Free-Range Chicken Creates Huge Traffic Jam on San Francisco Bridge

For more than four hours, one feathered fugitive made a truly egg-cellent mess of the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco with Oakland. A common brown hen was first spotted early in the morning, at around 5:50 AM local time, wandering around the tollbooth area. Not too big a deal at that time! People were, mostly, amused.

@KTVU just saw a chicken running around the toll plaza at the bay bridge lol

– JIRAIYA (@xChiefLoy) September 2, 2015

But as the bridge filled up with the usual weekday morning rush hour commuters, the situation turned anything but sunny (side up).

Bay Bridge METERING LIGHTS ON BACKED UP TO THE FOOT OF THE MAZE THERE ARE REPORTS OF A BROWN CHICKEN RUNNING AROUND IN THE FASTRAK LANES – Tom Benner (@benneradio) September 2, 2015

Both commuters and the authorities were unable, at first, to halt what can only be described as a traffic fowl.

CHICKEN UPDATE: Caltrans said they are letting it run the toll plaza for now. http://t.co/ksF9tmiNnO pic.twitter.com/0wKU55uM6j

– KPIX 5 (@CBSSF) September 2, 2015

But by 10:10 AM, to everyone’s relief, the birdbrains over at animal services managed to capture and subdue the chicken, placing it where all escapees end up: the back seat of a squad car.

No word as yet regarding the eventual whereabouts of the chicken.

The felonious foul is now in custody at the @BayBridgeInfo Toll Plaza… #CantBelieveImSayingThis – CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) September 2, 2015