I had a little Sheldon Cooper moment when I arrived at work one day last week.
For those who don’t watch The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon is a young, brilliant theoretical physicist who’s more than a little OCD. The thing that Sheldon’s probably the most particular about is “his spot” in the living room of the apartment he shares with fellow physicist Leonard, whose two BFFs frequently visit. They’ve become Sheldon’s friends too, but only because they’ve learned never to sit on the right end of the sofa. Sheldon has claimed that spot as his, as it’s the optimum viewing distance from the TV, close to the kitchen, and near enough to the window to catch nice breezes, but at an angle where the sun’s glare from window doesn’t affect his TV viewing.
I have “my spot” in the parking lot at my workplace. It’s an end spot, and the spaces in that row are wide enough to greatly reduce my chances of getting door dings. The nearest trees are too small to attract birds (and therefore, bird poop), but it’s shaded enough by the building to keep the car from getting horrendously hot in the afternoon.
My spot is also in a corner that’s just inconvenient enough to get into that it’s almost always available when I arrive.
Only one day last week, someone was there. Two someones, in fact – not a car, but a pair of Canada geese. Unlike Sheldon, I didn’t insist that they leave. I parked in a less optimal spot, far enough away that they wouldn’t take too much notice of me.
Pretty to look at, as long as you keep away from their spot!
These guys are pretty in flight, and their babies are squeeee! cute, but if you make the mistake of walking too close to what they’ve decided is “their” spot, they can be downright menacing! I found that out a few days earlier, when they were squatting in the middle of the lot, and took exception to me driving by. The fact that Chevys, Hyundais, and Honda SUVs are much bigger than they are doesn’t deter them from attacking.
No one was bothering their eggs – heck, I couldn’t even see any eggs or nest near the parking lot. My husband said I should’ve just hit ‘em. But I work at a government site – which means that would involve reporting the “incident,” and filling out who knows how much PITA paperwork. And besides, they’re cute, when they’re not running at you hissing! Yelling at them got me past without being bitten, but there’s got to be a better way.
Surely there’s an app for that?
When I got to my desk, I checked the Google Play store (formerly Android Market), and was surprised to get no results on “goose scare.” Removing the word “scare” netted me a couple of goose call apps for hunters, but that’s it.
My workplace had cardboard and rubber coyotes placed near the sidewalks last spring, and we didn’t have any goose problems then. But no one had put them out this year.
Yet the geese haven’t been around this week. Perhaps their eggs have hatched, and they’re teaching babies to swim in the nearby pond. But yesterday, I found another reason they might have vacated the area: a loudspeaker on the other end of our building making goose noises! Maybe they’ve decided the area is already the territory of other geese that are even more aggressive!
But wow, we could’ve used that last week. And why isn’t there an app for that? Considering all the crazy things there are apps for, I’m surprised. Maybe the iPhone folks have something?
I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever been on the wrong end of a vicious goose? What did you do to get away? Do you have anything that you’re Sheldon Cooper OCD about? Please share! Oh, and let me know if there’s an app for that, too. I might need one.
