I was driving along the freeway near La Conchita when I saw a gull sitting right at the edge of the slow lane. Cars were zooming by, and he wouldn’t move. I pulled over, grabbed my net, and prepared to catch him. But traffic was constant, and I knew if I scared him into the lane, he’d become a hazard.
I decided to use the call box and requested assistance from Highway Patrol—without mentioning what kind of "assistance" I needed. When the officer arrived and asked what was wrong, I told him I needed him to run a traffic break so I could catch the gull. He looked at me like I had lost my mind.
He told me there was no way he was stopping traffic for a seagull. I explained that I wasn’t leaving without helping that poor bird, and if I had to do it alone, it would be much more dangerous. He hesitated, then finally agreed—on one condition: I had only one shot. That was all I needed to hear.
I got ready with my net and box, waiting for my moment. Five minutes later, I saw his car zig-zagging down the freeway with his lights flashing. I ran like a maniac down the slow lane, netted the gull, threw him in the box, and got him safely into my car. It all happened in seconds, but it was a successful rescue.
That officer probably drove 100 mph to catch up with me. When he did, he honked and gave me a thumbs-up. I can’t help but think our interaction might have changed the way he looked at seagulls—or at least, I’d like to think it did.
—
Liz Holbrook
