Promenading pigeons on parade
A friend at work was wondering about pigeons. They really seem to like CTA stations. In fact, at the Davis stop on the Purple Line there are razor-sharp points jutting out from nearly every surface where a pigeon might alight.
At the Howard station, there are some similar pigeon prevention tools, but apparently not enough to keep them off the trains.
My work friend says they tend to congregate on the platform near the first Red Line cars on the trains heading south. She has seen pigeons waddle on the train, and personally shooed them off. Other times she has noticed them take off aboard the train. Then what happens.
A motorman told me if someone alerts him via the call button, he'll chase the pigeons off at Jarvis if they can't produce a transit card.
Another friend told me of the time she was waiting behind a person at Morse, waiting for the doors to open on the southbound train. When they did, the person in front of her screamed and ran down to the next car. Waddling around in the car was pigeon. My friend showed him the way off at Morse.
I hate pigeons. They are gross.
Who will challenge that?
Posted by: boris | June 22, 2005 at 08:16 AM
I've also herded a lost pigeon off a southbound train on Howard. It was so funny to see it nonchalantly walk on and mosey towards the back seats.
Posted by: salty | June 22, 2005 at 08:56 AM
Will they have to pay the reduced fare?
I have a love/hate feeling for pigeons. I hate them cause they're gross and fly into your face. But I love them cause they'll stand infront of a bus and think the bus suppose to move for them....I've seen a few scatter when a bus was on their heels.
I know every creature mates, but do the pigeons have to do it in the middle of a crowded downtown platform?
Posted by: cmama | June 22, 2005 at 09:04 AM
Two pigeon comments:
1. Despite the little plastic barriers everywhere at Davis, it's amazing to see how many have managed to still build nests on top of the beams. I've stood on the southbound platform and watched mommy pigeons regurgitate food for their babies...kinda cute and gross at the same time...
2. A pigeon got my car on the northbound purple line at Belmont just the other day. But it wasn't pleasant, because the thing was obviously freaked out and flying into the windows repeatedly. Luckily the train stood waiting for another red train to connect and people managed to shoo it out before we took off for the long stretch to Howard.
Posted by: Carrie | June 22, 2005 at 09:30 AM
Three words: "rats with wings" {shudder}
Posted by: Jenn | June 22, 2005 at 09:37 AM
I'll bet lots of pigeons are going to have to find new homes when track and platform work really gets going. There's already plenty of CTA-construction-worker activity at the Damen Brown Line stop, and I can see that quite a few pigeons made their nests and hang out under the platform. The crazy loud riveting sound and banging have surely freaked the pigeons out.
Posted by: Margaret | June 22, 2005 at 09:37 AM
I agree with Jenn.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 22, 2005 at 12:10 PM
Has anyone noticed a screaching bird recording playing at the Howard Street Station? I always wonder if that's some kind of pigeon deterent.
Posted by: Christine | June 22, 2005 at 12:21 PM
i'm also in agreement with jenn's opinion. rats with wings! ugh.
Posted by: lynette | June 22, 2005 at 12:59 PM
Christine... is it really a recording???
I can't believe this !! I was actually having an argument with a friend of mine about this. He swore on his life that it was a recording while I argued it was just an annoying bird that we couldn't see, screaming his lungs off.
Although there are some weird black boxes on the nort side of the building (toward Howard Street) that can be seen from the platform and do look like speakers.
Posted by: Tovi | June 22, 2005 at 02:02 PM
Swear to God, Tovi, it's a recording....either that, or the most persistent bird ever, since I hear it often when I'm at Howard!
Posted by: Christine | June 22, 2005 at 04:37 PM
The recordings are actually three different noises, one is a pigeon, the second is some kind of african monkey that preys on pigeons, the third is the monkey attacking the pigeon, they have tons of speakers to create the flying/surround sound effect.
Posted by: Pigeon | June 22, 2005 at 07:12 PM
God, I hate those screeching bird noisemaker things. They seem to be gaining popularity. I first discovered them at Howard station, where they play 24 hours a day and are especially prominent in the middle of the night.
Recently, there has also been one installed in the vicinity of Clark and Monroe (maybe on the Nick's Fishmarket/McDonalds building?). Every time I walk by there I think of my many late nights waiting for a train at Howard and being driven nuts by that ear-splitting recording.
Posted by: Pigeon Noise Thingies | June 22, 2005 at 10:23 PM
Ditto on the recording at Howard. It makes me feel like I am in some god-awful B horror movie!
I've never seen a pigeon actually get on a train. But, if they do, I say let'em ride.
Posted by: mimi | June 23, 2005 at 09:10 AM
Yeah, it is a recording on Howard, though I've never figured out what its purpose is.
Posted by: CLEVER_NAME | March 23, 2006 at 01:35 AM
i've seen pigeons board the train at howard, and then exit at jarvis. just like people.
also, i know they have one of those sound-maker things at the jefferson park (blue line) bus terminal, but it doesn't seem to do much good. the only time anyone can really hear it is late at night when there's not much traffic.
Posted by: red line rider | April 14, 2007 at 09:07 PM