The Pigeon Lady

Once, when I was a boy, my mother and I went to City Hall to protest a plan to poison the pigeons around Wilkes-Barre's Public Square. We sat beside a woman who brought along a friend of hers—a friend who probably had more to lose in the debate than anyone else in the room. She had a pigeon in her bag. The woman stood when it was her turn, introduced her feathered friend, and spoke passionately about the inhumanity of what was being proposed. I don't recall her exact words, but I do remember the fervor with which she testified on the birds' behalf. She was known around town as The Pigeon Lady.

New York City apparently has its own Pigeon Lady, and the superb Revel in New York video series includes an interesting profile of her...