Tokyo Police Arrest Man for Deliberately Killing a Pigeon with His Car
In the News
Ok i abhor animal cruelty , including sports like bullfighting, fox hunting , pigeon shooting, unless it's clay pigeon shooting, these so called sports are still allowed to a certain extent
But i think the police in Tokyo went a bit too far arresting a driver for driving into a flock of pigeons that were in the road and killing one
This is the type of madness we see in the UK, i never expected to see it in Tokyo
Ok they could have fined him or something less severe, but arresting him is something our police would do, instead of pursuing real criminals like burglers or muggers
Not only that they also did an autopsy on the pigeon to ascertain the cause of death where they found it died due to “traumatic shock '' , i doubt we would see that happen on silent witness !!
And how much must that autopsy have cost ?
So he might be charged with pigeon slaughter and could get 'bird'
In his defence he says the pigeons should not have been in the road , it is for cars only
This story managed to get in newspapers all around the world including on sky news , probably because of the ridiculous facts
It wouldn't surprise me if they have a funeral or some sort of ceremony for the pigeon, or even set up a 'go fund me' for its' family
Lets hope this doesn't become the norm here , the courts and prisons are already overflowing with more serious cases without lawyers taking on pigeon hit and runs
This could open up the floodgates , or coops in this case, for similar cruelty cases , what about the famous monty python parrot sketch , trying to sell a dead norwegian blue as alive , i am sure there is a historical case for a prosecution there somewhere, especially as it was nailed to the perch ! 
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/05/japan/crime-legal/japan-taxi-pigeon-death/
Japan is such a low crime country they probably needed something to do. Personally I think I think they were right to do this. If I see birds in the road I slow down and beep my horn to get rid of them same with any animal in the road that may be distracted by eating food etc.
BonzoBanana I think it depends on the situation B
If you are on a fast road like a motorway and there is a vehicle behind you and you are both at the speed limit, to suddenly brake because of a flock of birds could cause a serious accident, ok the car behind should be keeping the correct braking distance, but he will not expect you to brake as he would not see another vehicle in front of you
I only speak from experience, i swerved to avoid a large hoarding blown into the road during the 1988 storms ,it was very early in the morning, i didnt see it until the last second as i was negotiating a bend , i skidded all over the road, the car tipped and rolled down below an embankment , and i ended up in hospital , 3 months in a surgical collar, millimetres from being paralysed from a cracked spine at the top of my neck
It could have been an animal or a bird i swerved to avoid but the outcome would probably have been the same
I am not saying this motorist was completely innocent as it says he deliberately drove at the birds, but if the police decide you not trying to avoid an obstacle , like a bird, because you think it too dangerous to , was a deliberate act of aggression when it possibly wasn't , then prosecution would be pending regardless
telmel I wasn't really thinking of a motorway to be honest just normal urban roads and really cars should have the correct distance so they can brake in time. On urban roads you should always be ready to brake and be travelling 20-30mph typically.
I've watched a lot of videos on youtube about Japan and they are setup to try to keep people in their own areas as much as possible with lots of small local shops and vending machines. It's how they minimise road congestion despite being hugely overpopulated on a relatively small set of islands. The also have KEI cars which are only about 600cc maximum, slow, small but very vertical typically. They aren't great cars for travelling long distances. In fact when larger caucasians or other larger ethnicities are sitting together in the front they often seem to be pushing against each other its almost sexual. However even with all that there is still a huge amount of car congestion in Japan especially in the centre of cities.
I was on the bus early one morning and the driver oh so skillfully and compassionately stopped in a hurry to save a flock of pigeons who had decided to hold conference in the middle of the road and not move .She was amazing.I did the same run the next day and they were all there again so accident bound really.I adore animals and abhor people who deliberately harm them but it must be murder being a bus driver the way people (er myself at times) run out into busy roads and expect them to pull up in a nano second.I did see a pigeon fly under a bus once that put the spoiler on my whole day.
MelissaLee1 I think it is easier to stop in slow moving traffic M, and you have to be more aware of everything going on around you when the traffic is heavy and you are dodging bicycles and scooters etc, so you have more time to spot an animal or bird in the road
I think it all depends on the situation
Also bus drivers have to be careful if slamming on the brakes to avoid something in the road
Sometimes when this happens the no win no fee companies can be inundated with whiplash claims 
Japan is a different place socially, the rules are very strict to keep everyone in line. Things we would consider minor issues here (noise pollution etc) is a bigger deal there
Kill a bird on purpose? Eh, birds typically fly away and they even land on electric cables which we cannot touch whatsoever. Well, you can, but then you're toast.
That driver should also be charged with reckless driving as that was dangerous for "deliberately kill a pigeon."
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