Are we ruining the best places?

[JonFZ300]

I'd like that comment, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. "

I think it's a Woody Allen quote but I'm not sure.

Edit: I was wrong.

Nobody Goes There Anymore, It’s Too Crowded – Quote Investigator

 

[limr]

It isn't just photographers, "faux" or otherwise.

One of our favorite hiking trails got written up in the Times or some travel site, or something. Because it's right off a train stop on a commuter line, this meant hordes of people from the city started day-tripping. Then it became one of the most popular hikes in the whole country and it got so much worse. And it's not like it's attracting serious hikers, either. Most of them have no idea what they are doing. I mean, it's called Breakneck Ridge, fer cryin' out loud, and has sections that require three-point climbing, and yet they had to start putting "stewards" at the trailhead and on the trail itself to turn people away for wearing flip flops, or for trying to go up an hour before sunset, or with no water. There are also stewards on the trail to keep from getting lost (the 911 folks were getting tired of getting calls from people who don't know how to read a trail map or blazes.) Last year, they were going to close it down because there was so much damage to the trail. Decided to keep it open, though, which is kind of disappointing. I'd rather see it closed for a few years to recover, then reopened after most people have forgotten about it.

One Of America's Most Popular Hiking Spots Is Located In The Most Unexpected Place

We haven't been hiking there in years. It's bad enough that we don't even really go into that town (Cold Spring - the trailhead is just on the edge of town) during the summer because there are far too many people either going to Breakneck or coming up from the city to visit the "quaint little country town."

People.Ruin.Everything.

 

[stapo49]

I guess one of the good things about being isolated and having a small population that you can get out of the Perth City area and head north and east a couple of hours and see very few people.

South is busy because of the wineries, surf beaches and tall trees.

If you have the time and the inclination you can go thousands of kms to the north of Western Australia and not see anyone sometime for days.



Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[JonFZ300]

I could rant on this topic all day. I'll just include one good anecdote.

I was in Yosemite a couple years ago and went to check out the big waterfall in the valley. It was unbelievably crowded and the scene was as far from appreciation of natural beauty as you can get. There were hundreds of people all crammed into the water and making noise and splashing around. I thought this is such a ridiculous scene, I'm going to take a video of it to show just how crowded and crappy our national parks have become. So I started to shoot the video and about half way through the sweep, an international visitor stepped right in front of me and my camera and blocked my shot, totally oblivious to not only his surroundings, but also just how ridiculous the whole scene was. The irony was not lost on me, believe that.

In general, I believe humans evolved as a way for nature to experience itself. We come from the earth, are comprised of its elements and return to it when we die, but somehow we think we are separate. We think nature is here for us to enjoy, not realizing it's the other way around. As with most things human, we have even failed at doing what we were created to do: experience nature.

 

[Original katomi]

I can agree with above post, camping and later sailing gave me some wonderful treats of nature
Like seeing the wake behind my boat glow on a moonless night

 

[Scott Whaley]

There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people. Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in. The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra. Now, who is to blame: The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?

 

[snowbear]

There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people. Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in. The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra. Now, who is to blame: The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?

My first thought is the people trespassing, but local laws can vary, such as if, and how the property is posted. Being a farm, I'm guessing there may not be that many laws.

As far as the original topic, yes, we humans tend to ruin a lot of things. Take a walk along any number of rivers and ponds and you'll see where "slobs" have been fishing, and have left trash (empty bait containers, cans, bottle, discarded plastic fishing line) strewn around.

 

[Original katomi]

There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people. Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in. The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra. Now, who is to blame: The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?

Jump into a crocodile pond, expect to get eaten

 

[limr]

There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people. Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in. The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra. Now, who is to blame: The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?

The trespassers. No doubt in my mind.

 

[terri]

The trespassers. Obviously, if they hadn't trespassed the event wouldn't have occurred!

The number of deaths from climbing Mt. Everest is increasing because people have it in their minds that it's suddenly become easy to do, the latest *thing.* Waiting lines at the final summit are apparently the new normal.

 

[Flying Panda]

Spot on.

Photographers, Instagrammers - Stop Being So Damn Selfish and Disrespectful

Upfront, I will provide this disclaimer first - I'm a bit old-school. Where I come from, this place in the article, would merely be good sniper training.

 

[SquarePeg]

We have a local sunflower field that used to be relatively unknown before Instagram and Facebook. It has always been open to the public. My photo meet up group planned a morning trip there on a Saturday at peak bloom. 75 people rsvp’d yes. When I saw that I passed.

I ended up going on my own on a subsequent day. Was sitting in the parking lot waiting for the posted opening time when one of the employees walked up to my car. After a quick chat he gave me the ok to go on over. There were at least 20 people there already who had ignored the posted hours and designated path. One woman had props and was doing “mini sessions”. I’m sure most of these people didn’t bother to stop in the store to buy something to support the farm who eventually had to hire detail cops to deal with the traffic and overflow from their small parking lot.

 

[SquarePeg]

On the reverse, I am guilty of seeing an Instagram photo and adding a place to my bucket list. The difference is, I like to think, that I do try to enjoy the experience when I go there in addition to taking my photos which are NEVER selfies.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Technology evolves to make things easier for people. It never stops. Technology makes no moral judgment; it can be used for good or bad. People make the moral judgments about the use of technology. People have a very wide latitude over what is moral and what is not.

You can pass all the laws you want but unless you are willing to spend the money to enforce them they are just words on paper. A case in point, did you know it was illegal to drive even one mile per hour over the speed limit? On a recent trip from MO to IN My cruse was set at 10 mph over the speed limit just to keep up with the traffic flow. And yes, there were non-professional drivers streaming pass me.

If a photographer, whether pro or amateur find a neat, place others will also seek it out. People like to see and photograph pretty places to share with friends, they do not want to see them in a book or on a video screen.

 

[Tropicalmemories]

Just because someone is using a phone, does not mean they are not a photographer (example below - going for the angle).

I think we all have equal rights to be there, or equally we may have no rights and none of us should be there.

Growing overpopulation will mean that soon there will be no unspoilt areas left on the planet - but at least we'll have photos to remind us of how it used to be beautiful.