Turkey Crossing: The Latest On Bensalem's Traffic-Stopping Bird

BENSALEM, PA — A local turkey who's become the stuff of Bensalem legend just got his own street signs on Bristol Road to protect him on his trips to Wawa.

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo instructed the Public Works Department to put up the "turkey crossing" signs for Ben the Turkey, the bird who's captured the town's heart, at the intersection of Galloway Road.

Bus driver Shirley DePaolo told 6abc that turkey sightings add some fun to the morning ride to Faust Elementary School.

"Every day, we would be spotting Ben and the kids ... on the school bus would be looking for Ben, and people driving would be looking for Ben," she said.

The local Facebook group Bensalem's Turkey Trot now has more than 2,400 members. Residents have bonded over sharing photos of the local bird, with one local musical duo even creating an original song honoring the turkey.

"Ben clearly not happy this morning at the rising gas prices and the fact his Birds lost last [night]," Al Corr wrote alongside a photo of the large bird on Tuesday.

Other residents, including Xandria Rain Schaeffer, speculated that Ben may actually be two different birds. If that's the case, one resident suggested, maybe Bristol Road will become home to a whole turkey family. Another pointed out that some kinds of male turkeys are called Jakes, while others are Toms; it's possible there are "Bens" in each category.

"I wanted to take a selfie with him," DiGirolamo joked to Delaware Valley News after putting up the signs.

Turkey enthusiasts can get their Ben fix on Facebook.

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