They’re nasty birds that shit all over everything and transmit diseases and parasites. I have not noticed a shortage of them in northern Ohio. Thin them out imo.
No more than dogs do. That said, they are rather abundant, though dog is a much meatier animal.
I had to wear a suit, so I had nice Florsheims with leather soles.
I always hated to go in that main entrance to sign in, worrying about diseases I'd embed into the soles.
Avoiding the fresh crap was easy, but it was impossible not to avoid the older, stained-on stuff on the sidewalk.