Stupid Tourist Tricks

[Bwana]

It's off to a fast start already this year! A list of incidents involving people trying to obtain the coveted Darwin Award. I will keep you up to date of all the stupid tourist tricks.

This yesterday: We thought it was cold! (this is a first)
http://www.ktvq.com/story/31975424/y...ed-it-was-cold



How this lady lived and was not gored is beyond me: Buy a Powerball ticket lady:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfk1O9_quxs

This from last week: Amazing no one got taken out:
http://www.krtv.com/story/31915893/v...nal-park-video

Much of the time, this is what happens: Fat guy vs Bison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNvTHOrTf_Y

At this rate, it should be a record year for goring incidents, Chinese tourists seem particularly clueless. So far no goring's, but it's coming.

If you have any from your area, post them up.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by Bwana

This happened the other day. Grandma got a bit close and paid for it.
https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/0...WBZrLpK87UmkTv


I also saw this shot today and they got away with it, without being tossed. Exit vehicle, leave brain behind.

Is yellowstone really like that every day now? We are thinking about going up there next summer.

[dlphg9]

Originally Posted by Bwana

This happened the other day. Grandma got a bit close and paid for it.
https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/0...WBZrLpK87UmkTv


I also saw this shot today and they got away with it, without being tossed. Exit vehicle, leave brain behind.

God damn, you have to be extraordinarily stupid to get your kids out with you while ****ing around deadly animals that weigh up to a ton and will **** your world to hell. I'm not sure what they're expecting? Do they think they are cows? They don't have the slightest clue of how they can and will kill a mother****er?

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

God damn, you have to be extraordinarily stupid to get your kids out with you while ****ing around deadly animals that weigh up to a ton and will **** your world to hell. I'm not sure what they're expecting? Do they think they are cows? They don't have the slightest clue of how they can and will kill a mother****er?

Fluffy cows and by God it's a park, so they must be tame!!

[Bwana]

A few bonus shots of stupid tourons.






Must get a selfie!!

[George Liquor]

Granny needs to quit being an insta-thot before she gets gored by that buffalo.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by bdj23

Is yellowstone really like that every day now? We are thinking about going up there next summer.

If by "that" if you mean traffic jams and stupid people, that's a hard yes. Wait until fall if you want to go. It's a lot less stressful.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by Bwana

If by "that" you mean traffic jams and stupid people, that's a hard yes. Wait until fall if you want to go. It's a lot less stressful.

I've been in the summer but it was the 90s and I don't remember it being that bad. It was right after a bad fire so that might have kept tourists away. We stayed at Flag Ranch and I absolutely loved it.

I wanna do the same trip with my kids. Bad Lands/Mt Rushmore, Devils tower, Yellowstone, Tetons/Jackson and then visit my family in southwest Wyoming.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by bdj23

I've been in the summer but it was the 90s and I don't remember it being that bad. It was right after a bad fire so that might have kept tourists away. We stayed at Flag Ranch and I absolutely loved it.

I wanna do the same trip with my kids. Bad Lands/Mt Rushmore, Devils tower, Yellowstone, Tetons/Jackson and then visit my family in southwest Wyoming.

Yeah the big fires were in '88 and things still looked pretty bad, so it kept a lot of people away for a few years. If you go in the summer, bring your Ibuprofen and Rolaids. Side note: Teton pass is currently closed because of a mudslide going across the road. I'm sure that will be open in a few days. It got closed the day before, because of a big crack in the road, caused my a landslide. https://www.ksl.com/article/51036801...after-mudslide

[George Liquor]

I would say it was 97 or 98 when we went

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by bdj23

I would say it was 97 or 98 when we went

Yeah to this day, there are a lot of places that are still not the same after those fires.

[Bwana]

Ouch, it was worse than I thought.



https://www.foxnews.com/us/wyomings-...rophic-failure

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Bwana

Ouch, it was worse than I thought.



https://www.foxnews.com/us/wyomings-...rophic-failure

Jesus. Yeah, that's not going to reopen anytime soon.

As for Yellowstone, I was there 25 years ago, 12 years after the fire. It sucked. Vast swaths of the park were still mostly charred wasteland. I assume it's better now, but that's okay. I'm never going back.

[displacedinMN]

Want to see bison at Yellowstone? You're likely not prepared.

spoiler for length

Spoiler!

In the deep green pastures of Yellowstone National Park, where the air is crisp and the tall grass dances in the breeze, lives the bison, a large, majestic animal with chocolate brown fur — and a delicate temperament that could turn from pleasant to dangerous in seconds.

Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, a national park official said. Last weekend, an 83-year-old woman from South Carolina was gored by a bison that was defending its space, park officials said. She sustained serious injuries after being lifted about a foot off the ground by the animal's horns. The incident remains under investigation.

It was the latest in a string of tragic events at the park involving visitors and bison, which are social animals that live in herds. In April, a 40-year-old man was injured after harassing a herd of bison and kicking one of the animals in the leg. In July 2023, a 47-year-old woman sustained significant injuries after being charged and gored by a bison. Just weeks earlier, a man pleaded guilty to one count of feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing wildlife after interacting with a newborn bison calf, which had to be euthanized.

Episodes like these occur too regularly, said Jon Grinnell, associate professor of biology and a bison expert at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. "I think it's a sign of how unfamiliar people are with dealing with wild animals," he said. "They think they are tame things that will respect them, and they won't always do that."

Still, visiting Yellowstone to learn about the animals could be beneficial, Grinnell said. "If the only exposure to wildlife is through the internet, that's going to teach them some dangerous behaviors," he said. "It's much better to respect the animals and give it space and not have to have that selfie taken with the bison bull."

The bison at Yellowstone make up the country's largest population, about 5,000, on public land. Herds, which can range from a few dozen bison up to hundreds, freely roam over Yellowstone and into some nearby areas of Montana.

We spoke to two bison experts about the dos and don'ts of encountering the animal at Yellowstone.

Q: Should visitors of Yellowstone be scared of bison?

A: There is no need to be fearful of bison, but humans should keep a healthy respect for them from a distance, said Jeff Martin, assistant professor of bison biology and management at South Dakota State University. Martin said that park visitors should practice observing bison in awe because "they are incredibly large and appear to be a relic of the past."

Q: How big are bison, and what is their temperament?

A: Bison are massive, about twice the size of domestic cattle. Male bison, known as bulls, can weigh more than 2,000 pounds, Grinnell said, with temperaments that can easily switch from placid to aggressive, especially during the breeding season, which typically runs from mid-July to mid-August.

Q: Can humans outrun a bison?

A: "Not a chance," Grinnell said, adding that bison can run 35 mph.

Despite their size, bison are agile animals that can turn on a dime. "They're really sort of front heavy," Grinnell said. "So they plant their front feet, whip their rear end around, and they can go the next direction they want."

Q: Is it ever safe to approach a bison?

A: No.

Q: Under what circumstances should humans intervene with wildlife at Yellowstone?

A: None. Call the park office and let a wildlife biologist, who is a trained professional, deal with the situation, Martin said.

Q: When are bison most active?

A: Coinciding with summer travel, bison are busiest from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In the early part of the season, new mothers have calves on the ground. "They are highly protective of their babies," Martin said. "Do not go near them, because they don't want anyone near their babies." Then later in the summer, bulls become territorial of their soon-to-be breeding mates, he said.

Q: What should you do if you encounter a bison?

A: Remain calm. Do not walk toward them, and instead begin backing up, Martin said. Do not stare at them in the eyes. If you happen upon them on a trail, follow the same directions. "Don't make a big deal of it," Martin said. "They're not bears, you don't need to be yelling, they know you're there."

Q: What is proper distance from which to observe a bison?

A: National Park Service officials said visitors should stay more than 25 yards, or 75 feet, away from large animals like bison, elk, bighorn sheep and moose when encountered near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot or other developed area. People should stay at least 100 yards, or 300 feet, away from bears and wolves.

Q: What should you do if you are gored?

A: Grinnell recommends lying still on the ground and hoping the bison goes away so medical help can reach you.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

[Frazod]

I've said it many times, but I loathe those goddamn things. They're big, nasty, smelly and dangerous. Nearly hit one at Yellowstone - topped a hill doing about 50 and one was standing right in the middle of the road. Slammed on the brakes and missed it by about a foot. It just stood there and after a couple of minutes wandered off. Pretty much my least favorite thing about going out west. Wish they had been hunted to extinction. If there was one left on earth, I'd happily shoot it.

[scho63]

Top 10 stupid tourist tricks

1. Cover yourself in honey and stand in Yellowstone to take a picture of a bear
2. Stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon and do a funny one leg pose as you fall off the side of a ledge
3. Lean over the rail at Niagra Falls trying to see how cold the water is
4. Hang out in Alaska with a salmon strapped to your back to test the speed of a grizzly bear.
5. Step out of your guide vehicle on safari in Africa to take a close up of a sleeping pride of lions.
6. Take an evening swim in the Everglades
7. Overturn rocks and reach your hand in for a souvenir in the desert
8. Participate in a Pride Month March in Afghanistan
9. Eat a heavy meal of tapas and a drink a few bottles of Sangria then wear all red during the running of the bulls in Spain.
10. Decide to paint your body with a message about climate change and do the Polar Bear swim challenge in Antarctica.

Bonus: See how close you can get to the lava eruption while on vacation in Iceland to get a great selfie