Random and slightly pointless thoughts: Pigeon Post

Ok, I know the original idea of this post was pigeon post, but let's just expand that to anything revolving around pigeons. Firstly pigeon post. Why choose pigeons to deliver mail? There's much better options in terms of birds out there. If a pigeon was to land on your windowsill brandishing a letter, is it just me or would you be a little apprehensive at actually leaning over and having to touch the foul little blighter? They got the nickname "rats with wings" for a reason you know, (says a lot doesn't it considering as a kid in Trafalgar Square, [before they were mostly killed/scared off by trained hawks] I had pigeons perched on my hands, arms, shoulders and even head!) If your faith in the post office is that shaky why not just deliver the letter yourself? Or email the person? Or at least use a better bird! Take Harry Potter for instance - they use owls, of course that brings about another inherent risk when detaching the letter; sharp talons and beak - not very reassuring, but at least they're not as synonymous with disease. It makes you wonder whether for all those years Dick Dastardly and Muttley were actually trying to intercept the mail, or simply cull it when they were commanded to Catch that Pigeon!

Next up racing pigeons. God what an exciting lives those people must lead. NOT! Sadly it's synonymous with my neck of the woods and I even know of a guy who's into it as well. Where is the attraction in keeping smelly disease-riddled pigeons in your backyard (or worse - your loft!) where they proceed to crap everywhere and shed their feathers, leaving your yard or loft looking as though someone had positioned an aviary next to a sewage plant and then bombed the both of them? Why not just invest in a parrot and teach it to talk? At least that's entertaining!

Anyway who am I to comment? As the saying goes to 'each their own' afterall, there are yet still more pointless activities in this world, Snail Racing, for example.