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[Dalek]

Yellowstone National Park tourist fined $1,000 for walking off boardwalk

A man visiting Yellowstone National Park left with more than just memories Wednesday after he left the boardwalk at the Mammoth Hot Springs area. He walked away with a $1,000 fine and $30 court processing fee.

According to the park, a witness saw the man step off the boardwalk, walk on the terrace formation near Liberty Cap and collect thermal water. The witness also said the man broke through travertine crust, which is very fragile.

When the man was interviewed by law officials, the Chinese national said he didn't read the safety information provided as he entered the park. He also admitted to taking water from the hot springs. A park spokeswoman told the Associated Press the wanted to water for medical purposes.

The man was issued a federal violation notice, requiring an appearance in the Yellowstone Justice Center Court.

"Park employees call on all visitors to protect their park and protect themselves," Yellowstone Park officials said in a news release. "Regulations to stay on designated trails and boardwalks in thermal areas are for visitor safety and the safety of the exceptional park natural resources. Without visitor cooperation, park natural wonders will continue to be damaged and more individuals may be injured or killed. It is a violation of federal regulations to collect any park resources."

Here's a photo of the area in question:

 

[SpaceWolf]

Well, that bloke obviously doesn't follow the news.

 

[MGrant]

Good, fuck 'em.

 

[Volimar]

Even though I know it's impossible, I have this deep seated fear that someone breaking the crust in a hot spring or something is what's going to set off the supervolcano...

 

[Apharmd]

jfc why are people breaking these rules all over the place in yellowstone

this is frustrating to read, it's like they WANT to get seriously injured, killed, hurt the park or just ruin it for everybody else

do they think they're special or something?

 

[TyrantII]

Should be a $10,000 fine

 

[entremet]

jfc why are people breaking these rules all over the place in yellowstone

this is frustrating to read, it's like they WANT to get seriously injured, killed, hurt the park or just ruin it for everybody else

do they think they're special or something?

Tourist season plus viral social media equals this.

 

[NealMcCauley]

Better losing $1,030 than being boiled alive.

Wonder if he's actually gonna pay up.

 

[cirrhosis]

time to erect see-through walls around the walkways

dude is a fucking tool

 

[Kinyou]

I can only imagine he didn't hear about the guy who was pretty much cooked alive after falling into one of those springs.

 

[Dalek]

I can only imagine he didn't hear about the guy who was pretty much cooked alive after falling into one of those springs.

 

[backflip10019]

What is up with people fucking with Yellowstone lately?

 

[everyday math]

When I went to Yellowstone last year I saw a lot of foreign tourists acting in this manner. Actually called a park ranger on a family, because the Chinese family was off the boardwalk and was near the spring.

 

[TimeEffect]

What is up with people fucking with Yellowstone lately?

It probably happens every day.

Anyways, fine the crap out of these people. I hope they actually have to pay up

 

[ReAxion]

It's a safe bet the guy who didn't hear about stinkwater probably not being medicine also didn't hear about the human soup guy, either.

 

[collige]

Some thoughts:
Anyone who thinks that Yellowstone mineral water has medicinal properties is clearly an idiot
He deserves every cent of this fine
"Court processing" fee and fees in general are bullshit ways to pass the cost of the justice system onto lower income people.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Goddammit.

This is the only use of this gif that's actually made me laugh in like, a decade.

I feel shitty now.

 

[RS4-]

wanted to water for medical purposes.

lolol.

 

[Kyuur]

Park employees call on all visitors to protect their park

I understand where they're coming from, but this also strikes me as very odd. Most businesses/etc don't have a policy asking for people to stop shoplifters and for good reason. Very possible for it to go awry.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

GAF, please read the rules and regulations surrounding tourists sites. If you're doing some shit nobody else is doing, you're probably breaking a rule.

 

[Ray Wonder]

Yes another Yellowstone thread, let's duke it out.

No, but he got at the very least extent of what he deserved. I wouldn't say $5,000 is unreasonable.

 

[jooey]

G/A/F/Y?

 

[everyday math]

I understand where they're coming from, but this also strikes me as very odd. Most businesses/etc don't have a policy asking for people to stop shoplifters and for good reason. Very possible for it to go awry.

Yellowstone is gigantic it's hard for the park rangers to be everywhere at once so if you spot someone being naughty call the park rangers. You don't have to engage people unless what they're doing is dangerous.

 

[echoshifting]

I'm sure this stuff has always happened, the news sites just figured out people click the shit out of these stories so they've started running every little thing.

I mean, the guy is a douche and he deserves the fine but there isn't really anything remarkable about the story at all.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

lolol.

He is Chinese. And by that I mean most of their traditional "medicine" is hogwash.

 

[Kieli]

Chinese tourists are a special breed of they-don't-give-a-fuck-about-rules-and-customs-and-etiquette.

 

[InfiniteBento]

Im fucking dying laughing

 

[Monocle]

OMG

 

[Wanace]

Well, he could have died so a fine is much better .



No, this guy is a special case because:





(People love shitting on Chinese tourists / Chinese people . You'll find stories like these viral and tons of lovely comments like the one quoted above, even on GAF.)

Even their own government realizes it's a problem.

 

[Retro]

I understand where they're coming from, but this also strikes me as very odd. Most businesses/etc don't have a policy asking for people to stop shoplifters and for good reason. Very possible for it to go awry.

Most businesses can also pay for security; the National Parks have had their budgets slashed repeatedly despite the number of visitors increasing;

Figures released by the National Park Service (NPS) to PEER indicate that in the decade spanning 2005 through 2014, the number of permanent law enforcement rangers in our national parks dropped by nearly 14% (from 1548 to 1322) despite both an increase in the number of park units and a substantial hike in annual visitors, campers and hikers. The drop in seasonal rangers was even steeper. From 2006 (the first year full statistics were available) to 2014 there were nearly 27% (671 to 492) fewer seasonal rangers while “Peak seasonals” covering the peak month of August fell 7% (385 to 356) over that period.

. . .

Even as it trumpets record-breaking park crowds in 2014, NPS is gearing up a major outreach effort to drive visitation even higher next year as the agency celebrates its 2016 centennial. Of the more than $300 million in increased spending it is requesting for the upcoming fiscal year, only $2 million of that amount would go to law enforcement to increase numbers of seasonal law enforcement rangers.
(source)

The park service said it delayed an estimated $11.5 billion worth of needed maintenance projects last year due to funding shortages, with the total growing nearly 2 percent compared to 2013. The backlog has reached its highest point since President Obama took office, expanding nearly 13 percent during that time. (source)

 

[Hip Hop]

It probably happens every day.

Anyways, fine the crap out of these people. I hope they actually have to pay up

Do they get banned too?

This should be a thing, they don't deserve to come back.

 

[joe2187]

Chinese tourists are a special breed of they-don't-give-a-fuck-about-rules-and-customs-and-etiquette.

You also have these concerned citizens only thinking about the safety of children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b23-OxLUkE

 

[RomanticHeroX]

I understand where they're coming from, but this also strikes me as very odd. Most businesses/etc don't have a policy asking for people to stop shoplifters and for good reason. Very possible for it to go awry.

That's not what that statement means though. They're calling on everyone to do what they can to not themselves damage the park.

 

[KeyBladerXIII]

Wow, China really will look everywhere for weird medicine. Rhino horns, tiger penises, Yellowstone water, etc.

 

[AlStrong]

lolol.

Not the acid trip he was looking for.

 

[Spiral Insanity]

Good.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Medicinal.

wtf.

 

[Ominym]

Oddly enough, a fine is a better deterrent than "hey you could be boiled alive" for some people.

 

[Madness]

Chinese tourists are a special breed of they-don't-give-a-fuck-about-rules-and-customs-and-etiquette.

That is what happens when you have a country go from extreme isolation and social conditioning to extreme wealth and globalization. Chinese tourists and Indian tourists and Brazilian tourists have largely replaced American tourists as the rude and boorish tourists who don't respect local laws and customs etc. It'll get better though. Just takes time.