The Birds have landed

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A flock of never before seen birds are taking over campus. 

“They’re here. The birds have landed,” Bird catcher, Mike Thompson, said. 

But, we’re not talking about birds you see in the sky. We’re talking the Bird scooters that are zipping in and out of traffic.

“They’re really fun, they go like 15 miles an hour, they’re great,” Thompson said.

Mike Thompson is a ‘Bird Catcher.’ His job is to round up all the scooters at night and charge them.

Thompson loads the Bird app on his phone where a map shows all of the dead Birds.

“This is showing me all of the scooters available for pick up and for charge,” Thompson said. “I walk across the street and I get ten dollars and 50 cents.” 

The more he finds, the more money he gets.

Thompson doubles as a delivery driver for Sparty’s and he recognizes just how dangerous they can be. 

“These kids are like flying in and out of traffic like moped scooters, terrifies me, that somebody is gonna get hurt,” Thompson said. 

Since the electric scooter craze started, there has been two reported deaths, none associated specifically with Bird. This is why Thompson stresses safety and respect for the scooters.

“They can’t throw them in the river,” Thompson said. “They’ve got to ride safely. But I think it could be a good thing.” 

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