But my first reaction on reading this was, “If they see this and still believe there’s any future in trusting the government…”
What? Finish the sentence, Joel. You’ll what? Lose all faith in them?
The bus stopped along a road when a large herd of bison passed nearby, and seniors filed out to take photos. Almost immediately, an armed ranger came by and ordered them to get back in, saying they couldn’t “recreate.” The tour guide, who had paid a $300 fee the day before to bring the group into the park, argued that the seniors weren’t “recreating,” just taking photos.
“She responded and said, ‘Sir, you are recreating,’ and her tone became very aggressive,” Vaillancourt said.
The seniors quickly filed back onboard and the bus went to the Old Faithful Inn, the park’s premier lodge located adjacent to the park’s most famous site, Old Faithful geyser. That was as close as they could get to the famous site — barricades were erected around Old Faithful, and the seniors were locked inside the hotel, where armed rangers stayed at the door.
“They looked like Hulk Hogans, armed. They told us you can’t go outside,” she said. “Some of the Asians who were on the tour said, ‘Oh my God, are we under arrest?’ They felt like they were criminals.”
As the bus made its 2.5-hour journey out of Yellowstone, the tour guide made arrangements to stop at a full-service bathroom at an in-park dude ranch he had done business with in the past. But no stop was made — Vaillancourt said the dude ranch had been warned that its license to operate would be revoked if it allowed the bus to stop.
This whole thing is simply mind bending… so incredibly stupid on every front.
Some friends went up to a local ski area with their children to sled last weekend. It’s an “honor” type payment for entry – no gatekeepers ever – and the box was taped shut with a sign saying the trails were closed and wouldn’t open again until the shut down was ended. Can’t remember the exact words, but the whole tone was childish and sullen. No armed guards blocking the way, however, so my friends and the children had a great time.
We don’t have enough armed forest circus clowns to block ski trails here in Wyoming.
YAHOOOO. 🙂
It’s time for some serious civil disobedience. Let’s see ’em arrest half the country. Asshats!!
Our gubmint is just hateful and corrupt and Oh SO needful of liberty’s natural manure
I don’t remember such bs the last time, but then I wasn’t paying as close attention back then as I have been the last few years. Anyone storming the lines – good for you. As for the fines, I’d be tempted to send the gov the bill and call it even since they still grab taxes from people during this time.
Hopefully someone explained to those tourists that the insanity is in the government, not the majority of Americans,
tour(er)ists?
I like to think I already have a pretty well-cultivated Bad Attitude toward all this tone-deaf narcissism among our betters, but I have to admit, the over-the-top-ness of some of these things–presuming their veracity, in this tiresome time of extra-innings mudslinging and disinformation–is actually somewhat surprising. Even allowing for all the arrogance/chutzpah/hubris/narcissism I can muster, I still can’t figure out what any of TPTB thinks this is doing that’s actually of benefit to them.
Other than just getting someone else to start their war for them, of course. That seems like the Occam’s Razor explanation.
Either way, it seems clear that they have booked their bet on how the public will respond. I guess we’ll find out.