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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be concerned about drone catching images of my children in paddling pool

404 replies

Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 10:12

Last night whilst my dc were playing in the garden, (which is completely private and in a rural location, we have about 3 neighbours) a drone flew over several times. The dc were playing in the paddling pool at this time in various states of undress.

My dh got the children in and I went in search of the drone operator. Located him and started filming him with my phone. He was on the other side of the river from my house. He disliked my filming of him and we became engaged in a fairly heated debate with me calling him a pervert and possibly a peadophileBlush. Apparently what he was doing was completely legal (I believe drone was less than 50 meters from us but that is up for debate) and he wasn't filming the dc. He did also phone the police after I left and then came around and spoke to my dh.

I have looked into this since and have found out that this is legal! How? Surely this can't be right? Surely we have a right to privacy in our own garden!

OP posts:
CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 10:49

So not 50m away then. Just make sure you aren't causing a nuisance. Common courtesy.

I don't know, i wasn't there, only the OP was.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 10:49

I am not fully sure of what my dh discussed with the man as I was with the dc in the house. However the man did confirm toy dh that he had been filming, however stated he was not filming our dc. He didn't really have a reason as to why he was filming our property. Hopefully he won't do it again.

OP posts:
Iamtryingtobenicehere · 04/07/2018 10:50

Two wrongs don’t make a right.
You seem to be in the wrong just as much as the drone man.
Calling him a paedo when you don’t even know if the drone has a camera attached is just as bad as him invading your privacy.

—next time get your hose out—

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 10:50

This reply has been deleted

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FlyingElbows · 04/07/2018 10:50

Op if you live rurally you should be aware that drones are routinely used to scan properties for items of value worth stealing. That's way more likely than it being the local paedophile one a day out. Even more likely is that it's simply an inconsiderate prick. Yanbu to be annoyed but you were totally unreasonable to go hunting the guy down and accusing him of being a paedophile. If it happens again phone the police and make sure your property security is up to scratch.

BarbaraofSevillle · 04/07/2018 10:50

Presumably all those people who think the OP is being unreasonable would be happy for a drone to be flying over their garden?

One of our neighbours has one and the buzzy noise is quite irritating. They've definitely flown over our garden and they crashed it into our telephone wire once. Sadly the fall from the sky that terrified our cats that were lounging in the garden didn't smash the damn thing up.

And assuming the drone wasn't racing another drone (because that is a thing) what would the point of it be if there wasn't a camera? Therefore it is reasonable to assume there is a camera.

TheGoodEnoughWife · 04/07/2018 10:51

Mumsnet at its finest - the defence of a the drone man who has no business flying over a residential property and/or filming!

The OP clearly should keep her children covered in her own private garden, accusations of who was watching the children while they investigated the drone man and then, to top it all, judgement for the OP dh who 'let' her go and find the drone man. Are you kidding?!

Not unreasonable at all OP, yes, maybe calling names was a little uncalled for but the man had no reason for intruding on your privacy other than he can and feels he has the right to.
The sooner laws are put in place to prevent the flying of drones over folks heads the better imo.

OverTheHedgeHammy · 04/07/2018 10:52

No excuse, because I think he was well out of order, but it may well be that your property was easy for him to use to get his bearings for his drone. If he's flying over countryside, it would all look the same. So he used yours as the starting point, and then flew it out to other places.

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 10:52

I'd have an issue with a drone over the garden but my first thought would be irritating spotty teen with a new toy rather than a pervert paedo.

blueskypink · 04/07/2018 10:53

What Thegoodenoughwife said.

LagunaBubbles · 04/07/2018 10:53

You don't know whether he was filming or not do you? But someone practicing flying a drone around doesn't have the same outrageous ring to it as someone filming your semi clothed kids. Why are posters also assuming the drone was filming when the OP hasn't confirmed this?

Theycouldhavechoseneve · 04/07/2018 10:53

unless a very very expensive drone any camera footage is captured and has to be download to be viewed, so not a real time image capture.

Incorrect, you can view real time footage on a phone app synched to your drone camera with a drone under £200.

I’m not sure of the point of a drone that doesn’t have a camera? Why not get a model helicopter instead?

JaneDoe9000 · 04/07/2018 10:54

@BarbaraofSevillle
"Presumably all those people who think the OP is being unreasonable would be happy for a drone to be flying over their garden?"

@TheGoodEnoughWife
"Mumsnet at its finest - the defence of a the drone man who has no business flying over a residential property and/or filming!"

Being annoyed at a drone flying over your garden is fine; accusing the operator of being someone who sexually abuses children is not. Would you both like this wording another way so you can understand?

choli · 04/07/2018 10:54

In future for your peace of mind put the kids in burquas when using the paddling pool.

wrenika · 04/07/2018 10:55

You were in the wrong. Completely.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 10:55

okay I think these some confusion over what is meant by filming....

Filming meaning capturing the footage for later, rather than a drone which streams it.

spotspot · 04/07/2018 10:55

This doesn't make sense.

Assuming his drone was a camera filming and not just a hobby flying machine thing.....

If your garden is invisible to all except camera-drones, and there's no other houses nearby then how on earth would he know to come and fly a drone over your garden at the time your half dressed kids were in a paddling pool?

He just woke up one morning and had a hunch that if he drove to this random house in a rural location there'd be some naked children to film? I don't think paedophiles have some weird pervert-radar.

I think you've made some incorrect assumptions.
I

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 10:56

The man was not one of our neighbours or even connected to them. He had driven out to our area (there is a road on the other side of the river).

I did not give him my address.

I did ask my dh what was said but he is crap at telling me stuff (or any relevant information).

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 10:57

Oh give over, if any one of you had a drone flying over your kids playing in the garden you’d light up 101 like Regent Street on speed.

OP I’d have gone out to hunt him down too. Let him call the Police on me, I absolutely wouldn’t care in this instance.

Drones are a fucking menace. People that fly them over homes are a fucking menace.

Atlastatlastatlast · 04/07/2018 10:57

Your behaviour was totally understandable. Yes calling him a paedophile and a pervert was hot headed but we all lose it a bit when we're alarmed and annoyed and somebody gets defensive instead of just bloody apologising.

But of course there's an element on mumsnet who are absolutely perfect, and always make cool, calm perfectly balanced judgments no matter what the circumstances. Hmm

ChipsAndKetchup · 04/07/2018 10:57

People are mad. Why on earth should the OP put her kids in clothes for the paddling pool. She has every right to behave as she wants in her private garden without fear of some nosey prick filming her.

And to the people saying how does she know he was filming please explain the point of a drone without a camera?

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 10:58

He had driven out to our area

Becuase the law said he had to in order to use his drone, your house is remote.
Not becuase his spidersense told him your kids were in a paddling pool.

MrsMint · 04/07/2018 10:58

Only on Mumsnet & in this country would it be considered "normal" and "innocent" to be flying drones over people's private properties. Unless you are in the military or something it is a bit creepy to be flying these things in the first place. They should be banned for private use and these people should find a new hobby; stamp collecting maybe?Grin

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 10:59

And to the people saying how does she know he was filming please explain the point of a drone without a camera?

It's a toy, like a remote control plane....

TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 11:01

Then why not get an RC plane?