"Not only do we need to wash the sticky substance off the birds, but a lot of them arrived in quite a weak state struggling to eat and drink, " he said.

BBC: Dead bird at Portland - Jason Hoad

The new menace is texting, which is not yet banned. (Talking on the phone is, though enforcement is weak.) Since 2004 the city has denied bail to those arrested for drink-driving or hit-and-run accidents, following a case in which an American banker escaped jail despite drunkenly mowing down five policemen.

ECONOMIST: How half of Mexico ended up without driving tests