German Pigeon Triggers Speed Camera As It Flies Over The Limit

Authorities in the quiet town of Bocholt in western Germany may have been surprised to see that something other than a vehicle tripped a speed camera because it was going over the limit. It was a pigeon that was flying down a residential street at 45 km/h or 28 mp/h in a 30 km/h zone. The speed camera was trigged as soon as the pigeon flew past it.

The town authorities posted the picture of the flying pigeon by the speed camera online and it has since gone viral. It was actually captured in February but according to the town hall’s Facebook page, the authorities had taken some time to assess the pictures before posting them for the public to see.

Normally a 3 km/h margin is allowed in speeding cases but even with that into account, the pigeon was going 12 km/h over the limit and was deemed to be on a “collision course with vehicles and pedestrians”.

Some locals point out that it appeared to be a racing pigeon which would explain just how fast it was flying. “Whether and, above all, how the fast bird can and will pay its €25 on-the-spot fine remains to be seen,” was the philosophical question raised by the town’s Facebook page.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: General