Pigeons have been blamed for the failure of an underground carpark exit gate in Germany, which resulted in 200 drivers trapped inside until the wee hours of the morning.
As reported by The Telegraph, a buildup of corrosive pigeon droppings on a control box caused the gate to short-circuit on Wednesday, in turn activating a fire alarm that shut the security gate.
Motorists were trapped in the Stuttgart underground parking facility for hours before firefighters arrived to free them in the early hours of Thursday morning. The gate was reportedly finally opened at 3am.
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Abdullah Koteiche, a local car dealer, was among those on the scene throughout the chaos. He shared footage of firefighters finally sawing a hole in a metal roller door, revealing dozens of relieved onlookers stuck inside the carpark.
A fire brigade spokesperson told German media they were unaware of the situation until local police picked up the phone.
“We should have received a smoke alarm. There was nothing there, we were only called by the police two hours later,” the spokesman said.
It has been reported that one of the drivers caught in the carpark debacle has requested free parking for life to make up for the inconvenience, although others will undoubtedly steer clear of the facility after the bizarre incident.
