# It`s a nasty world out there !!



## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

So,here I am,8am or so in the morning a few days ago....I take my pigeon crate out of my trunk of the car,and set it down...I get my morning cup of Java,and start checking the sky etc...A few minutes later,two girls come out to see what I`m up to...They ask,"Can I help you,and what are you doing here??"...I`m at a Burger King parking lot....These two girls sounded "Nasty",and abrut to what they wanted to know...I said,"I assume your worried that I was going to "Steal" your parking lot,by the way you asked the question?".....I then proceded to tell them I`m going to release my pigeons in a few minutes...They looked at me like they were still worried about their presious parking lot....

Today,at a Dollar Store parking lot,it happened again,just this time with only one Nasty girl,wanting to know if her parking lot was in jepority of being stolen...The look on this girls face,if you want to call it a face,is so rude looking,it`s pathetic....I dare you to liberate your pigeons on "My Parking Lot" !!!!!

Been doing these liberations for many years at these 2 spots....Never once did anyone ever come out and confront me as to *"What the heck are you doing here"*with a nasty attitude......Alamo


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree. Those things happen all the time. Why can't people just mind their business. In my job, I am in my car half the time, and if I park on the side of the road, to eat a sandwich or look at a map, people come out and ask what I'm doing. Like I'm scoping out the neighborhood or something, to come back and rob them later. One guy called the cops on me, for parking in my truck on the side of the road. He lived 2 houses down, and came out and walked by with his dog, as an excuse to check me out and see what I was doing. It really is getting to be just too much.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

Yes I've been out 6 times and its happened to me twice already, I don't want to argue with them because I don't want to give pigeon fliers a bad name, and I just leave, but sometimes I get really pissed off.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Everybody is suspicious today. No one trusts anyone any more. Maybe it is just a reflection of the society we live in. Lots of things going on, so they assume you are doing something wrong.


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

Had the cops called on me a few weeks ago. First time ever. He was cool though. Told me to stay as long as I wanted. Someone thought I was casing a bank.


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## Matt M (Mar 2, 2011)

Wow, I guess I've been lucky this year with experiences with releases. At one school football field there was a lady coming in to exercise her dog just as I was leaving and hauling the pigeon crates back to my truck. She asked about the pigeons and seemed genuinely disappointed that she missed seeing the release of the birds.

Then last Saturday I had stopped at Lowe's to pick up a few things on my way to the release point. As I was loading some wood in the back of the truck a woman and her 3 young sons were walking by and the kids immediately noticed the pigeons in the crates and came running over. The mom was very nice and started asking questions too. The boys were especially interested in how the birds were going to find their way back home.

I hadn't planned on releasing the birds there in the parking lot but it was nice and open with no wires and was only about a mile from my usual release point so I decided to ask if they wanted to see them fly. The boys faces lit up 'yes' and then I asked the 5 and 7 year old if they wanted to "help" by releasing the doors on the crates. They were ecstatic. Who knows, maybe they will remember that later on in life and have a positive memory enough to want to get some racing pigeons someday...

Bummer about all the negativity out there that people have toward our pigeons, so it's lucky to have some positive experiences too.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Matt M said:


> Wow, I guess I've been lucky this year with experiences with releases. At one school football field there was a lady coming in to exercise her dog just as I was leaving and hauling the pigeon crates back to my truck. She asked about the pigeons and seemed genuinely disappointed that she missed seeing the release of the birds.
> 
> Then last Saturday I had stopped at Lowe's to pick up a few things on my way to the release point. As I was loading some wood in the back of the truck a woman and her 3 young sons were walking by and the kids immediately noticed the pigeons in the crates and came running over. The mom was very nice and started asking questions too. The boys were especially interested in how the birds were going to find their way back home.
> 
> ...



Gee that's nice. Great experience for the kids, and I'm sure they will always remember it. May make them view pigeons differently as they grow up, and spread the word.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. Blame it on the media for promoting negative news. I guess pigeon keeping is not news. Thanks.
http://www.citytalk.fm/news/uk-and-world/20130726-lost-pigeon-rescued-by-navy-in-atlantic-ocean/


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

That is life today. So many people have NO respect for others. They steal, kill rape and so forth. And working people are getting tired of it. So some one wondering what a person is doing means at least they are paying attention to what is going on NO harm just be nice and perhaps they might want to see the birds liberated even more might want to learn more about them


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## likebirds (Oct 22, 2012)

I have always been treated good also. I like to take mine to cematary(spelling off) a few miles out of town. Usually folks will ask questions out of curiosity but usually get a smile out of them.


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## Xueoo (Nov 20, 2009)

Well...whats with releasing in the parking lot anyways? There's a lot of open country out there. I'm one to make the release as far away from people as I can.


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

Xueoo said:


> Well...whats with releasing in the parking lot anyways? There's a lot of open country out there. I'm one to make the release as far away from people as I can.


Not many good options other than parking lots around here. Side of the road? Dangerous. Someone's driveway? Rude. 

What else is there besides parking lots where you can stop a vehicle?


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

I haven't had any problems.Some people stop and watch and some are amazed when the birds Explode to the sky.


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

I don't get to stop taking them to parking lots till I'm out 35 miles then ill just pull up onto the grass and release them in the fields I've got the same spots I never had trouble with its always the parking lots where I deal with annoying people.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Monday afternoon at Wendy`s in Morgantown,WVa....A few people came over and were delighted to see & pet the birds...NO employee`s from Wendy`s came out to see if I was stealing the parking lot....One employee came out and parked next to my car,to eat lunch and take pictures of the birds being single tossed....This is the way it should be !!!! Alamo


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Tom,
That girl taking pics was working undercover for me.Sent to take those pics so I can see what I'll be flying against.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Perhaps you could turn the situation around by saying something like, "I appreciate your being so observant. So many bad things happen because people do not always take the effort to be aware of what's happening around them. So, to satisfy your curiosity, I'm training my homing pigeons by releasing them at various distances from my loft. Watching a release, or toss, can be quite fascinating." 

Then maybe add a few details about how the birds can find their way home.

Supposing you were unloading crates of something (potentially) dangerous in their vicinity, to be used against them. And then imagine someone reading the paper later, after the carnage, about the cops asking: "So you saw this guy stop and park his truck close by. Obviously not someone making a delivery to your place of business (or house). He unloaded some crates, and you didn't bother to wonder what was going on until it was too late to take evasive action? Don't you red the papers or watch the news about all the shootings and bombings and terrorist actions?"

Of course, if several guys stop their trucks in their lot every day and release pigeons, you might expect them to be not so confrontational. LOL.

I don't raise or race pigeons; only do the occasional rescue. In Cologne, Germany, at the weekly (but seasonal) Sunday morning _Vogelmarkt_ near us, where pigeon guys showed and sold fancy pigeons and homing pigeons, and others sold various small pet animals and supplies, where I bought supplies and meds, at the end of one market day (at noon), one guy released his pigeons. They exploded from the box, swerved around the corner of a four-storey building, and made a beeline for home. They didn't even circle first. I asked the guy where he lived (in Frechen), west of us. He had to approach the market form the south. It was fantastic to watch.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

shorty2 said:


> I use google maps satellite view and street view to hunt for private spots to toss from which are private and away from people. This one place I went, thought was far enough out in the desert that would be private, but then I heard a "wrrrr... wrrrrr. wrrrrrrr" sound. Got louder and louder, then about 30 dirt motorcycles went zooming by. I waved and hoped for a wheelie, but was happy with the friendly waves that I got.
> 
> Another spot I frequent is an access road that goes to a housing development, so it is a public road. There is a good pull off spot on the side so if someone goes down the road, I won't block anyone. One day a big black pickup truck came down the road, window rolled down and he said "whatcha got there?" looking at my basket. I told him racing pigeons, and a few moments later he was over with me checking out my birds. I told him they were the working man's race horse, and guess what? He has racing horses! We chatted for a bunch about the similarities. Now whenever he drives past, he gives me a big wave and smile.
> 
> ...




What a smart idea! I like the pictures, especially the one with the balloons in the background. Very smart.


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## jafacanyan (Jul 17, 2013)

the society we live in is suspicious today, sometimes i cant balm them, i thing it will take a long time for someone you pass by that can just look at you and smile. i think a lot of people have lost faith in them or even others


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## BetaPigeon (Mar 17, 2010)

In the 7 years that I have been training birds, I only had one bad experience. One day I was getting gas, a middle age women heard my birds in the back of my truck, she came over and immedialty accused me of going to take (all 60 of them) out and shot over my Golden who was siting in the front seat. Once I explained that these were homing pigeons and I was just taking them out for training, she settled down, but before that she was going to call the humane society, police and so on. Had it been 20 years ago I would of told her to take a flying leap, but being more mature and knowing how to handle this type of situations will help us all and our sport. 

By the time I got talking to her, I think she wanted pigeons of her own.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Josephe...Training in Morgantown a few times,so that my dummies don`t go to Maryland for a vacation,instead of returning to Fairmont...Usally get them in out of the NE on race day...Not what I want...They should come out of the West/SW.....4 more weeks and we will be racing....Feels good to be back with the IRPC......Alamo
PS:Sure wish the combine had a web site,so I can see your name on top...What is your loft name ????


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## johnnyksspeedshop (Oct 12, 2007)

I havent had that problem, but if i did, i'd flip them the bird (pun intended) and tell the to get lost. I'm usually a very respectful person, but when people get upset about one of the most innocent hobbies ever, ill let them know im not happy about how they feel.


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## benson1 (Jun 1, 2013)

I live near Buckly Airforce Base. It is betweenmy self and the flight line. The place is huge so I have release pints all around it. Never has the M.P's, feds or anyone for that matter disturbed me!


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Alamo,
Yea looking forward to the first race.Only had mine out to 20 so far,will jump them another 10 tomorrow and keep stretching it West to 65 mi(Cooper's Rock)and that'll be it.Will probably chip band them on the second trip from Cooper's Rock and clock them on training mode.
Yea wish the website was back up also,but it is what it is I guess at this point.Will be flying under T-Bird Loft.If you don't see my name at the top the first couple of races they probably just made a mistake.
Good Luck!


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Josephe....Just remember the letter "A" should be at the top of the page...That`s why I use the name Alamo....But most of these guys think "Z" is the first letter of the alphabet,so that always puts me last...hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!.......*Zalamo* !!!!


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

hamlet said:


> Hello. Blame it on the media for promoting negative news. I guess pigeon keeping is not news. Thanks.
> http://www.citytalk.fm/news/uk-and-world/20130726-lost-pigeon-rescued-by-navy-in-atlantic-ocean/


Hamlet, that was a cute story about the pigeon rescued by the Royal Navy. Thanks for sharing!


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

Where I am there really isn't any open places other then school yards and parking lots until I got them out to at least 80 miles and I almost never take them out that far on my own. I usually only train them out to about 38 miles b4 the 1st race. So I'm always letting the birds up where there's a lot of ppl around to ask questions. Most ppl are nice and are just curious and I'm all for a nice friendly talk while I'm waiting to release my birds. Every once in while you get ppl who really seam like they are into it but didn't know anything about the sport and I'll give them one of the pigeon mags I keep in my trunk. But when I get those ppl who already have it set in their head that pigeons are diseased ridden pests and talk to you like your a piece of crap and I'll talk back to them the same way they're talking to me. Some of the dumbest ppl I've ever dealt with are teachers in school parking lots. I actually fell sorry for the kids who are being taught by some of them. The best one threw a temper tantrum like a little kid saying that my birds are gonna get the kids sick. I could see saying that if the kids were in school but they weren't it was during summer break a couple of weeks b4 school started. Another time I was in a park in NYC and the NYPD came up to me and told me I can't catch the birds in the park. I showed them they had bands and told them I was training them for a race. They didn't want to hear it they told me they aren't leaving until I let all the birds out of the cage. At that time I had a few crates and was letting them up about 10 mins apart so they wound up standing there for a half hour waiting for me to let the last crate out. I could see they were getting really pissed but I was setting the birds up for a race and I wasn't going to change my plans for some cops who weren't the sharpest tools in the shed.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Ha ha ha good one Walt.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

AH....The NYC flatfoots....What a joke...I wish it was me....I would have single tossed ALL of my birds that day.....You gave them a break Walter....I would have made them miss super at home with their family.....Alamo


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