A giant yellow chicken walked into a crosswalk in California, and some drivers still didn’t see it. The chicken was nearly as tall as a person, with a bright red comb and oversized orange feet. It wasn’t exactly hard to spot.
The unusual sight was part of a pedestrian safety operation by the Petaluma Police Department ahead of Halloween. Officers wanted to see whether drivers would stop for someone crossing the street.
Instead of sending an officer across in regular clothing, police chose an inflatable chicken costume. The outfit was hard to miss, and it let the department have some fun while checking driver behavior.
Most motorists passed the test, police said. However, several drivers who were pulled over told officers they hadn’t seen the chicken at all. That was a troubling answer, given how large and bright the costume was.
Why Did It Cross?
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The video shared by Petaluma Police shows a person wearing the inflatable chicken costume walking through a marked crosswalk. The bird’s huge yellow body bounces with each step as its orange feet move across the pavement.
At one point, the person inside the costume is visible through an opening below the chicken’s head. Cars line the road as the costumed walker makes their way across.
Petaluma Police shared the results with a familiar joke.
“Yesterday we finally got an answer to the age-old question: why did the chicken cross the road? Turns out it was to increase pedestrian safety,” the department wrote.
Hard To Miss?
Police said most drivers were paying attention, moving at safe speeds, and giving pedestrians the right of way. Still, the officers stopped multiple drivers who claimed they never saw the chicken.
That raised an obvious question. If someone could miss a giant yellow bird in broad daylight, what might happen when a person wearing ordinary clothes steps into the same crosswalk?
The department urged drivers to slow down near crosswalks and check both sides of the road. Motorists should also be ready to stop whenever someone is trying to cross.
Pedestrians received a reminder, too. Police encouraged people to use marked crossings and make sure approaching drivers notice them before stepping into the street.
A Halloween Twist
The costume nodded to Halloween and Petaluma’s local character. The department joked that a chicken was a natural choice for the city.
Petaluma’s safety message also came as the city prepared for Halloween activities. In a separate public safety notice, city officials warned drivers to watch for children crossing streets during the holiday. Families were also reminded to use crosswalks and stay alert around traffic.
The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded a grant to fund the chicken operation. Police did not say how many drivers they stopped or whether they issued any tickets.
As for the person who spent the day walking around in an inflatable bird costume, the department offered one final piece of good news.
“No chickens were harmed in the making of this video.”