The Law of unintended consequences

[Desertdog]

The news story contains some pictures of what the residents are going through.

Bird Droppings Prompt Orlando Warning Signs
http://www.local6.com/news/8182571/detail.html

Signs warning of bird droppings were posted along a stretch in downtown Orlando this week after cars, benches, sidewalks, plants and even people are hit and covered by the white bird waste, according to a Local 6 News report.

The problem began when city workers removed cypress trees on "bird island" at Lake Eola in Orlando.

The trees had to be removed because the bird droppings were polluting the water, according to the report.

Now, the birds have moved into the city and are covering anything and anyone between Lake Eola and Central Avenue with droppings.

"You have to brace yourself for the smell," downtown resident James Taylor said. "It is a really bad stench. It is disgusting, absolutely disgusting."

"I was walking the other day and got pooed on walking under these trees," Orlando resident Lisa Valentine said. "Somebody told me it was good luck."

"The white film cakes the light posts along Lake Eloa," Local 6 reporter Todd Jurkowski said. "It is on the sidewalks and on the plants."

Officials said Orlando city workers pressure wash a stretch of the sidewalk at least twice a week.

Signs with the warning, "Caution -- Entering Bird Dropping Area" were posted Tuesday.

"Don't sit on the benches, unless you are very brave," resident Jeff Miller said.

Some people don't let the bird droppings bother them and continue to eat lunch around the droppings.

"Based on what I saw on that car, I got to believe there is no (expletive) left in them," resident Alex Hartley said.

Federal law prohibits the bird nests in Orlando from being disturbed.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

[charby]

We got the same problem with crows on campus.  Crow poop everywhere, oh the humanity. If black powder was still the rage bird poo would have a usage.

C

[K Frame]

I have visions of the bird scene from the Mel Brooks movie High Anxiety...

[Art Eatman]

Reminds me of the UC of the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

Can't chase off the sea lions when they climb on boats in the marinas of San Francisco.  Wrecked boats from the half- to one-ton animals, stinky sea lion crap--and eventually folks move the boats away and the marina goes broke.

Art

[grampster]

Wait'll folks start dropping from bird flu contracted from the crap.  Eco nazi's can hardly wait till the birds start killing people in mass quantities.  I wonder what would happen if 100 or so pissed citizens showed up with shotguns and started killing the damn things.

[crt360]

What was that saying about the foo bird?  If the foo shits, wear it.

I don't know if they still have the problem, but when I was a student at U.T. they had the worst grackle infestation I've ever seen.  If you parked down by the business school after 6pm, your car would be white in no time.  The streets and sidewalks were slippery with birdcrap.  You almost couldn't avoid being pooped on.  They had cannons and guys shooting grackle guns, but it didn't seem to help.

A building across the street has a bunch of trees around it that really attract the grackles and they try to scare them off with an automated noisemaker that sounds like a pissed off eagle going after it with a monkey.

The Orlando folks need to check out Fort Worth.  They had a deal where downtown business people were invited to participate in a grackle-go-away program.  You had to take a class, pay a little to get some kind of municipal fireworks license and bring your own shotgun.  I can't remember if it worked or not, but I bet it was fun.

[Antibubba]

"You have to brace yourself for the smell," downtown resident James Taylor said. "It is a really bad stench. It is disgusting, absolutely disgusting."

Can anyone testify as to whether or not it stunk prior to the birds?