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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Abu to be incredibly angry about a drone flying over my garden??

181 replies

Splandy · 14/07/2016 21:25

I have seen a drone flying over mine and my neighbours gardens for the past six months or so. Found it mildly annoying but it was a fair distance from my windows so didn't think about it too much. I could hear it tonight when i was in my garden. Looked around for it and it 'saw' me, so clearly has a camera attached. It stopped whizzing around and hovered above me, below the roof of my house, watching me. I am so fucking angry right now. Both rooms facing onto the garden have patio doors, so this person could potentially be watching me in my own home.

I called the police and they gave me an appointment for Monday. Yeah have since called back telling me that there isn't an offence being committed, so the appointment will be cancelled and the neighbourhood team may contact me instead. But may not. I told him that I'd easily found information online stating that a drone cannot be flown within 50 metres of a person, which it definitely was, but it made no difference. What if it had crashed into my house, which it was incredibly close to? What if it crashed into me?? I also believe I have a right to privacy on my own property. Made no difference, appointment cancelled. Am I supposed to just accept being fucking spied on in my own home and garden? I don't even open the blinds in my kitchen because i value my privacy and can easily be seen there, but have to accept that somebody can film me and my kids???

OP posts:

SoThisIsSummer · 15/07/2016 13:35

NOt read thread but I cannot believe this is allowed.

Surely if you get it down, with sheets, or water jet and then destrory it you can simply say it fell in your garden?

SoThisIsSummer · 15/07/2016 13:36

If you do try to capture it then unfortunately you must do so without damaging it or you may be done for criminal damage (assuming they can figure out who did it and find the bits of the drone drone

Can you imagine the head lines? I wouldnt care and be happy to go to court over this.

ErrolTheDragon · 15/07/2016 13:38

do the cameras stream the video back to 'base' or record on the drone? Either way there would presumably be evidence that it didn't just fall.

The law needs to catch up with this, sharpish.

snowy508601 · 15/07/2016 13:57

I wouldnt care and be happy to go to court over this.

You might want to google how much they cost!

mrgrouper · 15/07/2016 13:58

Most drones just record on the go and then when you get the drone home you can upload it on to the computer.

Nanny0gg · 15/07/2016 14:04

It may be very new to its owner and they are just practising with it and are not 100% familiar with controlling it yet.

Then they need to find a nice big open space, not a residential area to use it in.

DinosaursRoar · 15/07/2016 14:09

oooh, I'd be so cross!

As you have said it's going over your garden when you are there with your young DS and that you change nappies in the room next to the window they are looking in, then definately go back with the comment about them potentially having filmed your DS naked. Frankly, they are invaiding a family's privacy, they know they are doing this, as it's been going on for 6 months, it's not a mistake.

Or the spear thing, that was cool.

dowhatnow · 15/07/2016 14:15

I found one filming over us, by googling tube, too. Scary.

dowhatnow · 15/07/2016 14:15

you tube

Cynthesizer · 15/07/2016 14:29

I am really sorry this happens to you and I hope it doesn't happen again.

You could put up a sign saying GO AWAY.

If it comes back, you could try filming it on your phone or with a camera. If neither your phone or camera can take video, just take a few pictures and pretend that you are filming. When people realise they are being recorded, it will take a lot of the fun away.

The difficulty of getting the police interested is going to be partially based on their disinterest, but also they don't know who the operator is and have no real plan to find out. Yes it's an offence, but it's also an offence to cycle on the pavement or leave dog poo in public, but the police won't be enforcing that, even if they catch the dog pooing.

After recording the drone, you could then take your camera and do a quiet walk around the neighborhood looking for the operator. They won't be very far away and will almost certainly be outside. If you find them, you could film them too. If you know them/where they live, you could ask them to stop in person.

You could also go to the police and say that you are being harassed by a specific person after you told them to stop, and you have evidence of who it is.

It would be satisfying to attack it, but since it most likely has a live feed going back to the operator, they'll know who attacked it.

BeMorePanda · 15/07/2016 14:32

I'm thinking maybe some kind of net with gently weighted edges you could throw up into the air - shame if it got caught in the net and fell to the ground!

akkakk · 15/07/2016 16:36

it is unlikely to be illegal - we have a fundamental principle in this country of being allowed to photograph virtually anything!

It is also extremely unlikely to be something that got as far as court / prosecution anyway - there has been very little in the way of prosecution ref. drones...

equally, once shot down there would be little opportunity for the owner to do anything about it! If it was doing that here other than finding the owner (village, so perhaps easier) it wouldn't last long!

It can't be difficult to find a way of knocking it out of the sky while looking accidental!

Alternatively, a piece of paper with - reported to the police, they are tracing you - we are recording the drone... might work well!

Netflixandchill · 15/07/2016 17:20

One landed in our garden and after being unclaimed for a week it got smashed up and taken to the top. What was disturbing was it kept flashing a signal while it was on our driveway, then we bought it in because it rained, then my son insisted it stayed with him in his room (he's 3) and it kept flashing? So yes eventually after nobody came to get it we threw it away.

Netflixandchill · 15/07/2016 17:21

If one was hovering over me or my family for any more than a couple of seconds I would certainly be smashing it up. If I wanted strangers to watch me in my garden or house id sign up for big brother

OnTheRise · 15/07/2016 17:29

My son has a friend who is good with electronics, who made a device which would scramble the signal controlling drones, so they'd drop out of the sky. I wonder if such things are legal and easily found online?

WhooooAmI24601 · 15/07/2016 17:35

We have a chap who flies his drones at the back of our house as it's all fields behind us. All fine and well, til it came over our garden and sent the dog batshit. A few days later we were outside and there it was again, zipping about above us sending the dog bezerk. It dropped down into our garden and the dog got hold of it. She's never chewed anything in her life but she destroyed the spinny blades and when he came round for it he was furious and claimed he'd see me in court because I refused to pay for the damage (he reckons it cost him hundreds. Utter shite; I've seen them in Argos for £24.99). Not heard from him since, presumably he's got a grip and realised he shouldn't fly plastic crap into my garden if it's precious.

DH was mortified that I launched into a rant at this man on our doorstep and hid in the kitchen. He'd have paid for the damage. That's why he's not allowed to answer the door any more.

PovertyPain · 15/07/2016 17:42

That's why he's not allowed to answer the door any more.

Hahaha That really made me laugh.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 15/07/2016 17:42

I would leaflet drop every house in the street quoting the CAA regulations and fibbing that the police are investigating.

Someone locally got a major bollocking by the police for drone flying, it was all over FB. They told him if he did it again they would prosecute.....not sure what they'd prosecute him for and maybe they were just scaring him but they put a lot of effort into finding him. There were local appeals for info as to the operators ID for ages.

Lauren85x · 15/07/2016 17:55

I am genuinely so angry for you! This is outrageous, and I agree that the law is really behind on this one.
If someone was peeking in your garden/Windows you could report this to the police, a peeping Tom does exist! This could just be a new way for them to do it.
If it was me I would get a note book and log times and dates you see it, for how long. Try and take photo and video evidence. They will probably be able to see you do this.
I would go back to the police, everytime you see it. Demand to speak to someone higher if you are not being taken seriously. Explain your concern about having children in the house.
I'd contact your local MP for a meeting, explain your findings with regards to the police. How upset, intimidated and scared you feel in your own home.
If possible I would also try and see where it goes down, try and follow it.
I do think someone will be enjoying seeing you getting worked up and throwing things at it. But if you ever felt you were able to get a swipe at it, I would.
Are you friendly with any other neighbours? Could you mention it to them? Perhaps if more people complain to the police they will need to take notice.

Cheddarella · 15/07/2016 18:06

I'm so very sorry this is happening to you and your family, especially since the police are no help at all. I love the hose and super soaker idea as you don't have to have good aim! The laser light is a great idea as well. I wonder if you could get a long pool net and use that to catch the drone? Personally, if I was able to catch it, I would turn it off, remove the camera and put it on the living room wall as a trophy!

ratspeaker · 15/07/2016 18:33

As has been mentioned above it is against the law and civil aviation rules etc etc.
Personally Id be on facebook and local forums about it, highlighting the spying on young children aspect.
Id also be onto parish/ community council, local council, MP, ( MSP in scotland too ) anyone else, as the police do not seem to be taking it seriously.

Sleepybeanbump · 15/07/2016 18:37

Jesus H Christ I ducking hate drones and the boring fuckers with nothing better to do who fly the dratted things about.

This is just nasty! In your own house?

I'm getting pretty bloody bored of having the horrid things buzzing away ruining the peace and quiet at every beauty spot I seem to turn up at at the moment. Can't sit still because they never seem to be 100% under control and I'm constantly in fear of being conked on the head by one.

You need to get seriously imaginative with drone-interference devices. Catapults etc!!

Sleepybeanbump · 15/07/2016 18:41

ontherise I'm sure my DH mentioned something about some drone-interference device that scrambles their signals....will ask him OP.

That said he's an ex-spy so it might not be anything commercially available

rubybleu22 · 15/07/2016 18:57

There has been a lot of this going on in my village, drones flying over farms, couple of days later, farming equipment is being targeted for theft, stuff that is not visible from the road, neighbours have said that if they see this thing flying across their land they will destroy it....anyone know if the footage these drones can see is still recorded/downloadable if the drone was to be destroyed, I'm wondering if the owner would still be able to see/prove who destroyed it....if not then game on a say, until privacy laws are updated

MewlingQuim · 15/07/2016 19:15

Dick head neighbour was flying a drone over my garden looking in 4yo DDs window

I called 101 for some advice and they escalated it and the police came round and took it very seriously. They said he could be prosecuted under antisocial behaviour laws and it was also an invasion on privacy. They knew that drones must not be flown within 50m of a building or person. There was concern that it could have been used to spy in houses for valuables prior to burglaries.

Dh asked would he be in trouble if it accidentally got hit out of the sky by a 'falling stick or rock'. They said no.

We haven't seen it since so maybe they found out who owned it and had words.

Surprised your experience has been so different, OP.

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