Peristerophobia On Parade
Thank heavens! We finally have an explanation for peristerophobia! Thanks to the BBC for getting this vital information out to the public. Yes, at last you can come to grips with your irrational fear of pigeons. Because, you see, it is not irrational at all. You've been genetically programmed and the BBC found the guy with the goods on why you were. It isn't because the winged rats spread disease and leave a nasty mess wherever they go. It isn't because of the sky rat's evil plans to build cyborg pigeons. Nope, the real reason is even more entertaining. It was the giant birds!
Many people firmly believe street pigeons spread disease. But this belief is attacked by pigeon lovers, who say the threat has been exaggerated and there are no documented cases of a disease being transmitted from a pigeon to a human.
They are known to be susceptible to some diseases like tuberculosis, although no more so than any other bird species or wild animals. But the fact there are so many of them means people have good reason to raise the point, argue critics. There are millions.
We share the UK with an estimated 18 million feral pigeons and they can breed up to up to six times a year. They are one of the few birds recognised by the government as a nuisance pest and can be controlled using humane methods and with a licence.
The sheer scale of numbers has resulted in two other commonly cited criticisms - they damage property and drive out other bird species.
But the public's general dislike of pigeons also comes down to an inherited survival instinct. Our bodies are programmed to play it safe when it comes to some species, says Felix Economakis, psychologist and hypnotherapist in BBC Three's Panic Room.
"A dislike of any bird is an evolutionary survival instinct that has been passed down through our DNA. Back in cavemen times birds were bigger and posed a real danger.
This fits in perfectly with what great uncle Otto told us when we were children, back before they took him to the home. He said that one of our ancestors was carried off by an enormous woolly mammoth wren, or possibly a saber-toothed sparrow. All he knew is it had feathers and an attitude. So now you know the real reason you enjoy poisoning pigeons in the park.
By wheels, Tuesday, 24 April , 2007 @ 9:57 am
At least they were spared the embarrassment of being carted off by a flamingosaurus rex (before their time, no doubt).
By Gaius, Tuesday, 24 April , 2007 @ 10:04 am
Brilliant! I wish I had come up with that one.
By BubbaB, Tuesday, 24 April , 2007 @ 10:37 am
My first real job in high school was working at a hardware store. One of my best friends also worked there. He was a cowboy (which was fairly common in my rural community) - cowboy boots, big belt buckle, cowboy hat, etc. AND, he was very good at riding horses. He even has a slight Texas drawl.
One day, he came walking through with a bag of gopher bait. Gopher bait is very good at killing just about any animal, but it is only legal to use it on gophers and other burrowing animals.
I thought it odd that he was taking the bag of gopher bait with him - he clearly was going to use it at our store - and I asked him about it. He answered, “We’ve got gophers.” Long pause. “On the roof.”
By Gaius, Tuesday, 24 April , 2007 @ 11:35 am
A new nickname: roof gophers.