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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:
Pratchet · 04/07/2018 11:01

I support you op. There's no reason to film your property or your children. It's good the police got involved. Hopefully means he and his mates won't be back.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:02

Then why not get an RC plane?

Really?

I don't know why get any toy over another?

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:02

Hopefully means he and his mates won't be back.

Yeah, there's his mates now too

Ifailed · 04/07/2018 11:02

OP, does your house back onto the river?

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 11:04

his mates LOL

TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 11:05

Because drones are not just toys, and you full well know that so stop it.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:05

I just can't believe it is legal. We live away from everything because we value our privacy. This felt like such a massive invasion of that.

OP posts:
CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:06

Because drones are not just toys, and you full well know that so stop it.

Stop what?

You asked what use is a drone without a camera and i answered, it's a toy like a plane.

Miserysquared · 04/07/2018 11:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LagunaBubbles · 04/07/2018 11:07

Hopefully means he and his mates won't be back

Oh please... now there's a gang of them. Stop making things up that aren't there. Grin

TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 11:08

Pants as it would to most right-minded humans.

If it wasn’t hovering over the kids, I’d have also assumed it was being used to case my property.

I’d have beaten the drone driver tonpgining the police by some margin.

Anti-social prick.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:08

I just can't believe it is legal. We live away from everything because we value our privacy. This felt like such a massive invasion of that.

You might have to shell out for a Jammer. But be warned it will seem like you have something worth stealing if people find out their drone stop working over your property.

SofieMonde · 04/07/2018 11:09

If you had kids undressed in pool with a drone repeatedly flying over i think it is a normal parental reaction to think it is dodgy.
Yes, just accusing someone of being a pedophile is not really ok but the mother was upset.
I think it is more likely he was scoping out your property. Find out from DH what exact reason he gave for flying directly over your property.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:09

Our property goes garden, then trees, hedge, fencing etc (we have chickens that like to escape), then bridleway, then river and then road (where drone man was).

OP posts:
SofieMonde · 04/07/2018 11:10

Or what reason he told the police. Didn't they enquire further?

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:11

How did you find the guy?

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 11:11

Didn't the police come and talk to you at all

Thebluedog · 04/07/2018 11:11

Was he actually filming tho? Not all drones have cameras on, not all cameras film all the time. It’s a very big presumption on your part. Some people simply like flying drones

"me calling him a pervert and possibly a peadophile" sorry but this was out of order, and very unreasonable of you

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:13

No the police didn't come and talk to us. We did not call the police. He advised my dh that he had called the police.

OP posts:
PumpkinPiloter · 04/07/2018 11:13

This is absolutely bonkers! Surely if he wanted images of children he would not have chosen somewhere so rural. He probably chose your location because it presumably has nice scenery.

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 11:14

Well, that's a bit odd. What did he call the police for? What reason did he give for having called them?

Surely they would have to come and talk to you (not your DH, you, as you were the person who accosted him) and find out your side of the story as to what happened?

GardenGeek · 04/07/2018 11:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:15

I hoped that my filming him and retaining the film would be sufficient to deter him from continuing and would be sufficient evidence to hand to police if anything further occurred.

OP posts:
CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:16

Did you tell him why your were filming him, or did you just appear with your phone?

Nicknacky · 04/07/2018 11:17

I imagine he called the police because some woman was yelling at him and calling him a paedophile. I can’t blame him for that, it’s the worst thing an innocent person can be acccused of. He probably wanted to contact the police to show them footage etc.