It is fair to say Richard Nixon has hadtroublewith inaugurations . Granted , he only had two of them , but each one was marked by a degree ofmisfortunethat stripped some of the dignity that commonly accompanies the cuss - in of an incoming president .
In 1969 , Nixon was already experiencing backlash as a result of his support of the extremely controversial Vietnam War . To sign their displeasure , looker-on throw Equus caballus manure at the guest of incoming frailty chairman Spiro Agnew . Nixon himself was targeted by tomatoes and rocks as he jaunt via motorcade to the White House in a kind of existent - time public approval rating .
When Nixon was re - elect for a 2nd term , he was still interested about protesters , but he was also preoccupied with the tree diagram lining Pennsylvania Avenue , which were full of birds . timorous of being pooped on by these avian spectators , Nixon reportedlyorderedthe 1973 Inauguration Committee to spray Roost No More , a chemical check , along the parade path . The musical theme was that the pigeons that normally occupied the area would be repulsed by the solution , fend off the area , and keep Nixon free of being pelted by runny bird dung . The cost to taxpayers ? $ 13,000 .
Roost No More was made with polybutene , a slick and muggy means that does n’t dry out . Sprayed on Tree and other surfaces , it can vex a bird ’s feet . Roost No More ’s inventor , Joseph Fink , sprayedit along Pennsylvania Avenue , from theWhite Houseto theCapitol , prior to the January 20 startup . Fink , a straight worshipper in his intersection , once helped win blessing for his proprietary blend by drinking some of it in front of Chicago wellness commissioner . In fact , he had used it successfully inpreviousinaugurations to keep them feces - gratis .
While Fink was apparently capable to stomach Roost No More , the birds did not . While it was believed to be non - toxic , the mucilaginous spray managed to adhere to some of the bird right away , weighing down their plume and causing them todropto the ground before expiring . According to reports , the intact festivity was colored somewhat by avian corps littering the street . In a sense , Nixon had sell one kind of dame drop for another . Other than that and the squall dissident , the startup went off without a stop .
