I"m a six month drone owner/pilot, using my bird for work purposes doing aerial photography only. I want to call your attention to the other side of the issue that pits privacy rights against the rights one has to fly his drone.
Next door to me, living with his parents, is a 40 something individual who who is a convicted felon, having served time for possession of illegal weapons and parts manufacture/sale, and has been arrested at least three times since then for the same offenses. The last time he was arrested was two weeks ago, and with our lovely "zero bail" policy here in California, he is again out on the streets, apparently waiting for a future court date, which he will probably blow off.
About a month ago on a Saturday morning I was in my back yard and heard the familiar sounds of spinning blades. I looked up and across my yard at about 50 feet flew a drone, continuing north away from my house. By coincidence I went into my front yard a few minutes later and who should I see standing in the street closely studying a drone controller was my felon neighbor. I didn't want to cause an issue then, but at least three more Saturday mornings since I have watched him out there flying his drone in all directions throughout the neighborhood.
This past Saturday I had had enough. I went into my front yard, and told him that most everyone I know values their privacy and he should not be randomly flying his drone over peoples' properties when there is no way anyone knows what he is looking at or why. He told me to Mod Removed Language ) mind my own business. That pretty much put me over the edge. I told him with his long and sordid record with law enforcement, the eyes and ears of rest of the neighbors already go on alert when his familiar beat-up pickup truck rolls down the street, and it should be obvious to him what they must be thinking when his drone flies over their property. I told him he probably doesn't want the police to come snooping around AGAIN, and if he agreed, he should take his drone out into the country away from people who would take offense to what he is doing. I won't repeat when he said in response, but that is where it ended.
Almost all of the posts I see regarding this topic are from those of you who have had run-ins with neighbors while flying your drones responsibly and for legitimate purposes. Clearly that is not what I am dealing with.
I'd like to get some feedback from some of you regarding my predicament. While I, like all of you, value our rights to fly these drones, there is no doubt that the relative ease and low cost of purchasing a high quality unit with remarkable photographic capabilities also exists for those who clearly have less than upstanding purposes in mind for their use. I did call my local police department, and, without giving my name or address asked if there were any privacy laws being broken that I could call them out for, and they said no. I asked if there was any recourse at all at my disposal, and they said nothing other than talking to my neighbor and trying to make him understand the concerns held by myself and the rest of our neighbors.
Help?
Next door to me, living with his parents, is a 40 something individual who who is a convicted felon, having served time for possession of illegal weapons and parts manufacture/sale, and has been arrested at least three times since then for the same offenses. The last time he was arrested was two weeks ago, and with our lovely "zero bail" policy here in California, he is again out on the streets, apparently waiting for a future court date, which he will probably blow off.
About a month ago on a Saturday morning I was in my back yard and heard the familiar sounds of spinning blades. I looked up and across my yard at about 50 feet flew a drone, continuing north away from my house. By coincidence I went into my front yard a few minutes later and who should I see standing in the street closely studying a drone controller was my felon neighbor. I didn't want to cause an issue then, but at least three more Saturday mornings since I have watched him out there flying his drone in all directions throughout the neighborhood.
This past Saturday I had had enough. I went into my front yard, and told him that most everyone I know values their privacy and he should not be randomly flying his drone over peoples' properties when there is no way anyone knows what he is looking at or why. He told me to Mod Removed Language ) mind my own business. That pretty much put me over the edge. I told him with his long and sordid record with law enforcement, the eyes and ears of rest of the neighbors already go on alert when his familiar beat-up pickup truck rolls down the street, and it should be obvious to him what they must be thinking when his drone flies over their property. I told him he probably doesn't want the police to come snooping around AGAIN, and if he agreed, he should take his drone out into the country away from people who would take offense to what he is doing. I won't repeat when he said in response, but that is where it ended.
Almost all of the posts I see regarding this topic are from those of you who have had run-ins with neighbors while flying your drones responsibly and for legitimate purposes. Clearly that is not what I am dealing with.
I'd like to get some feedback from some of you regarding my predicament. While I, like all of you, value our rights to fly these drones, there is no doubt that the relative ease and low cost of purchasing a high quality unit with remarkable photographic capabilities also exists for those who clearly have less than upstanding purposes in mind for their use. I did call my local police department, and, without giving my name or address asked if there were any privacy laws being broken that I could call them out for, and they said no. I asked if there was any recourse at all at my disposal, and they said nothing other than talking to my neighbor and trying to make him understand the concerns held by myself and the rest of our neighbors.
Help?
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