I really think it's a bad idea to let the pigeon have control of the bus. I don't even see why it's a question.

It's not a mature pigeon.

And it doesn't have opposable thumbs.

I don't even see why it's a question.

I dunno - a book was written. They must have figured people needed warning.

I think the book endorses the principle.

Bad thing. Bad bad thing.

Is that the same pigeon who has issues regarding the desirability of it driving a bus?

Do you know, I think it might be. The question is, does driving a bus make it easier or harder to find a hot dog? You can cover more ground, but it would be painfully easy to miss any hot dogs on offer.

On a related note, Wallybee found driving around Tasmania last summer to be periodically interspersed with me hitting on the brakes, pulling over and jumping out of the car.

"Where are you going?"
"Echidna. About a metre off the road. Get the camera."
"...How do you even see them at this speed?"

I think the book endorses the principle.

Oh, that's just wrong, and could lead to misadventure.

Yeah, when violence is two-way I'm less...shocked, I guess?...which is more what Liese seems to be describing.

That goes for me too. My parents had one physical fight (over the issue of corporal punishment for me) when I was little, but neither they nor I regard it as an abuse situation. It was a hot-tempered person getting in a tiff with a bottle-it-up cold anger type whose protective instincts were triggered. Then Dad limped back the next day after Mom had established herself firmly at the top of the pecking order, and all was well from that point on.

We had a pigeon living with us for a while (actually, a couple of pigeons. We were the neighborhood animal rescue sanctuary.) Pigzilla was a dictator. He bossed the cats, he bossed us, he was in total love with my dad and would bob and coo as soon as he heard my dad come home and rode around perched on dad's shoulder. He never pooped on my dad.

Can't recall if he (and the other one, who had less personality or wasn't with us as long) just died or ended up rehabbed enough to free. Pigzilla was such a badass personality, I think I'd recall if he died, so I'm guessing he got better.

And then there are otherwise nice people who are only abusive when drunk, for instance. And who tearfully and honestly swear they'll never do it again

That was my dad, apparently.

I really think it's a bad idea to let the pigeon have control of the bus. I don't even see why it's a question.

It's not a mature pigeon.

And it doesn't have opposable thumbs.

Pigeon oppressor!

Amanda Marcotte I think has a good analysis on this:

[link]

Pigeon oppressor!

Better than wrapping them in pastry and eating them en croute, though, eh? I'm only disenfranchising them.

My sister is IMing me and watching Poltergeist. She's a delicate soul.

Me, I'm mainlining Being Human (which thread did the recs for that appear in?) with mixed response.