http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/21/nyregion/metropolitan-diary-a-wall-of-pigeons-in-a-bikers-path.html 2016-09-22 02:32:21 A Wall of Pigeons in a Biker’s Path After an unexpected obstacle sends a cyclist to the ground, a dialogue ensues about the proper place to toss out bird seed. === Dear Diary: I was biking in Riverside Park near the 79th Street Boat Basin, when suddenly a swarm of pigeons formed a thick, fluttery wall, obstructing my view. I swerved and fell hard on the bike path. Bloody and barely able to move, I looked up toward the pigeons’ likely point of origin and locked eyes with a woman who was tossing out bird seed. Naturally, I started up a conversation. “Please stop feeding the pigeons,” I said as politely as I could in my stunned state. “I’m feeding them on the side of the bike path so that they don’t get in the way of the bikers,” she said. I frowned. “I don’t think that’s actually going to be very helpful.” She offered a new line of reasoning: “You know, bikers are dangerous on their own. I’ve seen them get into lots of accidents from sheer carelessness.” “I’m sorry, but that has nothing to do with feeding pigeons,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “Pigeons need to eat too!” she said. I paused for a moment to consider how I might redirect her overflowing empathy. “I was just in a potentially life-threatening accident, and I may have broken my arm,” I said. “Personally, I value human life more than pigeon life.” She frowned. “O.K.,” she said. “I’ll feed them up on the hill so that they’re not so close to the bikers.” Yes! I thought. I finally got to her. But as the ambulance arrived moments later, I couldn’t help but think that my small victory would be a fluttering, er, fleeting one.