Got to Test Out My New Car Horn in a Big Way
suburbia July 8th, 2013
A few miles from my house is a little creek where geese hang out. It’s a very natury place to call home if you’re a goose.
Except for one problem.
The area is divided by a busy four lane road that was packed at rush hour tonight.
As I headed down this road, I came upon a stop light at a highway interchange. Right where a party of a dozen or so geese decided now would be a super fine time to cross the road to get to the other side.
I was horror-stricken. They all just walked as a pack right into the busy road without a care in the world.
This ain’t gonna end well, I thought.
Until….
Until….
All of us drivers, every last one of us, laid on our horns, loud and steady, which had two effects:
1. The cacophony of horns alerted all over drivers that something was wrong and they all slowed, now knowing why.
2. It made the geese run faster across the street, right into oncoming traffic.
OMG, please geese, move your little asses or fly, dammit!
I just didn’t want to see anyone get hit in front of me, mere feet away. I couldn’t look, but I couldn’t not look because …. because …. I was willing them to move.
Still honking our horns and marveling at the beauty of cars stopping and nobody rear-ending each other, we drivers waited until all the geese made it across without a scratch.
And still without a care in the world.
Did they even know how close they came to certain ends?
Lucky day, my little goosey friends. Lucky day.
* In case you’re wondering why geese walk across roads, rather than fly, here you go.
Stumble it!
July 8th, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Is there are reason beyond they are dumb as rocks? Will definitely have to go look.
Lauralee´s last blog post ..SO IRKED
July 8th, 2013 at 5:39 pm
I can tell you, from experience, that this doesn’t always end in a happy way.
Once I saw a mother duck and her dozen or so little poufs trying to cross a busy thoroughfare. We all managed to stop in time, but the big truck next to me did not, and I screamed in horror as I watched those little yellow poufs get smooshed to holy hell. I’m still scarred from witnessing that.
Stupid mother duck. What the hell was she thinking?
Lin´s last blog post ..Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Plug your Ears
July 8th, 2013 at 6:20 pm
I was all happy that the geese got across the road safely. I was about to leave a comment saying so, when I read the comment from Lin. Now I am totally upset.
I’m so glad your geese all got across safely, I would have hated you to see them get squished!
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July 8th, 2013 at 6:43 pm
OK, that was amazing. I am shocked everyone stopped. It’s like one of those movies where nobody shows up to a show and the actors are staring out into the empty audience and then all of a sudden people start trickling in and the theatre is full. Or something like that.
Margaret´s last blog post ..A Slight Case of Murder-Suicide
July 8th, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Since the first 3 posts I read today from my blog reading list were all about poop, I’m going to keep the roll going and talk about Canada Geese.
In Pennsylvania these poop machines ruin more golf courses than they are worth. Did you ever miss a par put because the ball bounced off a pound of Goose poop on the way to the hole?
These varmints should be forced to wear Depends in this country.
Agent 54´s last blog post ..Smelly Pirate Hooker Scandal update
July 8th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
That’s uncanny how your photo of your geese and the one from The Globe and Mail look the same. 😉
Bryan G. Robinson´s last blog post ..Where I’m at – June 7, 2013
July 9th, 2013 at 4:21 am
Lauralee — I’m assuming not much is understood by their walnut-sized brains. What I don’t get is how they had no fear, not even of cars whizzing by at 50mph. Shouldn’t they have some sort of fear instinct?
Lin — I bet you are. I would be and that’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen, because you can’t “unsee” that sort of thing. I’m sorry for them and sorry for you that you had to witness that.
Babs — I know. I wrote Lin back after her comment and told her I was going to go cry in a corner. So sad. My geese were lucky. There was one guy who did stop suddenly just feet from them and so did the guy to his right, which is amazing because he wouldn’t have been able to see them walking across, as cars were in his line of sight. It’s amazing they all made it.
Margaret — Yes, it was one of those things you can’t believe because things never end that well. The odds were so stacked against them, and yet….
Agent 54 — I know the poop posts of which you speak. Yes, poop in the wild is a scourge. I just had the funniest image of that family of geese all wearing teeny tiny Depends. thanks for the chuckle.
Bryan — And you know I wanted to get out my camera in time for my own photo, but I had too much stuff in my purse. Couldn’t reach it in time. Also, I’m glad I didn’t because what if I would have captured a splat? Best I didn’t try to get the shot.
July 9th, 2013 at 8:07 am
It is so nice when people look out for things like this—-I can imagine what a mess it would have been if just one person did not stop. Around here we have very tame and brave and clueless deer—-i am always very cautious when I come into the neighborhood because they think they are the residents and not us. I would not want to hit one of them! Can you imagine??? Ugh. I would feel horrible.
Beth Ann Chiles´s last blog post ..Teapot Tuesday
July 9th, 2013 at 8:56 am
Silly geese. Thinking that because they walked there for millenia they should still have the right too.
Pricilla – Famous SpokesGoat´s last blog post ..AbbyDay – I am a GardenGoat
July 9th, 2013 at 9:22 am
Seriously… talk about bad parenting.
July 9th, 2013 at 9:39 am
I don’t get that either. If I could fly I’d be flying all the time. Way would they even bother walking?
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July 9th, 2013 at 10:31 am
The geese in your area must be related to the geese in ours!
July 9th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
” I couldn’t look, but I couldn’t not look because …. because …. I was willing them to move.”
CRACKED ME UP, KATHY!!!!!
This story reminds me of when I was still living in Orlando, Florida and lived by a huge lake that was FILLED with geese. Not only would they slowly meander across the street; blocking traffic. But they would also try to ATTACK your car by BITING the tires – I kind you not! HA!
Glad to hear the geese got across safely.
X
Ron´s last blog post ..Stuck In An Elevator For Over 35 Minutes
July 9th, 2013 at 9:23 pm
Thank God the geese made it across. I’m guessing they’re not from the same family that the Globe & Mail talked about when they said that geese were intelligent and had a keen sense of hearing. Then again, maybe they have superpowers that we don’t know about.
July 10th, 2013 at 4:11 am
Beth Ann — Yep, all it would take is a single car whose driver didn’t notice and BAM. There is a road that cuts through the upper part of our campus at work, right through a wooded mountain. I knew a couple people who’ve hit dear on that road. Very sad. You feel horrible AND it’s terribly dangerous if it hits your windshield.
Pricilla — I know we’re in their space, yet it still amazed me that they were completely unaware of the risk they were taking. Still blows my mind to remember them being so casual about crossing.
Cara Lyn — Har. Right, like “Just follow me, kids. Everything will be fine.”
Lovelyn — I guess it has to do with the short distance they wanted to go, as well as that thing about molting in June/July (they don’t fly when they are). But still. If I had wings, I’d be flying everywhere too.
Bohemiologist — Keep your eyes peeled then!
Ron — I didn’t know geese were so angry about cars, enough to bit the tires. Geez. Of course, maybe they’re just made we’re taking over their roads.
Suzanne — Well, their hearing was OK because they all jumped and ran faster when we blasted them with our horns. But guessing they’re not too high on the intelligence meter.
July 13th, 2013 at 10:11 am
Canada geese flock to the retention ponds around all the malls here. It’s a given that you’ll have to wait for them to cross the street about every tenth trip to the mall. They actually ignore the honks of drivers. Loved the info on why they walk and don’t fly across the busy roads, though! I’ve often wondered about that myself.
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July 13th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
It does one’s heart good to see the goodness in people coming through. Although not in the middle of a busy street, we saw some geese with largish babies crossing the entrance street at Lowes earlier this summer.
Linda´s last blog post ..Quote of the Week
July 14th, 2013 at 4:44 am
The only geese I see in my neck of the woods attacks people at the park.
2 large geese chasing fat people. And they win.
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July 14th, 2013 at 4:52 am
Boom Boom — In a way, it’s better that people expect them at the mall. The gaggle by me can’t really be seen in a wide open area, and so drivers are not expecting them to just take a stroll into the street. BTW, on my way to work on Friday, I saw a few more even further from where they should be, crossing again. Near a highway onramp. Went through my panic again for a moment, but they also made it. But one of these days….
Linda — It was also a whole lotta luck. I really didn’t think everyone would make it over. There were so many!
Sew Ducky — They always do. I would run for the hills if a duck or goose chased me. And it would be hilarious to watch.
July 15th, 2013 at 1:40 am
I’m surprised that with all the honking of horns the geese didn’t decided to follow you instead.
Mulled Vine´s last blog post ..Like Fine Wine
July 16th, 2013 at 10:26 am
Wow. I am shocked and relieved everyone actually stopped and no accidents occurred and the geese safely made it across the street!
meleah rebeccah´s last blog post ..On Writing And Blogging
July 16th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Clearly, the infamous chicken needs to consult with these geese.
Chris´s last blog post ..2013 Pasadena Half Marathon
September 22nd, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Geese have ESP and they also honk. You experienced one of the rare times automobiles conversed with geese using nothing but honks and it all turned out okay. It’s really very rare; geese, people and car horns on the same sheet of music and now you know it can be done. You helped prove it.
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