Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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:
TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 11:17

No way did he call the Police. You totally should have though.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:18

I didn't acost him. I was filming him from the bridleway. He was across the river from me. He became irate because I was filming him. We started arguing. I called him names.

OP posts:
thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 04/07/2018 11:18

The posters jumping to the defence of a man invading your privacy Hmm

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:19

So he thought you were a random person just filming him?

And you didn't explain why you were there?

Birdsgottafly · 04/07/2018 11:19

If your children were playing in the paddling pool and getting undressed, would it be OK for a man to be looking through your windows, or through gaps in your fence?

Flying a drone with a camera is the same.

The OP lives in a remote house, it would be easy to guess which one, he knew his flight path.

If you have a real interest in the hobby, there is an abundance of wildlife behaviour that you could capture. You don't have to zoom in on children to find something interesting.

If you love watching children play, then there are plenty of volunteer roles.

I don't understand Adults who insist on doing things that could put children in danger. I'm happy for there to be restrictions, if it keeps Children/Women safe.

In MN land, it seems that Sexual Abuse is a made up thing and it definitely isn't perpetrated by Men.

Original poster
Slightlygiganticpants · 04/07/2018 11:19

I probably just appeared with my phone held up in the air. It was obvious I was filming him.

OP posts:
Shampooeeee · 04/07/2018 11:20

YANBU drones are creepy.

I bet he didn’t call the police.

TSSDNCOP · 04/07/2018 11:21

He’s a drone flying hobbyist Matter that was just flying his toy, that could just as well be a plane, around to admire the marvellous local flora and fauna.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:21

You don't have to zoom in on children to find something interesting.

The drone flew over the garden a couple of times....

This does mean zooming in....

bigKiteFlying · 04/07/2018 11:21

We have a small cheap drone - no camera.

We didn’t fly it in our own garden as worried it's too close to neighbour’s gardens and houses. We've found plenty of open spaces near no houses to play with it.

YANBU to be unhappy OP.

GardenGeek · 04/07/2018 11:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CaptainKirkssparetupee · 04/07/2018 11:22

I probably just appeared with my phone held up in the air. It was obvious I was filming him.

Then randomly shouted.

Not explaining why you were there.

ToadOfSadness · 04/07/2018 11:22

Someone was flying a drone over all the gardens here a while ago. I posted in the local FB group about it being illegal due to the closeness of the properties.

A couple of people said it wasn't illegal, however when I posted the guidelines they didn't respond. Someone who uses drones professionally did respond and said that it was not legal to fly over houses and that the law will be changing, I believe it will be next year. Not seen a drone since (fingers crossed).

If it happens again I would film it over your property and report to the CAA and Police. Also mention that burglars use them to check out houses, places with dogs to steal etc. I hate the things unless they are being used for a legit. job and even then I am not keen as you never know what they are filming.

I didn't actually call the operator a paedophile but I did mention the numerous small children that were in gardens as it was a nice sunny day and that parents might like to be aware and prefer not to have their privacy invaded on their own property.

Birdsgottafly · 04/07/2018 11:23

Just to add, OP, in theory you did the right thing. But you could have put yourself in danger.

If enough people react like you did, though, he won't do it again. As won't others who may not have good intentions.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 04/07/2018 11:23

Innocent? He was invading the OPs privacy. Yes calling him a paedophile was off but wtf why was he concentrating filming over their garden so much when he had the rest of the countryside to film freely, so I’m not surprised in the heat of the moment the OP called him that.

And if he doesn’t want to be shouted at them maybe he shouldn’t be spying on people in their own property. Serves him right.

GardenGeek · 04/07/2018 11:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ifailed · 04/07/2018 11:24

you had every right to film him, as he had to film you. If he was walking along the bridleway, he could have taken photographs, also within his rights.
The law has not caught up with drones, ands as no one owns the airspace above their property, at the moment people are at liberty to do what they want, so long as they don't fly them higher than 120 metres and keep them 50 metres away from people and property (sounds like drone-man broke that law). As you can now get them fitted with zoom lens, 50m will not prevent users from filming your garden in detail.

I don't either party comes out well in this scenario.

abilockhart · 04/07/2018 11:25

Some of the responses here are naive in the extreme.

The OP has a right to privacy. A drone flew several times over the OP's property even though the OP's property is in a rural area surrounded by fields and could easily have been avoided.

There was a reason the drown was flown over the property several times. Whatever the reason - staking out a property, taking photos of partially dressed children - it was unlikely to be good.

Atlastatlastatlast · 04/07/2018 11:25

Well hopefully you reaction made him realise that laws or no laws his behaviour was not acceptable and makes people feel uncomfortable. If he was totally innocent of any bad intent he might at least use a bit of common sense and consideration in future.

jumblefun2 · 04/07/2018 11:25

Verb. To accost : approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.

Candypinkstars · 04/07/2018 11:25

OP was allowed to film as it's a public place. No restrictions there. No requirement to say why you are filming.

Filming private gardens and residences? Not legal. It's called voyeurism. Unless you are the police or have authority via RIPA to film etc etc. I am guessing drone man wasn't from the DWP checking benefit fraud.

abilockhart · 04/07/2018 11:25

Some of the responses here are naive in the extreme.

The OP has a right to privacy. A drone flew several times over the OP's property even though the OP's property is in a rural area surrounded by fields and could easily have been avoided.

There was a reason the drone was flown over the property several times. Whatever the reason - staking out a property, taking photos of partially dressed children - it was unlikely to be good.

Birdsgottafly · 04/07/2018 11:26

CaptainKirkssparetupee, yes it does. I was preempting the posters saying that he might like to watch children play etc.

GameOfMinges · 04/07/2018 11:26

Your response was completely appropriate.

SofieMonde · 04/07/2018 11:26
:)
Swipe left for the next trending thread