Better here (thanks Che)
Yesterday was a very windy day in Stenungsund (near Gothenburg). I was cycling back to the office and suddenly I saw a small stork "wobbling" in the air.

It was going straight to some telephone cables. It hit one of the middle ones and was thrown back against another, trying desperately to fly free.

Finally, it fell in the floor, wings and head first. Shook its head, got up and stayed there, in the middle of the road, looking each side with a look of completely lost.

I regret now I didn't go and help it. A big truck went down the road a bit after, and I don't know what happened.

Sorry, it has nothing to do with the QOTW, but I was so shocked I had to tell you.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 21 Oct 2008, 20:49, 7 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I hate it
when stuff like that happens.

I relocate hedgehogs and birds and toads and lambs and things quite frequently.
The other night I was driving home late and it was wet and windy. Visibility was awful and I saw several toads on the road at the last second and swerved to avoid them, and I got really jumpy after that. There were loads of leaves being blown across the road and I kept thinking they were toads. My nerves were shot to pieces and I was in danger of crashing, so eventually I realised I would have to just drive and not think about the toads, hoping they would just be lucky.
( warmfuzzies Isn't here, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 21:01, Reply)

As much as I appreciate the sentiment
(and believe me, having spent almost thirty years from birth as a vegetarian, I do) I'd highly suggest not swerving for wildlife. If you can slow down without getting crashed into from behind or spinning off the road, do that.

I had a work colleague who was driving along a windy road locally, who swerved to avoid a pheasant, lost control and stacked his car upside-down into a verge on the other side of the road. He was lucky not to kill himself or hit oncoming traffic. He wrote his car off, had to claim on his insurance and pay his excess, and lose his no claims bonus because he swerved to avoid killing something he'd happily nom on a sunday afternoon.

Just a point of view. I've had to fight the urge to swerve before, but I really do fight it.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 7:49, Reply)

Glad you found us!
Driving home just last week I nearly hit a cow. It was lurking just inside the fence next to the cattle grid on a bit of open pasture. It was already dark, and as this is just past a bend it was a near thing, although I'd slowed down to 40mph.

I think they've shipped them all off now, which is probably just as well.

Saw a snowy owl too! That's a first for a journey home - swooped across the road just in front of me, made me feel all lovely!
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 8:48, Reply)

I highly recommend
swerving to avoid a cow.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 8:58, Reply)

^ especially in india ^
my friend was travelling around india with some mates, and their taxi drove into a cow by mistake.

she said the driver was quite literally shitting himself with fear and drove off shouting and screaming at a million miles an hour.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 10:14, Reply)

^^^
"their taxi drove into a cow by mistake"

I should hope it was a mistake. Not sure why people would aim for cows whilst driving :0)
( SpikeyPickle wishes he was mabazaritchie, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 11:55, Reply)

well
i've never been to india, but jo said that the cows have the life of riley and go wherever they want. so i think it wandered into them.

the cow was fine, but the driver was so terrified because he thought they'd get lynched for touching it!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 12:54, Reply)