Suburban Crime

LOCAL MAN BUILDS SIX-FOOT SCARECROW TO STOP U-TURNS

A Stoke resident takes suburban angst to new heights, literally.

By Margaret Henderson, Senior Correspondent · Stoke · 2 weeks ago

In a move that has left residents scratching their heads and questioning their sanity, a man in Stoke has constructed a six-foot scarecrow in hopes of deterring local motorists from making illegal U-turns. While this might seem like a scene straight out of a village fundraiser gone awry, for the locals, it's just another day amongst the delightful chaos of Nelson's suburbia.

Reader Letters

Sharon Ngatai

Honestly, if a scarecrow can stop U-turns, maybe we should just hire a few to patrol the whole suburb. But why not add some reflective gear? Safety first, right?

Wayne Patterson

I mean, I appreciate the creativity, but what about the people who might be scared to make a U-turn because they're more intimidated by the scarecrow than the traffic? It's a real conundrum.

Janice Walsh

I’m all for creative solutions, but I'm concerned this guy might scare away some of the local wildlife, too. Have we really thought this through? Imagine the upset birds!

Linda Chen

A scarecrow for U-turns? It’s a bit over the top, isn’t it? Maybe he should just hand out pamphlets on driving etiquette instead!