Woman fined for feeding the ducks

News Type: Event — Seeded on Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:04 AM EST

Article Source: BBC News

A mother out feeding the ducks with her young son was given an on-the-spot fine by a park warden.

Vanessa Kelly was in Smethwick Hall Park, in Smethwick, West Midlands, when she was approached by the warden and given a £75 fine for littering.

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Public Discussion (7)

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0.3

{"commentId":10652951,"authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

Stinkweed Pete

Did he fine the ducks for indecent exposure?

Panhandling?

{"commentId":10652951,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

2 votes

#1 - Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:32 AM EST

{"commentId":10653358,"authorDomain":"Randilly"}

Randilly

Panhandling by the local council trying to raise some revenue, at Bobbypoint.

{"commentId":10653358,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"Randilly"}

1 vote

#2 - Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:54 AM EST

{"commentId":10654038,"authorDomain":"kalashnicovdude"}

kalashnicovdudeDeleted

{"commentId":10654609,"authorDomain":"lvmom"}

LV Mom

The warden then told Ms Kelly her son could continue to feed the ducks as he was too young to be fined

Huh?! So it's ok to break the law if you're too young to pay the fine? Then I'm too young to pay a speeding ticket!

On a serious note, it seems silly to fine anyone for feeding ducks. I take my kids to the park to feed the ducks about once a month. The ducks have NEVER complained about us not feeding them in the proper area. However, they have pitched a fit because we ran out of bread and my son tossed them the plastic bag the bread came in. You will not believe the trouble I went to to get that stupid bag out of the water!

{"commentId":10654609,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"lvmom"}

1 vote

#4 - Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:34 AM EST

{"commentId":10655536,"authorDomain":"dizzysquirrellady"}

G2kr

What a freakin moron! I would shove that ticket so far up his ass, he'd talk soprano. Unbelievable, so-called authority at is't best!

{"commentId":10655536,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"dizzysquirrellady"}

1 vote

#5 - Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:35 AM EST

{"commentId":10676211,"authorDomain":"jimmyjamm93442"}

Jim420

Littering? sounds like they came up with designated feeding areas, but forgot the law to discourage unwanted feeding, and public nuisance created, I know the problem, first, I have been to parks where you can't get out of your car because the geese swarm it, peck at your tires and doors, cause they associate, cars with food, this is why you are not to feed bears, and other wildlife in ways that will change how the animals normally congregate / graze, forage, there also is the danger of Bird Poop bacteria getting people sick, many times calif beaches are closed from contamination levels caused by pigeons nesting on piers and pooping into the surf. making it unsafe to swim.

so how come they can't write a ordinace, and also have a warning issued first, or with fines going to a shelter, I live in Morro Bay, CA. and we have the PACIFIC WILDLIFE CARE facilty that rehibilitate injured wild animals and releases them back into the wild, and are 100% donor supported

{"commentId":10676211,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"jimmyjamm93442"}

#6 - Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:39 AM EST

{"commentId":10676665,"authorDomain":"par4thecourse"}

Par4TheCourse

Birds are going to do their thing whether people feed them or not... it certainly isn't any dirtier than going into a public restroom ... I do not need to describe that do I? Or, eating in a restaurant, being confined in a building all day.. touching things that others have touched, are we 100% sure people whom you shake hands with actually washed the hands? We can get sick from many things... Also , what about people who have bird feeders in their yards.. I have some of those... I've worked in places where they counted over 1000 Canadian Geese .. the size of their excrement is as large as some dogs... and we never fed them.. but it was all over the place.. As I mentioned.. not feeding them isn't going to stop them from being there, nor is it going to stop them from not leaving their calling card.

{"commentId":10676665,"threadId":"723324","contentId":"3496548","authorDomain":"par4thecourse"}

1 vote

#7 - Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:32 AM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"723324","isPrivate":false}

PAR4THECOURSE

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Woman fined for feeding the ducks

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