Into the Idiot Wind
Men Fined, Fired After Webcam Caught Them Peeing in Old Faithful
By Courtney Lowery, 5-15-09
Photos courtesy of PEER -- which is just an unfortunate acronym in this case. PEER stands for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
If you’re going to pee on a national treasure, you ought to make sure you’re not being live streamed to the Web. Or, just don’t pee on a national treasure. Just saying.
Two Yellowstone Park concession employees have been fired and one banished from the park altogether, the Associated Press reports today, after they were caught—on a Webcam—peeing in Old Faithful.
The two men were with four others and all were cited for going off trail. Five were cited for picking up rocks or other material.
PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which highlighted the case as the first time the Webcam has worked to protect natural resources in the park, released some of the photos this week. See below.
PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said in a press release: “We are on the threshold of cyber-parks where spectacular vistas can be viewed from the nearest screen, even one in the palm of your hand. The brave new world of cyber-parks officially started last week.”
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Fun Friday...reporting genuinely silly news to reward you for the drudge of the rest of the newsweek. Getting nailed for peeing in a geyser by PEER cannot be topped.
I shouldn't volunteer this bit of raw intel, but this sort of activity is more common than is realized. Those Yellowstone indentured servants and seasonal serfs are a sporting lot.
These boys are obviously not too streetwise in our modern Surveillance Society. When I worked late into the year at Old Faithful a few years ago, I made sure my forays were not seen by the All Seeing Eye...the webcam on the ledge of the window inside the old Visitor's Center. I plastered the glass with snowballs first.
We even used to party up on the old Widow's Walk atop Old Faithful Inn, before the restoration. So shoot me.
Please don't give out my e-mail address. I don't want Yellowstone's goons hunting me down.
I'm a formor employee at the park, and so I must say YOUR A FOOL.
Good day.
Yep....males do mark territory. Sometimes in cursive. And the urologist will tell you he finds fewer distressed urinary systems in those who work outside, and pee whenever the urge strikes them. Those office bound, meeting corralled, luncheon held up business types have the most problems..goes without saying that holding your water can be unhealthy. Maybe the geyser goers had a health emergency. tee hee.....