Crazed Woman Attacks Man For Flying Camera Drone Over Public Beach In Connecticut

Technology is no excuse to violate another person's privacy nor is it a license to be a peeping tom. Oh, you say it's a public beach, yea right, when was the last time you saw someone without a drone walk up to someone on a beach and start staring or taking pictures. Most would not allow it in the past, most should have a right to be upset at this invasive toy when used beyond what society deems to be right. It's voyeurism at the least, and just plain sick. -W

While drones are cool to play with they do get extremely annoying very quickly. At least some of the US national parks have banned their use.

There are probably a fair number of people that don't want one of those things flying around for safety and privacy reasons who may react in some way though not as extreme as this.

There were a bunch of them flying around horseshoe bend in AZ and Arches National Park in Utah. All those things buzzing around ruins the park experience.

Always good to have multiple means of recording while you are on shooting stills or video. Although I can see why she might not want to be on camera. While I saw it from both points of view, as a photographer, no one has the right to physically assault anyone else.

Just make all beaches nude so Americans can get used to seeing boobies! Its going to be interesting to see what the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) do in regards to use of drones. I am sure the terrorists are already making their plans as well.

Yes more wonderful technology.
She did handle it wrong.

oops I accidentally stepped on that thing.

Okay, I watched both his cellphone recording and found the actual recording made by the quadcopter...which was pretty boring, barely any people, just some random flying around. He kept it 50ft high except for takeoff and landing. I don't see where he was doing anything wrong. @Wings, I don't think you read the actual article or watched the videos and are reacting to what you think happened. As for taking pictures in a public place, beach, street or wherever is public...we already know there is no law against that. As to voyeurism? Really?! You are on a beach in "beach" non-attire and you don't want anyone "looking"??! Sorry Wings, I think you have overreacted in this instance when the actual facts are taken into account.

I can't say I like the idea of these things flying around overhead but that has more to do with noise, safety, and distracting like Adam mentions in parks. As for "picture" taking, I don't see any moral or legal issues when they are on public land. Private property would be a different matter entirely.

Maybe it should be legal to use one of those for target practice if it gets annoying in a public place.

I'd love to have and use one but the public nuisance, annoyance and potential safety issues of other people in the area far outweigh someone else having the right to fly it in a public area with any kind of a crowd.

I agree with W. I would have used my catapault on it

Adam,

You confirm what Wings was saying and your experience in the Parks makes a lot of sense. If it is allowed on a low people volume day then it will be there on a high volume day. Who wants things buzzing around in the air over top of you or around you?! By the way are you OK? Just want to check on you.

She didn't handle it well -- but, as she didn't have a sturdy slingshot at hand . . .

She needs to be locked up, that's just appalling behavior.

There is no law about taking photos from 50 feet away in a public place... there isn't today, and there hasn't been since cameras were invented over 100 years ago, so this is no difference.

She lied to the police and assaulted someone, I think she needs to spend so time in prison to think about how she communicates with the rest of humanity.

The use of "drones" is proliferating.

Of special concern are drones used by law enforcement. One small section of my city is covered by some 50 “security” cams in the space of about 20 square blocks. Of course this is a different issue altogether.

As for a private photographer using a drone in a public place? Well, the jury is still out on this, and I imagine it will be some time indeed before the matter is settled. Actually, it may never be settled entirely.

So far the law has sided with the street photographer when it comes to those not using a drone. Here is an interesting case regarding a guy flying a remote control aircraft. The FAA has had a lot to say regarding these issues but the tide could turn on a regular basis.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/faa-cant-regulate-small-rc-aircraft-as-drones-judge-rules/

This whole issue is extremely complicated.
Including the issue of safety. RC aircraft crash on a regular basis. Watch this:

http://youtu.be/nZsUL6kzdps


As for the guy on the beach being seen as a pervert? That is presumptuous. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thank you for starting this thread, Matti. It should prove to be interesting to say the least.

Here are a couple of examples of using remote control aircraft in relatively new ways.

http://youtu.be/hLZgo8S6nVY

As a wedding photographer I found the following videos of special interest.

http://youtu.be/tVYjS9Mt3As

http://youtu.be/7C-yVC4KrR4

This one was a fail! LOL.

http://youtu.be/fC06_L1kGsg

if it's a public beach, too bad. if it's private, or a nude one i can understand. i think it's a bit rude to have a camera in your face. and i would probably toss sand or something damaging at it. it would be no different than swatting anything else near me. but to attack the guy, she's totally at fault. however the thing could have gone out of control and could have hurt someone and he should have had a citation of some kind. the half of the story that he told read out to be utter nonsense in my mind. it was too full of - i was doing things legal like, and it never meant to hurt anyone, it was just a demonstration... that could be done any place at all.

with more and more getting these, and amazon adopting them, we'll see more. it will be much worse when it's hovering outside your bedroom window.

---Mike Savad

if he really kept it at 50ft, there would be two things happening - it would be small, and you would probably not hear it or notice it. and you wouldn't see the guy controlling it or at least noticing it. yet, they saw and attacked him. so there is something not being said here.

---Mike Savad

This seems to be the video of when he was flying it...

i was expecting a crowded beach with this thing hovering over them. and it doesn't seem like he was any where near the beach, so how did they know where he was controlling the thing? yeah even after watching that thing, i can't see how anyone would know unless they saw it land. and even then there are so few people there, well, there is a missing piece to this story. or a piece of video that wasn't shown.

i kind of want one now, but boy is it noisy. i wonder what it sounds like in the air?

---Mike Savad

I don't know about this young lady.

But I DO know that I get kind of crazed with all these cameras staring at me, every time I click on to this forum.....So Many Avatars..So Many CAMERAS!!

Edit:

Just to make a liar out of me, at this particular moment, there is only one camera on the opening page.

would it be legal to send up my drone to take out their drone ? :)

Well isn't that interesting.... the Youtube video has 62,000 views... If this incident with the irate woman didn't happen I wonder how many views he would have had? I know, I'm skeptical, but some people will do anything to get publicity...15 minutes of fame...

Those robot planes are loud and annoying and unless they flight within feet of a person the images are not going to pick up the person's identity. I am not saying that it's alright to invade privacy but really....what was this for, if not for attention....and as Mike said...how did the woman know where he was set up with the remote if this incident was not a set up from the start...

Just saying.

Cheers, Barbara

In the video from FireFlux, the operator didn't even take it out over the water.

Chicken!

Here's a short demo of filmed highlights using the Cinestar 8 multi-rotor camera platform that lives at our house.

http://vimeo.com/68004141

I hold my breath every time it goes out over the ocean.

Mike, they are pretty noisy, but nothing like the blowers the gardeners use to blow leaves.

i kind of wonder how that person who attacked even knew there was a camera mounted to it. cameras are pretty small these days, and it clearly panned down, i don't think it was an slr or something obvious. so how would one know? unless this is all staged, and a way to sell these things.



watching the end of the video again, there are two people, the guy in flannel, he's the controller because he's looking up. and the person who supposedly attacked him, the only other person any where near the area, is shown to be walking, slowly away. even when landing they were walking away, i wonder what the real story is about this.

---Mike Savad

but those little copters are cool. they no longer have to rent an expensive helicopter for fly overs. that gold mining show uses those. flying over waterfalls, away from machines, into trees, are all done with toys.

---Mike Savad

Chuck,

In the middle of your video , I kept expecting to see the vehicle blown up to smithereens.

Interesting for sure. My husband (who flew R/C Helicopters for years) said it probably wasn't being flown as high as it appears due to the lens. And, the man flying it wasn't close to the beach. I wonder how she found and attacked him.

I agree with Vivian that there should/could be a designated area for these drones as with skate parks... It seems to be the way forward, allowing the "kids" to have their fun while ensuring the safety (and privacy) of everyone else..

We could do something similar for all the pseudo street photographers. Provide them with a designated area where they could freely wander around trying to get shots up each others trouser legs while ensuring the safety (and privacy) of everyone else.. :-) (i am of course joking)

When I was a kid, I had one of these. I thought about building a RC airplane, and did in fact build a rubber-band powered, tissue paper wrapped bi-plane, but then I bought a guitar and my interests shifted.

These things were every bit as much fun as flying a kite. And yes, these gas powered models were a bit loud.

Some railroad photographers are putting drones to good work. This one was done by the official photog for Norfolk Southern Railway

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=483995&nseq=3

Thanks for sharing that, Joe. What a cool photograph.

“Well, I wouldn't want to be there when one of these malfunctions,drops out of the sky, on to my poor head.”

I wouldn't want to be there either, Vivian.

That said, the world is a very dangerous place. As I understand it there are over 30 thousand deaths every year on our nation's highways.

Perhaps we should ban automobiles? Or perhaps we could relegate them to some sort of “safe” area?

@ Dave Leo. :-)))

I think that I am going to buy this one - seems like a LOT of fun!

I'd rather have a drone crash near me rather than a helicopter or a plane.

I think there has already been an attempt to "relegate" cars to a safe area... They are called roads! (I concede, it hasn't been very successful with regards to safety.. but at least they're not motoring about on the beach) Of course cars serve a much more important purpose allowing people to travel and such..very useful. I wonder how long it will be before a domestic "ride on" version of these (toy) drones becomes available?

I took a Safety Pass Training course the other night at the Directors Guild and we talked about drones being used in the movie and TV world.

FYI: It seems no studios or commercial makers working under DGA contracts are using drones until the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) sets up guidelines.

Even then, it will be under California guidelines first when shooting within the state.

Well have to get rid of cars pretty soon. Might as well just call them lounge chairs during rush hour in any major city.

“...but at least they're not motoring about on the beach....)

Tell me again where you live, Barry?

“I wonder how long it will be before a domestic "ride on" version of these (toy) drones becomes available?”

So far, this is the closest I have seen, Barry. LOL.



Of course my thinking on this is that one takes one's life in one's own hands when flying a craft like this. I strongly advise one NOT try this at home!

Now that looks scary! lol.....nice one Walter!

edit: "Tell me again where you live, Barry?" thankfully nowhere near this beach :-)

It sounds to me like the beach is no place for you, Barry.

There is a lot to be feared there. (I was once caught in a rip current while body surfing at Myrtle Beach and I nearly lost my life.)

And then there are all the kids out there flying their RC aircraft trying to get a shot up your trouser leg. Oh and don't forget the scoundrels that have yet to be discovered attaching their video cameras to a kite trying to get lewd photographs of all the bathing beauties.

Meanwhile there are all those noisy (real) airplanes towing those banners! And hey. Sometimes airplanes fall out of the sky. No I suggest you consider staying away from the beach.

But wait. Perhaps you could hire a company like this one to get your message across to all those that are simply NOT aware of the dangers you see.

Yep! I think I'll just stay home..fully clothed at all times and with the curtains firmly shut!

As will i

Model airplanes (the kind used by remote control) have crashed into people killing them. So it's only a matter of time before "civilian" drones kill us also.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1447013/Girl-14-killed-by-model-plane-after-near-misses.html

People are injured and killed every day by cars, trains, buses, airplanes, boats, alcohol, kitchen knives, baseball bats, ponds (they drown), canoes (they drown), motorcyles, skiing, cave diving, hiking ..... did I forget anything?

Cannot believe the paranoia here. You want to stop injuries and accidental deaths ? Outlaw all the above. Jees !

Robots, Dave. You forgot robots!

Reminds me of conversations I used to have with my grandmother when I was younger. She was a major worry wart and would always tell me I shouldn't do things because I might get killed. I told her she could get killed sitting in her house by a plane crashing.

She eventually moved.

Way back (1969), I worked for a company that was developing airbag inflators for cars. Basically these were steel bottles filled with
essentially solid rocket fuel that was ignited to explosively fill the airbag. We argued bout safety, reliability, etc etc.
One guy asked this:

" Let's say that today, gasoline-engined cars did not exist. We design a car, a family vehicle that we want EVERYONE to buy.
We tell people that, to drive this car, with their family in it, you need to store 15 gallons of extremely flammable / explosive gasoline
in a tank in the car. Would you buy such a family vehicle?"

Well .... nowadays everyone has airbags and never thinks twice about that tank of gasoline sitting under their kids in the back seat.

We're too too worried about helicopters falling on us ;))

I ran across this on Peta Pixels today and thought it interesting in regards to our conversation here

The University of South Florida is Planning to Check Out Drones Through the Library

http://petapixel.com/2014/06/23/university-south-florida-planning-check-drones-library/

Here is another innovative use for drones. Remember when a certain Pizza company would guarantee delivery in 30 minutes or the Pizza was free? Perhaps they can take a tip from this Russian company that found an innovative way to accomplish that

http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-pizzeria-delivers-pizza-by-drone-2014-6

No need to worry about traffic, and the camera ensures that the pizza is lowered to the person waiting for it.. Hot pizza delivered ON TIME and no need to give the delivery person a tip :)

removed dupe post

Not sure if the testing program is still active, but I do know that not long ago Amazon was testing the delivering of small product by drones.

Interesting, Joe.

I wonder how soon an entrepreneur will include this in the array of items available for rent.

I am not about to allow drones to drive me away from the beach.

This report aired last night on NBC News.

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/peeping-drones-who-should-be-allowed-fly-drones-n140976

As I have said before, this is a very complicated issue.....

Caught that on NBC last night. They used the footage from the CT beach incident. Its a shame that legit uses will be harmed due to people's fear. I suppose permitting would be one way to go. Don't fly to low over a group of rowdy, drunk, sports fans.

" They used the footage from the CT beach incident. Its a shame that legit uses will be harmed due to people's fear".

I agree, Edward.