"Incontinent airborne gang" of pigeons bombing pedestrians in San Jose

San Jose pigeons bombing pedestrians

By Dan Reed

Mercury News

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/the_valley/13110525.htm

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a bird, all right, and it's going to . . . OH NO!!! INCOMING!!!

A squadron of pooping pigeons, perched on the high wires at Minnesota and Lincoln avenues in San Jose, has been pelting pedestrians without pity for the past few years. They're like an airborne gang -- an incontinent one. But the Willow Glen residents aren't putting up with any more of their . . . stuff. At least, that's the plan.

Local residents and Councilman Ken Yeager, who represents the district, have complained to Pacific Gas & Electric, which maintains the power lines on which the pigeons like to perch. PG&E has responded with a somewhat novel approach to the constant bombardments. Last month, the utility installed ``bird diverters'' -- rows of small spikes along the cross bars of the power pole -- to keep the pigeons from landing there. Such diverters have been used for years on some poles to keep birds from getting electrocuted and potentially knocking out power, said Jeff Smith, a PG&E spokesman.

But just how bad is it at ground zero? On Friday afternoon, just as Willow Glen Elementary School was letting out, a Mercury News reporter went bird-watching at the corner of Minnesota and Lincoln avenues. Several pigeons were on the wires, staying off the bird diverters -- but just a few feet away. Small, hatless children stood below.



Pigeons perch on the high wires above the sidewalk at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in San Jose.

Let us say a prayer for the small, hatless children....everywhere.

:cry: