you got a stern talking to and were warned not to do it again.

He apparently didn't torture the pigeons. If he had I would agree with charging him with cruelty to annimals. However if he managed reasonably clean kills on them, then I consider it pest control.

Pigeons aren't people. They aren't someone's pets. They aren't endangered. There's too many of them around, and too few of their natural predators to control their numbers.

[Ky Larry]

I've heard of tree huggers, I've heard of bunny huggers, but this is the first time I've heard of "pigeon huggers." Only in the land of fruits and nuts. :rolleyes:

[Fly320s]

Pigeons... bah.

Welcome back, Betty.:D

[whm1974]

Pigeons (as well as seagulls) are nothing but skyrats . If he had run over a herd(?) of rats, would he be in trouble now?

Considering that this is Kaliforna I'll say yes. I remember a few years ago an animal rights group manage to get someone arrested in New York for killing a rat. The jurge threw the charge out.

-Bill

[Ex-Doc]

The judge will throw the case out and chastize the DA and PD. There was a similar case in CA regarding a possum. The judge wanted to kill the DA instead.

[TimRB]

"Poon is charged with a felony and could face up to a year in jail."

Something about this doesn't wash. If it doesn't involve prison (not jail) time over one year, it can't be a felony, by definition.

Tim

[dinosaur]

Did I ever tell you about the satisfying smack a Colibri .22 makes when it hits a flying rat at 30 yards?:evil: :D

[jefnvk]

For those of you who defend "felons shouldn't own guns!", I give you this meaningful pause ...
Nailed that one on the head. Too much could get you arrested for a felony. And people wonder why jails are overcrowded.

[jnojr]

***?

I've tried to run down pigeons. It just can't be done. It's hard enough to bag ground squirrels with a car... those little buggers I'd have to run my old Ranger off the road to occasionally catch one.

There's something else going on here. To drive a car through a bunch of pigeons and find 15 dead afterward, they had to already be dead. I just don't buy this.

[Otherguy Overby]

There's something else going on here. To drive a car through a bunch of pigeons and find 15 dead afterward, they had to already be dead. I just don't buy this.

Great observation!

Come to think of it, West Nile virus is reportedly extremely deadly to birds.

A gummint wildlife guy mentioned to me that crows have a time to death from infection of less than 18 hours.

I dunno, my tinfoil hat keeps getting messed up after I fall asleep on it...

[carpettbaggerr]

Story's 10 months old folks. Anybody in Cali got an update?