As any driver can tell you, cresting a hill and seeing a law enforcement vehicle can cause a chill to run up your spine, if you think you might be going a little to fast. In many parts of the world the same is true for traffic cameras, which record your speed, snap a photo, and tag you with a hefty fine if you have a lead foot. So when a 63-year-old man in the U.K. got tired of speed demons zipping by his home, he took matters into his own hands — and built a custom bird house that looks remarkably like the police traffic cameras that dot his country's roads.
Ian Magee, a retiree living in Williton, Somerset, is responsible for the believable traffic box, which he spent a week building and painting. He even set up a video surveillance system to ensure nobody tampers with it. His ingenious trick worked and most drivers are now extremely careful to stay under the 30mph speed limit while cruising by his home.
Unfortunately, the box (which is a near exact replica of the one pictured above) has been met with some criticism, and some city officials feel Mr. Magee may be overstepping his bounds. The local city council is considering ordering him to remove the fake camera, but mother nature might have other plans. It seems a family of Pipistrelle bats may have taken up roost and as they are a protected species, it would be against the law to disturb their nesting habitat. If the rare bat species has indeed taken up residence in Magee's decorative bird box, it may remain there for quite some time.
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