News - Off Beat Stories
Big bird gets talon caught in DC Metro escalator
Posted: Dec 14, 2009 2:29 PM by Associated Press
Every so often in the Washington Metro subway system, a foot gets caught in an escalator. Usually, the culprit is a shoe lace or a flip-flop.
On Monday, it was a bird's talon. D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says rescuers were called to the Benning Road station in northeast Washington shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. A large bird of prey - possibly a hawk or a falcon - had its foot stuck in the escalator.
Metro employees shut off the power, and a passer-by held the bird to keep it from injuring itself more. When firefighters arrived, they removed a portion of the escalator to free the bird.
Piringer says that despite a slightly injured foot, the bird flew to the top of a nearby gas station, where it sat for a while before continuing on its way.
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