drone hating taken to a new low

[LarBear360]

I've heard this advice numerous times in this forum but essentially it all boils down to one question --- why apologize if we did nothing wrong?

For example, I was flying my P3 Pro at a local public park last summer which also has a dog park within it. I checked local ordinances and there is no restrictions on flying drones at this park. So I was enjoying myself on a warm day and made multiple passes over the park at around 150 ft. above ground height. As I was packing up to leave, a guy around 28 yrs. old with his black lab on a leash walks briskly up to me and asks in a rude tone --- "Are you the guy flying the drone around?". At this point, I go into aggressive defense mode because I've dealt with idiots like this before. I respond by saying "Yeah I was flying my drone, so what?" He then accuses me of "buzzing" the dog park which made his pooch really excited and anxious. I let a smirk develop across my face and calmly told him "Yeah the doggies love the drone". He didnt seem too amused by this kind of snarky response and proceeded to tell me he would try to locate a cop in the park and tell him that I am "harassing" dogs and people. I told him to do whatever his little pea brain desires and I finished packing up my drone and accessories. I never heard or seen the guy again.

So I ask the basic question --- why should good and decent drone pilots like us be forced to apologize first if we did nothing wrong? It shows weakness, and I aint about that. I think we should get very steadfast in our rights and our freedoms and fight these kinds of loud-mouth morons wherever they confront us.

Apologies never hurt, especially if it diffuses the aggressor which, in this case, I am not sure who is who. Your response, attitude, and demeanor in the situation you described is what is hurting the hobbyists in this industry.

 

[Craig Carter]

As per lots of the advice I generally be polite and engage wiith people when I am flying. Invite them over , show the vid - talk about the tech. Some people are not going to be interested and just want the "noisy thing" to go away. others are great. At the end of the day if you are following the rules then people cant really do anything and if they take measures into their own hands that's when the cops will be straight around.
DJI - please make quitter props for P4 pro - the public wants it

 

[Karlos-Kydd]

Apologies never hurt, especially if it diffuses the aggressor which, in this case, I am not sure who is who. Your response, attitude, and demeanor in the situation you described is what is hurting the hobbyists in this industry.

Once again I ask --- why should we apologize when we did nothing wrong?

Try to think about it in objective terms --- isn't a dog barking in a dog park a public nuisance just like the whirring props of a Phantom? Any reasonable person would answer that with a resounding "YES" --- but then we let mental weakness take over and convince ourselves that "dog lovers" have more civil rights than drone pilots. I wish I knew how you could reconcile this obvious flaw in your reasoning.

So NO --- we will NOT be apologizing first. We will stand our ground --- DEFEND our hobby and our rights. It's simply the right thing to do.

 

[Karlos-Kydd]

DJI - please make quitter props for P4 pro - the public wants it

Millions of people take their pets to public dog parks every day --- all I hear is the incessant barking and yapping of these animals when I am trying to enjoy a quiet day at the park.

So why shouldn't dog owners apologize FIRST? It's time drone hobbyists take a more aggressive stand and make the public see our side of things.

 

[LarBear360]

I've never had a hostile confrontation on any of my flights, but I have had curious questions:

A. Do you see what it sees on the screen?
Yes. I also see info on battery levels, altitude, speed, and other flight data
B. Could you see: me INSIDE my house; outside of my house; what I was doing; etc.
INSIDE your house? No. The rest? Perhaps, if I was looking for you, which I wasn't. People (generally) ruin my shots/video.
C. How much did that 'thing' cost?
Enough. (I give the total cost of everything they can see - all the batteries, the backpack, spare props, etc.)
D. Do you have to licensed to fly here/wherever?
No, I don't have to be licensed. There is a FAA Remote Pilot license which I am 'studying' for. Regardless, there are FAA guidelines which I have to follow, licensed or not.
E. Do you have permission to fly here?
I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I need permission. This is public property/land. Where or to whom do I direct a question for permission? (If on private land, this doesn't happen...because it's private land...)

That's pretty much the gist of my 'questioning' by a curious public. And with regard to 'B,' I find it remarkable how quickly some people will make a situation 'about them.'

I only had one instance when someone got close enough to see my tablet. I happened to be in map view at the time. The only video they could see was confined to a small box in the lower left hand corner. End of story!

 

[Dwilliams35]

Once again I ask --- why should we apologize when we did nothing wrong?

Try to think about it in objective terms --- isn't a dog barking in a dog park a public nuisance just like the whirring props of a Phantom? Any reasonable person would answer that with a resounding "YES" --- but then we let mental weakness take over and convince ourselves that "dog lovers" have more civil rights than drone pilots. I wish I knew how you could reconcile this obvious flaw in your reasoning.

So NO --- we will NOT be apologizing first. We will stand our ground --- DEFEND our hobby and our rights. It's simply the right thing to do.

You didn’t defend diddly squat if your account is correct, all you really did is insult the guy, make a new enemy, and left the place with at least one more person that thinks drone pilots are by definition douchebags.

 

[Karlos-Kydd]

You didn’t defend diddly squat if your account is correct, all you really did is insult the guy, make a new enemy, and left the place with at least one more person that thinks drone pilots are by definition douchebags.

Huh? Did you even read my post?

The dog owner came at me aggressively --- rudely accusing me of "buzzing" the dog park when I safely flew over it several times at a VERY safe 150 ft. above ground altitude --- just like I was 100% LEGALLY allowed to do. I personally get annoyed when dogs are barking loudly in my vicinity and that constitutes "public harassment" in my book, regardless if you are a dog-lover or not.

I'm not going to tolerate this "we're guilty of something so we better apologize first" weakling attitude some of you have about our hobby. My beloved country of America was not founded by people who had such soft spines and lack of confidence and moral character.

 

[Ridgetop]

I have not encountered any hostility yet with my Phantom 3A. I flew a park flyer for years doing aerial photography and it was so quiet that for the most part people didn't know it was there. On several occasions people watching me fly were worried that I might lose power and crash or lose my plane. I flew just outside of Bryce canyon in Utah and a couple from Germany got so excited that when I came in to land they were worried I might not make it because of the limited space to land. I think the drones got a bad rap when they first came out and its tough to live it down. The noise level doesn't help.

 

[Karlos-Kydd]

I think the drones got a bad rap when they first came out and its tough to live it down. The noise level doesn't help.

I personally find the yapping and barking of dogs to be a lot more annoying than the beautiful hum of the Phantom props --- it sounds like a nest of angry bees but let's remember bees pollinate our fruits and give us tasty snacks like strawberries and cherries

 

[Dwilliams35]

Huh? Did you even read my post?

The dog owner came at me aggressively --- rudely accusing me of "buzzing" the dog park when I safely flew over it several times at a VERY safe 150 ft. above ground altitude --- just like I was 100% LEGALLY allowed to do. I personally get annoyed when dogs are barking loudly in my vicinity and that constitutes "public harassment" in my book, regardless if you are a dog-lover or not.

I'm not going to tolerate this "we're guilty of something so we better apologize first" weakling attitude some of you have about our hobby. My beloved country of America was not founded by people who had such soft spines and lack of confidence and moral character.

. Yes, I read it. Several times. Thus my post. No self-admitted “snarkiness”, no describing people as “pea brain”, no instantaneously going into “aggressive defensive mode”, etc... just calling as I see it.

no apologies required, but simple civility would have sufficed. He went into that conversation with a “rudely asked” question, and you were apparently oh so ready to meet it with rudeness in kind. I wouldn’t have apologized either, but if your account is accurate, it could have likely been handled with something resembling tact, and quite possibly have been successfully defused.
The “moral character” of our founders you bemoan as having been lost also included politeness and gentlemanly conduct until all such avenues had been exhausted. It looks like you skipped all that, went right to full aggressive confrontation, and given the lack of full knowledge of the incident we have here, it likely reflects badly on us.

There’s two sides to every story. If you’re getting this kind of reaction from just your side, imagine what kind of thread we’d be having here if that guy posted his side...

On top of all that, you knowingly and willingly went to a location that included a DOG PARK. Did you really expect all the canines using said park to instantly shut their yap in deference to your aversion to the noise?

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

I Think many people.......Think these BIG Drones also have "zoom" cameras........when i get approached by the general pubic.....One thing i make clear in the conversation.....My drones camera has a very wide angle lens and not NO Zoom Lens ! And I am a Ambassador to the sport...So i do my best to be polite to the rude ones that seem to know it all !

 

[welbeck]

How low were you flying when you triggered a complaint? In my experience, no-one ever seems aware of a drone flying above 200'. If I fly at lower levels, I try to notify people in advance. Another discovery. My P4P is more noticeable than my Mavic Air. In many cases, even though I always fly within FAA regulations, when I am near a larger number of potential spectators, I fly my Mavic Air. Even at 100', no-one notices it.

I fly at about 50m/160' but where they lived is where I take off and land so it obviously becomes louder and lower so much more noticeable.

 

[welbeck]

I've heard this advice numerous times in this forum but essentially it all boils down to one question --- why apologize if we did nothing wrong?

For example, I was flying my P3 Pro at a local public park last summer which also has a dog park within it. I checked local ordinances and there is no restrictions on flying drones at this park. So I was enjoying myself on a warm day and made multiple passes over the park at around 150 ft. above ground height. As I was packing up to leave, a guy around 28 yrs. old with his black lab on a leash walks briskly up to me and asks in a rude tone --- "Are you the guy flying the drone around?". At this point, I go into aggressive defense mode because I've dealt with idiots like this before. I respond by saying "Yeah I was flying my drone, so what?" He then accuses me of "buzzing" the dog park which made his pooch really excited and anxious. I let a smirk develop across my face and calmly told him "Yeah the doggies love the drone". He didnt seem too amused by this kind of snarky response and proceeded to tell me he would try to locate a cop in the park and tell him that I am "harassing" dogs and people. I told him to do whatever his little pea brain desires and I finished packing up my drone and accessories. I never heard or seen the guy again.

So I ask the basic question --- why should good and decent drone pilots like us be forced to apologize first if we did nothing wrong? It shows weakness, and I aint about that. I think we should get very steadfast in our rights and our freedoms and fight these kinds of loud-mouth morons wherever they confront us.

I think this is a similar problem that I have with the exception That I'm a big guy, I might me 50 yo but I work out daily and I'm touching the scales at 17st, an ex doorman. So, on first impressions I'm not someone you'd go storming up to aggressively, not that I'd be aggressive back but here lies my problem, it feels like this person couldn't just approach me they instead took to social media then passive aggressively attempt to demonize me and to gain support from the village inbreds I seem to be surrounded by. They're not all inbreds it's just all the ones I meet.

 

[RedDog7]

Something which surprised me was the lack of curtains. Here in Australia it's extremely rare to find a house with no curtains and even sheer lace ones would hide whatever's behind them to a large degree. From memory I believe the UK is similar. So spying would be almost impossible. However, gardens are a different matter, I know of many housewives who nude sunbathe but then I live in the bush where there's little chance of a multistory building overlooking them. Somehow I doubt the UK has similar problems owing to their weather.

\I've never heard of anyone being charged with spying on naked ladies here and I honestly don't think it's a problem. But then Aussies are rather laid back about such things, although sadly we often find what happens in America usually happens here 6 months later. Thankfully I can't imagine any local little old ladies coming at me with walking stick raised in anger.

 

[Deleted member 109724]

I've heard this advice numerous times in this forum but essentially it all boils down to one question --- why apologize if we did nothing wrong?

For example, I was flying my P3 Pro at a local public park last summer which also has a dog park within it. I checked local ordinances and there is no restrictions on flying drones at this park. So I was enjoying myself on a warm day and made multiple passes over the park at around 150 ft. above ground height. As I was packing up to leave, a guy around 28 yrs. old with his black lab on a leash walks briskly up to me and asks in a rude tone --- "Are you the guy flying the drone around?". At this point, I go into aggressive defense mode because I've dealt with idiots like this before. I respond by saying "Yeah I was flying my drone, so what?" He then accuses me of "buzzing" the dog park which made his pooch really excited and anxious. I let a smirk develop across my face and calmly told him "Yeah the doggies love the drone". He didnt seem too amused by this kind of snarky response and proceeded to tell me he would try to locate a cop in the park and tell him that I am "harassing" dogs and people. I told him to do whatever his little pea brain desires and I finished packing up my drone and accessories. I never heard or seen the guy again.

So I ask the basic question --- why should good and decent drone pilots like us be forced to apologize first if we did nothing wrong? It shows weakness, and I aint about that. I think we should get very steadfast in our rights and our freedoms and fight these kinds of loud-mouth morons wherever they confront us.

I am sorry I offended you, but yu gunnu get yurself and us in all kinds of trouble! Just sayin...

 

[dirkclod]

I hate these threads and end up all ways closing them at some point yet they pop up every week and have for years and will end up closing this one before it's over .
Always some aggressive new member spouting off how bad they are behind a keyboard .
Well if this continues in this one guys I will be closing this one also . Post your opinion and move on.
No need in getting argumentative .This horse has been about been beat to death .
Just saying.

#1

 

[Deleted member 109724]

I hate these threads and end up all ways closing them at some point yet they pop up every week and have for years and will end up closing this one before it's over .
Always some aggressive new member spouting off how bad they are behind a keyboard .
Well if this continues in this one guys I will be closing this one also . Post your opinion and move on.
No need in getting argumentative .This horse has been about been beat to death .
Just saying.

#1

You said it! Only give good and legal advice or give no advice at all. Sorry if my personality induces chaos and unrest amongst the forumers, I just try to tell people to be kind and polite and apologize, and you won't get in any trouble![emoji4]

 

[Matchlock]

A $300-$400. camera?? Four hundred dollars wouldn't even buy the lens for one of my digital cameras. In order to get a close-up of a Heron in a pond 40 yards away I use a lens worth over $2,800. and there are lenses out there that cost far more than that.

Bud


The guy with the $300-400 camera is the one that can easily spy on them from a distance.

 

[German300]

Skynet beat me to the punch, satellites are flying overhead everyday and they're recording the same images that would be seen by a drone. I live in the states and typically send my P4 up twice daily to record sunrises and sunsets. If people think that they're so interesting that I'm concerned with what they've planted in their garden or what kind of dog they have they're sadly mistaken. Machts nichts, it is they the reactionary members of society that will make the noise and our respective governments, local and otherwise who will slap more sanctions on the drone pilots. It's just easier than actually investigating a complaint and God forbid having to tell a complainant that there's no basis for their concern.

 

[Cellblock776]

I've heard this advice numerous times in this forum but essentially it all boils down to one question --- why apologize if we did nothing wrong?
<EDIT out of paragraph>
So I ask the basic question --- why should good and decent drone pilots like us be forced to apologize first if we did nothing wrong? It shows weakness, and I aint about that. I think we should get very steadfast in our rights and our freedoms and fight these kinds of loud-mouth morons wherever they confront us.

Exactly, 100% agreed. I fly safely and responsibly and refuse to apologize for doing nothing wrong. If someone has a problem with my safe and legal sUAV flights they are in need of therapy and maybe a soft blanket to cuddle.
One thing we really need to do is call out fake news like the recent "investigative report" by the Today Show which discussed the crisis of keeping toms all across the nation using "drones" to spy on people. According to this report-

you can't hear this flying weedwacker right outside your window. And while you can spend hundreds of dollars cash to buy one of these consumer drones to spy on people and not register it with the FAA, you can't get a set of curtains or blinds for your windows to keep it from seeing you in your home. What?!??
The people who should be apologizing are the reporter and the crew with him for putting out a hit piece like this to all of the gullible housewives who watch these network morning infotainment programs.