Dutch swans seem to really hate trains

Swans are creatures of unearthly beauty and grace. They're also complete jerks who think nothing of blocking your stupid commuter train, should they suddenly feel like standing in the middle of some railroad tracks.

Reportedly, the swan was injured, which explains why it wasn't moving. (An animal ambulance picked it up, and train service resumed after a two-hour delay.) Yet somehow one gets the feeling that in the Netherlands, swans have a long-standing beef with railway travel.

Why are Dutch swans so committed to disrupting the country's trains? Are they trying to tell us something? What sort of diabolical knowledge lies behind those beady black little bird eyes? 

All I know is, next time I visit the Low Countries, I'm renting a bike.

Photo via chumlee10/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)