Woman Attacked By Goose Sues County - County Didn't Post Warning Signs About Goose

mycfnow ^

[chance33_98]

Woman Attacked By Goose Sues County

Lawsuit Asserts County Didn't Post Warning Signs About Goose

Posted: 6:39 a.m. EST January 24, 2003 Updated: 8:59 a.m. EST January 24, 2003

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla -- A woman who says she was attacked by a 3-foot-tall goose is suing Palm Beach County, claiming the county should not have allowed the bird to roam in a public park.

Darlene Griffin, 30, claims in her lawsuit that the goose lunged at her son on Feb. 5 while he was standing near a pond in Okeeheelee Park. Griffin, a medical assistant, said she jumped in between the goose and her son, who had a shunt in his chest for administering medicines, and told her son to flee. That's when the bird turned its attention toward her, she said.

Griffin then tried to block the bird with her foot, but it bit her in the foot.

"He was squawking at me and he looked like he was coming at me again," she said.

Griffin claims that she fell down while fighting with the animal and broke her tailbone.

The lawsuit asserts that the goose had a history of being territorial and aggressive, but the county did not have any warning signs posted.

The county denies that. In its response to the lawsuit Jan. 8, the county said it had no duty to warn people of the "obvious" conditions at the park.

Eric Call, the county's assistant parks director, said the goose was removed from the park after the incident. A few months later, the county hired a trapper to remove 22 geese from the park because they had become unruly.

Griffin's attorney, Joe Fields, said the fact that the county removed the birds shows they are dangerous. As further proof, Fields videotaped the goose that Griffin claims attacked her harassing other parkgoers. The video shows a man hitting the bird near the head to make it stop attacking him.

Call said pet owners drop off the geese at the park from time to time because the birds have become ornery. The county plans to print brochures to inform people they should not leave their birds there, he said.

[chance33_98]

What does the shunt have to do with anything? Do geese go for shunts in a big way?

No idea, but give this story a few days and the people on DU will say it was a flock of geese trained by bush that caused 9/11 BWAHAHAHAHAHA

[robertpaulsen]

AFLAAAAAAC!

[Psycho_Bunny]

Who the hell are these pansies that they can't take down a goose?

[SoDak]

Exactly, until you've been knocked thru a barn wall by a Holstein bull, you ain't been attacked.

[flying Elvis]

My first and last encounter with a goose was when I was 10. The only damage done was when we fell down laughing after it came after us. That was one mean bird.

[Lee Heggy]

Jes teachin' m boy here bout nature...thas right son, go on an climb up thar and take a peek at them baby eagles...next we'll play with some baby bears.

[flying Elvis]

Ahh, that brings back fond memories of my first encounter with a mean-assed brahma bull. I should have known better when my girlfriend told me to "go stomp in front of that cow so it will go away."

[SoDak]

It's not wise to fool around with that much sirloin.

[aristeides]

That's what I was thinking, this "goose" was undoubtedly a gander.

[aristeides]

I understand that swans, in contrast, can kill people with the force of their wings.

[Axenolith]

When I was about 12 my Granfather (moms side) and a buddy of his were standing around when his buddy looked over and muttered a question to him. He looked at me and said "You ever been spurred? I didn't have the faintest, then they encouraged me to climb this fence into his friends field.

I'm standing around, trying to figure out what the hell they're up to, and I see this chicken tearing ass across the field toward me. I just figure "a chicken" and went back to trying to figure out what was up. Mr. chicken was then upon me like shine on a bowling ball, YEEOOWW!, and you couldn't really fend it off because any appendage you stuck out became the immediate focus of attack and the bugger was faster than snot.

I lit out for the fence and scrambled back over, and my Grandfather and his buddy were just about in tears laughing. Hyuck Hyuck... Veeery funny. Needless to say, I knew what getting "spurred" was thereafter :)

[Luna]

The WORST it can do to a human is peck them with it's dull, rounded beak.

Excellent point. But some of those humans are wussies around animals, or think they're cute, cuddly and friendly. "Bambi" is a documentary, afterall. NOT!

Besides, that dull, rounded beak could be loaded. You just never know.

[sd-joe]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla

Is it something in the water ???

[k2blader]

*LOL*

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Okeeheelee? Nice park! I used to play soccer out there. Any mom should know geese are not the friendliest of animals, crikey!

[Ruger1099]

Good thing the woman didn't kill the goose in self defense. PETA would be suing her instead.

Another point, if the county were to come onto your property for say a census report and you had a goose that attacked the census worker, I'm sure the county would be taking you to court.

[mattdono]

I used to ride my dirtbike in the "Shell Pits", which is now where the BMX bike track is. I used to play baseball and have football practice out there.

I don't, however, remember a roving pack of killer geese. LOL!

[MrB]

WORST it can do to a human is peck them with it's dull, rounded beak

I disagree... they use that beak to "pinch" (bite).

As another poster said though, it's mostly sound and fury.

"A goose once bit my sister..."

[Bob]

Of course, we're both forgetting the infamous "killer rabbit" scene in Monty Python and The Holy Grail.....;)

Didn't that skit feature that feckless peanut farmer who pretended to be president for a few years?

[strela]

Anyone familar with geese out there in FR land? Are they aggressive birds?

Oh yeah. The African Gray geese I used to have would walk up and bite you if you turned your back on them. It was comical watching them chase passing cats and dogs out of the yard and on down the road.