4 ms·

I visited Yellowstone last year for the second time and people there were doing the same stupid things they were doing 20 years ago when I first went. Some of

I visited Yellowstone last year for the second time and people there were doing the same stupid things they were doing 20 years ago when I first went. Some of it is unexpected - for example, caps and water bottles being blown off of people's heads or off of handrails into Mammoth Hot Springs - but some of it is just plain stupid (for example, crowds of people encircling a bear to take photographs or people walking up to the elk to pet them.) All of this happens despite the presence of park personnel continuously walking through all of the areas that have been turned into exhibits, and despite everyone having at least a cell phone camera to take photographs from a safe, non-polluting distance.

dboreham 10y ago
I live near Yellowstone and visitors doing stupid things is a common source of local amusement and bemusement. A local bar had a sign outside last year that said : "Thinking about throwing a baby Bison in the trunk of your car? Come inside for a drink instead." There are in addition many more incidents that don't get covered beyond the local paper: Bison gorings, people falling off cliffs, a guy got trampled by a moose. A little outside the park, but a local guy got electrocuted by a bear that had itself been electrocuted by a fallen power pole. A party of school girls were "pinned down" for several hours by a black bear. It's endless. These are just the incidents I recall off the top of my head, besides the nationally reported stuff like Canadians traipsing through Grand Prismatic Spring and various people beinv eaten by bears. Also check out the videos of park and fish+game staff using explosives to dispose of moose carcases in the field.
- jameslk 10y ago
  > A local bar had a sign outside last year that said : "Thinking about throwing a baby Bison in the trunk of your car? Come inside for a drink instead." I was wondering the backstory behind this sign, and apparently someone actually did this. "What started out as an apparently well-intentioned move by tourists who placed a young bison in the back of their vehicle because they believed it looked cold, has ended in no small sadness. On Monday, officials at Yellowstone National Park revealed that the calf had to be put down after being rejected by its herd." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/yellowstone-baby-bison-euthanised-after-visitors-put-it-in-their-suv-a7033101.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/yellowstone...
  - dboreham 10y ago
    Sorry, I thought that one was widely-known so did't include the details -- it was covered on the late-night comedy shows at the time I seem to remember. Another one I remembered since posting the list above was the tourists who broke several toilets in the park due to standing on the seats. There are now signs, some in Chinese, in the park's public toilets advising not to stand on them.. Source: http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/when-east-meets-west-toilet-seats-take-a-beating/article_a64d8bb5-9455-5dd9-a420-65103167c2f8.html http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/when-east-m...
    - B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago
      > broke several toilets in the park due to standing on the seats Amusingly, one of my early memories of newspaper reading was that a lady had won a lawsuit for breaking her ankle that way (yes, in the US, why do you ask? ;-)
    - saul_goodman 10y ago
      Heh, in Asia sit-down toilets are rare in the country-side. They use a squat-style toilet with foot pads, the water trap is just below ground and you "flush" by pouring a small bucket of water in the hole when finished. But usually if you have the means to travel to the US from Asia you're afluent enough to have seen a sit-down shitter before. They do exist in Asia/China.
      - Cerium 10y ago
        It's not that they have never seen them, its a public/private division. Many Chinese homes have sit down toilets in their bedrooms bit squat toilet in the first floor since that is a public area. Standing on a sit toilet is more about not wanting to let your butt touch a public toilet than not knowing how to use one.
  - dmix 10y ago
    I researched the "Bison goring" bit and found out this happens quite often: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/23/bison-selfies-are-a-bad-idea-tourist-gored-in-yellowstone-as-another-photo-goes-awry https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/2... Happened at least 5 times in 2015: http://www.yellowstonepark.com/teen-gored-bison/ http://www.yellowstonepark.com/teen-gored-bison/ Apparently they hit you when you turn your back to them and they will toss you in the air. Sometimes more than once. > On June 2, an Australian man was taking photos within five feet of a 2,000-pound bison in the same area when the bull suddenly charged him, hooking him with its horns and tossing him into the air several times. Incredibly, the man lived. Not surprised people ignore the warnings about staying back 25 meters. At Algonquin park in Ontario, Canada we came across a giant male moose and everyone was staying well back. Then a Chinese tourist family walked right up to it within a few feet to take a photo. A man attempted yelling at them to stay back but they ignored the warning. Nothing happened but it really bothered me, mostly because they entirely disrespected the animal.
- takk309 10y ago
  As another local, I can confirm that the never ending idiocy coming from Yellowstone is a good source of entertainment.
  - dboreham 10y ago
    Living here and also on HN : that has to be a low-cardinality intersection!
    - avn2109 10y ago
      (waves)... More Montanans than you'd expect are on here. Though maybe you guys are from the WY side.
      - dboreham 10y ago
        Bozeman-ish
        takk309 10y ago
        Dido
    - rabboRubble 10y ago
      Graduate of Bozeman Senior High checking in :)
      - Baeocystin 10y ago
        Attendee of Montana State waving hello? I lived a couple years in Missoula, too, I figure I should get partial Montana-credit. :D
- cmurf 10y ago
  Oh nice, those Canucks got sentenced. http://www.ktvh.com/2017/01/men-sentenced-for-walking-on-grand-prismatic-spring http://www.ktvh.com/2017/01/men-sentenced-for-walking-on-gra...

dboreham 10y ago

I live near Yellowstone and visitors doing stupid things is a common source of local amusement and bemusement. A local bar had a sign outside last year that said : "Thinking about throwing a baby Bison in the trunk of your car? Come inside for a drink instead." There are in addition many more incidents that don't get covered beyond the local paper: Bison gorings, people falling off cliffs, a guy got trampled by a moose. A little outside the park, but a local guy got electrocuted by a bear that had itself been electrocuted by a fallen power pole. A party of school girls were "pinned down" for several hours by a black bear. It's endless. These are just the incidents I recall off the top of my head, besides the nationally reported stuff like Canadians traipsing through Grand Prismatic Spring and various people beinv eaten by bears. Also check out the videos of park and fish+game staff using explosives to dispose of moose carcases in the field.

jameslk 10y ago
> A local bar had a sign outside last year that said : "Thinking about throwing a baby Bison in the trunk of your car? Come inside for a drink instead." I was wondering the backstory behind this sign, and apparently someone actually did this. "What started out as an apparently well-intentioned move by tourists who placed a young bison in the back of their vehicle because they believed it looked cold, has ended in no small sadness. On Monday, officials at Yellowstone National Park revealed that the calf had to be put down after being rejected by its herd." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/yellowstone-baby-bison-euthanised-after-visitors-put-it-in-their-suv-a7033101.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/yellowstone...
- dboreham 10y ago
  Sorry, I thought that one was widely-known so did't include the details -- it was covered on the late-night comedy shows at the time I seem to remember. Another one I remembered since posting the list above was the tourists who broke several toilets in the park due to standing on the seats. There are now signs, some in Chinese, in the park's public toilets advising not to stand on them.. Source: http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/when-east-meets-west-toilet-seats-take-a-beating/article_a64d8bb5-9455-5dd9-a420-65103167c2f8.html http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/when-east-m...
  - B1FF_PSUVM 10y ago
    > broke several toilets in the park due to standing on the seats Amusingly, one of my early memories of newspaper reading was that a lady had won a lawsuit for breaking her ankle that way (yes, in the US, why do you ask? ;-)
  - saul_goodman 10y ago
    Heh, in Asia sit-down toilets are rare in the country-side. They use a squat-style toilet with foot pads, the water trap is just below ground and you "flush" by pouring a small bucket of water in the hole when finished. But usually if you have the means to travel to the US from Asia you're afluent enough to have seen a sit-down shitter before. They do exist in Asia/China.
    - Cerium 10y ago
      It's not that they have never seen them, its a public/private division. Many Chinese homes have sit down toilets in their bedrooms bit squat toilet in the first floor since that is a public area. Standing on a sit toilet is more about not wanting to let your butt touch a public toilet than not knowing how to use one.
- dmix 10y ago
  I researched the "Bison goring" bit and found out this happens quite often: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/23/bison-selfies-are-a-bad-idea-tourist-gored-in-yellowstone-as-another-photo-goes-awry https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/2... Happened at least 5 times in 2015: http://www.yellowstonepark.com/teen-gored-bison/ http://www.yellowstonepark.com/teen-gored-bison/ Apparently they hit you when you turn your back to them and they will toss you in the air. Sometimes more than once. > On June 2, an Australian man was taking photos within five feet of a 2,000-pound bison in the same area when the bull suddenly charged him, hooking him with its horns and tossing him into the air several times. Incredibly, the man lived. Not surprised people ignore the warnings about staying back 25 meters. At Algonquin park in Ontario, Canada we came across a giant male moose and everyone was staying well back. Then a Chinese tourist family walked right up to it within a few feet to take a photo. A man attempted yelling at them to stay back but they ignored the warning. Nothing happened but it really bothered me, mostly because they entirely disrespected the animal.
takk309 10y ago
As another local, I can confirm that the never ending idiocy coming from Yellowstone is a good source of entertainment.
- dboreham 10y ago
  Living here and also on HN : that has to be a low-cardinality intersection!
  - avn2109 10y ago
    (waves)... More Montanans than you'd expect are on here. Though maybe you guys are from the WY side.
    - dboreham 10y ago
      Bozeman-ish
      - takk309 10y ago
        Dido
  - rabboRubble 10y ago
    Graduate of Bozeman Senior High checking in :)
    - Baeocystin 10y ago
      Attendee of Montana State waving hello? I lived a couple years in Missoula, too, I figure I should get partial Montana-credit. :D
cmurf 10y ago
Oh nice, those Canucks got sentenced. http://www.ktvh.com/2017/01/men-sentenced-for-walking-on-grand-prismatic-spring http://www.ktvh.com/2017/01/men-sentenced-for-walking-on-gra...