A Swan - Yes, a Swan, like the Ballet - Blocks Traffic in the UK like a Boss

We've seen a small Chihuahua dog cause the entire Bay Bridge in San Francisco to be closed, so we already know what these little creatures are capable of. They seem to be aces at disrupting traffic, and the more aggravating aspect is that they don't even appear to realize the harm they're doing.

Not even two days later we have another example, this one happening across the Atlantic in Manchester, the United Kingdom. A busy street in the city, most famous for one of its football teams, is being held to a walking pace by a swan... walking. Yes, the glorified goose looks like it's completely oblivious to the thousands of tons of metal and angry people it has behind it as it strolls down the avenue with the haste of a paralytic snail.

What strikes me the most about this video is the double standards people apply depending on the species of animal preventing their commute. Had it been an ordinary pigeon instead of the swan, you can bet the proceedings would have been completely different. It could have all ended real fast with the truck driver not even bothering to brake and the pigeon flying away or not, or he could have gone close enough to the bird to shoo it away. But since it's a swan, that's apparently out of the question.

But let's imagine a different scenario. Let's agree that the pigeon is considered to be somewhat inferior to a swan - they're more common and less featured in famous ballets. But what if there was a human being walking at zombie pace in the middle of the lane? How would the drivers have reacted then? Would they have slowed down and driven quietly behind it for yard after yard? Or would they have all sounded their horns for a few seconds, and then gotten out to brawl the pedestrian out of the way? I think we all know the answer.