Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Waste Disposing Pigeons

 Train pigeons to collect litter
  (+9, -1)(+9, -1)
(+9, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

Perhaps some sort of brain implant/genetic modification/secret serum/hereditary training regime that makes pigeons desire rubbish retrieval as part of their day.

I can't help but feel that this is baked. A dark cloud hovers above my monitor. . .

—benfrost, Jun 20 2001

pigeon litter patrol The automatic feeding disposal bin idea [omegatron, Aug 02 2005]

Joshua Klein http://www.ted.com/...gence_of_crows.html
[+] [danman, May 20 2009]

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       Then the pigeons and the rubbish can go to the landfill together.
—angel, Jun 20 2001
   

       I think those are vultures over your monitor, benfrost. Watch out, they go for the eyes first. But they don't do inedible trash, so maybe your rubbish-pigeons would specialize in that--tweak their nest-building instincts a bit, perhaps.
—Dog Ed, Jun 20 2001
   

       Granted, a cigarette butt is inedible, but if properly trained my pigeons can get as much food as they want at certain intervals during the day - provided they return enough rubbish. Perhaps a feeder contraption that dispense a food pellet when a cigarette butt is inserted.
—benfrost, Jun 20 2001
   

       If genetic modification was used, why not also modify their digestive systems to digest cig butts and other assorted bits of rubbish? Tho' larger tougher things may also involve some improvement of beaks and claws - titanium reinforcing perhaps? The addition of a hooked, toothed beak to make plastic bags, beer cans, leftover MacDonalds meals, etc that bit more palatable?...in which case they'd really need to be bigger as well...maybe it IS baked and those are giant mutated pidgeons hovering over your computer...!! (cue Dr. Who music) :)
—lorddave, Jun 20 2001
   

       Sorry, having an OTT day :) [see Imac car dialogue!!]
—lorddave, Jun 20 2001
   

       You're not liiistening...selectively breed pigeons with twisted nest-building instincts. They obsessively collect all manner of cellulose and plastic and return it to a communal 'rookery'--which just happens to be a rubbish-collection site. Heck, you may be able to engineer this just by rewarding pigeons who bring trash with a bit of vitamin-enriched pigeon food, which might make them healthier and increase their chances of reproducing...
—Dog Ed, Jun 20 2001
   

       I believe this could be don't without GE. Dog Ed is on to something. Behaviour Modification etc.
—dentworth, Oct 09 2004
   

       I'm with [DogEd] - they could be trained to do it, and as a side effect might even be bred to do it. To curb pigeon populations there are towers in my town that offer ideal breeding conditions. The pigeons breed just about exclusively there, but their eggs get swapped for artificial ones. I guess after a few generations only pigeons with a dislike for towers will be left, but well...   

       how about a combination approach: the pigeons get fed, with a slow acting poison that is neutralized by nicotine. Butt-collecting pigeons get fed additionally, and are the only ones that get to breed on real eggs, thus furthering the butt-lovers.
—loonquawl, May 20 2009
   


 

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