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Oh Dear my first altercation, Poor Fella

The only reason why I cannot agree with giving priority to government tasks is because once you do that, it comes with statutes and ordinances along with sanctions and penalties backed up with the use of force....and it all goes downhill from there. I would prefer to keep it respectable and civil and that would include as you mentioned, some form of deference which is natural but it shouldn't depend on why the other person is there (i.e. just for fun). For example, when people go to the park (a place for recreational activities) then that should be the priority. Sorta like turning on the sprinklers or mowing the grass in the park. I wouldn't expect the crew to ask the team to vacate the field for the remainder of the evening because they're here to start trimming the hedges that surround the field.

Well, for public space to work there has to be some priority given to government tasks. A municipality can close a park for maintenance, for example, and we generally agree that that's a necessary prioritization of a government task over the public's right at access that space. But that is less the issue here and my comment was more about just being a nice person, like I don't want to mess with someone's job, you know? I certainly think that, to the extent possible, government tasks in public places should be scheduled to minimize users' impact, but I'm not gonna give the workers a hard time about it. Just as a human being and fellow member of the working class, I generally view my leisure as a secondary priority to someone else's livelihood if there's a conflict, just a gesture of solidarity.

For this interaction, I think the surveyor should've said "hey, I have to do this job and it's complicated and it's difficult for me to track and potentially avoid smaller drones, so if you could just give me a wide berth that would be great for both of us, thanks." And the proper response is "no problem, I'll make sure I don't get in your way." But based on the description of the event, both individuals sound like selfish people who probably get into this type of altercation waaaaaay more often than normal people do because most normal people have empathy.
 
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Like I said, I won't venture any judgement about @Murph66's encounter. I wasn't there.

My own philosophy about this sort of thing is informed by 62 years of direct experience, and observing others. Confrontation almost always ends up badly to one degree or another. Sometimes catastrophically so.

Being "the good guy", and sticking to it rarely ever results in anything worse than a little bit of bruised ego. And that heals up within a mile or two driving away from the situation.
 
I read all the replies also and it was said that Murphy was just sitting at a table (alone) getting ready to launch his drone till a meat head showed up causing intended trouble.
If that idiot didn't show up, then there wouldn't have been any altercation what so ever.
So then, who is at fault, it doesn't take a first grader to figure that out or does it Mr. mavic3usa?

Again, Well done Murph66.
 
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Not surprised. Everyone who flies a drone in public for any fair of amount of time these days will eventually meet a confrontation; it's a matter of when not if.

I read all the replies also and it was said that Murphy was just sitting at a table (alone) getting ready to launch his drone till a meat head showed up causing intended trouble.
If that idiot didn't show up, then there wouldn't have been any altercation what so ever.
So then, who is at fault, it doesn't take a first grader to figure that out or does it Mr. mavic3usa?
Yep, that's right....you tell 'em! Glad you agree with me; not his fault minding his own business. :p
 
I read all the replies also and it was said that Murphy was just sitting at a table (alone) getting ready to launch his drone till a meat head showed up causing intended trouble.
Your imagination is also working overtime to fill in the sparse original description of the incident.
There's nothing in the OP's story to suggest the seconds drone flyer on site was a "meathead" or that he was "looking for trouble".

If that idiot didn't show up, then there wouldn't have been any altercation what so ever.
Neither is there any reason to assume he was an idiot.
He was a professional with a different accent, engaged to carry out a demanding survey operation with sophisticated equipment.
He had a job to do and was right to start a conversation to ensure both flyers wouldn't interfere with the other's flying.
But the OP took offence and responded offensively.

We only have the OP's word that the commercial flyer "this fella really treated me awfully and spoke to me like a second class human being", but no details of the interaction to explain this assertion.
 
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Him, "I'm here to survey the whole area for the installation of waste water sewerage pipelines and I'd be grateful if you kept out of my way"
Me, "I'm here for pleasure so could you can stay out of mine please ?"
This is the crux of the conflict. Each side trying to assert dominance and an unwillingness to be accommodating. I can't help but think that if there was a bit of cooperation instead of competition then they could both have done their thing without any problems.
 
Right........
No. 1 "Can I ask if you are intending to fly that "THING" here today ?"
What's wrong with "I'm here doing some surveying work, if you're flying today is there any chance you could give me a little space to do my job please ?"
I would have reacted totally the opposite and agreed a compromise of some sort, but when you approach someone you've never met and immediately and deliberately use your obvious height advantage to get close up and personal towering over someone sitting minding his own business surely anyone would feel immediately threatened and intimidated , I DID !

No. 2 "Can I ask if its licenced and registered ?"
Why would you straight away ask a question like that ? As in my first post, I "Politely replied" I gave him every chance to be friendly, he never gave me any indication that he intended a compromise so he got his just rewards.

No. 3 , I do not and never have had an Overactive Imagination as I was accused of having in an earlier post in this thread. And as a retired Paramedic with 22 years experience on front line duties (who incidentally did a whole weeks course on body language) I'm sure you'll agree I'm far from being the selfish type or lacking in empathy or an abnormal person @BobaFut

@Meta4 Re your post "He had a job to do and was right to start a conversation to ensure both flyers wouldn't interfere with the other's flying" See No. 2.
I read all the replies also and it was said that Murphy was just sitting at a table (alone) getting ready to launch his drone till a meat head showed up causing intended trouble.
If that idiot didn't show up, then there wouldn't have been any altercation what so ever.
So then, who is at fault, it doesn't take a first grader to figure that out or does it Mr. mavic3usa?

Again, Well done Murph66.
Nice reply, thanks a million
 
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I have only had this happen once in my years of flying. I yelled to the other pilot because he was there first. I reported to my client that I would be doing the job the next day. I wondered if the client had hired two pilots for the same job but did it the next day as planned and was paid. So, end of story.
 
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I think you made things worse than they should have been. If he was already there, you should have waited. It's called common curiosity.
 
I think you made things worse than they should have been. If he was already there, you should have waited. It's called common curiosity.
@sarahb As in OP he "suddenly appeared from nowhere" I was sitting at the bench doing my checks when he appeared , there was no sign or sound of a drone in the air when I arrived , he was nowhere to be seen and the car (the only one there) was parked up like the usual dog walkers do regularly, there's sometimes 4 or 5 cars there, I don't tend to wait for all of them to come back to their vehicles and drive away just in case they're flying, So how did I make things worse ???
 
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I would have walked a short distance and launched I think. Not sure because In the 15 years I’ve flown drones I’ve never seen another drone or hostile witness
 
Can I just say that my Drone "Dave" was very upset following the incident in which he was referred to as a "Thing" , he's not been himself since and is receiving Cognitive Therapy for PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stressed Drone) Poor Dave, he's been given a couple of days off and is relaxing in a deck chair outside in the sunshine. ☀️☀️
 
Can I just say that my Drone "Dave" was very upset following the incident in which he was referred to as a "Thing" , he's not been himself since and is receiving Cognitive Therapy for PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stressed Drone) Poor Dave, he's been given a couple of days off and is relaxing in a deck chair outside in the sunshine. ☀️☀️

Be sure he's lying on his back with his arms and legs stretched out... They just love the sun on their tummies. An occasional belly scratch as you're passing by will gain you lots of brownie points.

Wait! We weren't talking about Pugs? Still might work though...

1117c636fb4cdbb8b361777ce0a3ec97.jpg
 
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