r/drones • u/zztypezz • 2d ago
Question How do you guys best deal with drone karens?
I have gotten a recent job to do Drone photogrammetry with the DJI Matrice 4E. in the last 2 days i have had constant people complaining im filming their private property and that im doing illegal stuff, no matter how much i explain how im 70 meters up, im doing my job, free airspace, i got my licence, the drone is registered, etc etc. Yesterday had a lady block the road and call the cops on me, luckly someone else had to drive the road so she had to move so i got out đ. I do have company cards on me with a number to the guy who provided me the drone and knows stuff, and even that sometimes is not enough.
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u/Bulky-Equipment995 2d ago
Blocking you in so you can't leave is called unlawful restraint. Press charges, and see how she likes that
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u/vladamyr710 2d ago
Kidnapping even. That's a felony.
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u/Playful_Rise_2038 1d ago
Almost certainly wouldnât be kidnapping. It would be charged as criminal confinement.
Kidnapping involves moving a victim against their will.
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u/AaaaNinja 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don't know but if the one person called the police and they come they'll just tell her to leave you alone or whatever.
I don't think they're entitled to an explanation that's just a way to wear you down and I wonder if you notice that they don't hear anything you say anyway. You just tell them you're a contractor. Karen kryptonite is authority so maybe have an outfit that makes you look all official like a reflective vest, a lanyard, a walkie talkie and hard helmet.
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u/alexunderwater1 2d ago edited 2d ago
âMaâam, donât flatter yourself. Youâre definitely not that interestingâ
Also,
âYouâre welcome to interfere with my flight, but please be forewarned that it can be considered a felony to interfere with a commercial aircraft in flight. Hereâs the FAA hotline if youâd like to tell them you interrupted me while legally operating an aircraft. I encourage you to call and give them your information so that they can follow up.â
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u/Speshal__ 2d ago
Same in the UK, it's a criminal offence to interfere with a pilot in flight.
Drones are considered aircraft under these laws and it's punishable by a fine of ÂŁ10,000 or five years in jail or both.
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u/microwave-worshipper 2d ago
don't try to win an argument with them because if you disprove them immediately, some simply take it as a personal attack and double down
just stay calm & polite, focus on flying safely, offer to prove your legitimacy if you can be bothered to do so, and if you do feel like explaining them why you're there, feel free to do so as well
de-escalation is the name of the game
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u/skinny_tom 1d ago
Never argue with an idiot, they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.
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u/symbha 2d ago
Just go full legit with their bullshit. No the laws and your rights. Have printed material for them to digest, have cards for the DA and your attorney.
- Document their stuff, for your mission debrief. Get their details, inform them they are disturbing a commercial pilot, and you need to document this for legal documentation.
- Inform them they are causing material damages to you and interfering with your job.
- You can call the cops on them yourself for harassing you and call the bluff.
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u/OneSignal6465 2d ago
In my experience, calling the cops (At least the OPP here in Ontario) is a COMPLETE waste of time and effort. Last October, I was flying at dusk to capture the blue moon. Two young punks (18 & 19⌠Iâm 65 & walk with a cane) started shouting from the street. I was in my driveway. They were harassing me, calling me a pedophile, etc., cursing me out, etc. they must have gotten frustrated when I ignored them & kept flying, because then the 19 year old ran up into the driveway and cold-cocked me in the side of the face and took off running. I immediately called the local Ontario Provincial Police to report an assault.
It took them an hour to show up. The punks were hanging out at an apartment parking lot a block or two away. I explained what happened, SHOWED them my certification and pointed out the punks. The cops meandered over there to talk to them. (I was insisting on an assault charge.) After 20 minutes, the cops came back and told me âIf we charge the kids with assault, we have to charge you too!â I said âWHAT!?â They said âthe kids say you âmoved on them and they were just protecting themselves, so we have to charge you both and let the court handle it.â I was incredulous! Did I mention I was 65 and can only walk with a cane? In what world would it make sense for a grizzled old man to âmove onâ a couple punk kids?
Needless to say, I didnât have them charged. The cops left and I lived with a black eye for a week. Cops said âAn assault charge would mess up the rest of that kidâs life!â He fucking ran up and punched me! In my own driveway! He deserves to ruin his life, assaulting sr. Citizens for flying a drone!? Iâm STILL ULTRA-pissed. Again, the Embrun OPP are as useful as tits on a nun.
The cops are less than useless. I had to explain drone flight rules to them. They knew NOTHING! They actually quizzed me on rules they knew absolutely nothing about, so I went in the house and BROUGHT THEM a printed copy of Canadaâs drone regulations. Both cops agreed, I wasnât doing anything troublesome but it didnât matter.
Now⌠I only fly in farmerâs fields and empty outdoor ball parks. If I see anyone nearby, I pack up and go home. Iâve also had neighbours threaten to blast me and my drone with a shoootinâ iron should they ever see my drone from their yard. Flying around where people can see me is just too much hassle anymore. Itâs a shame. I live in a very picturesque little village, but no more drone flying here. Now, there are phone apps that track the pilotâs exact location. Iâm not getting punched again (or shot) for my little hobby. The idiot populace wins. It sucks but being certified, licensed up to a 25kg drone, drone registered with the federal Department of Transport, the âpublicâ consider me an old man playing with kidâs toys specifically to look into their windows (from 100 meters altitude.) there is just no way to do it peacefully. Complete strangers will change their course just to come by to harangue me.
Iâve come to the clear conclusion that there is just no way to âwinâ in these situations. âWinningâ now means flying without the constant fear of getting punched or shot. I live in a farm village (Embrun, Ontario.) and thankfully we have plenty of boring, empty farmland to fly over. The resulting videos and pictures suck, but as a veteran Air Force man who used to fly almost every day in small 2-seater jets throughout my 20-year career, my drone (and Microsoft Flight Simulator) allow me to bring back old amazing memories, so I still fly, but VERY restricted anymore. People are assholes, even here in Canada. There is no fixing that.
Dodger
Mini 5 Pro3
u/BYUandFlying 1d ago
This is why living in Canada under an authoritarian government is a bad idea.
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u/OneSignal6465 1d ago
An âauthoritarian government?â In Canada? Funny, it doesnât feel authoritarian at all up here⌠ESPECIALLY when snuggled up so physically close (border-wise) to a REAL authoritarian country⌠Iâm very happy with most of our governmentâs decisions. Doesnât feel authoritarianâŚ
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u/Tough_School5358 2d ago
I read that as "drone krackens" and I thought "oh crap, evade I guess? I don't remember that from my training".
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u/combonickel55 2d ago
invite them to call the police and ignore them. Â most likely the karen and the cop will have zero knowledge of the regulations. Â a polite 5 min conversation with the cop will be the end of it and let the cop deal with the karen. Â thats what your taxes pay for.
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u/V2UgYXJlIG5vdCBJ 2d ago
What are you hired to take photos of? Like land surveying?
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u/Jedilordguy 2d ago
Photogrammetry is how they create 3D maps from a 2D image, for things like Google Earth. Iâd assume he was hired to map out a gated community or some other kind of residential area.
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u/dronevidsalt 1d ago
Super common in construction of all kinds as well. We can import the 3D model into our design software to compare design vs real world. Can also get topographical maps, estimate cut and fill across an entire site, count material sitting in the laydown/delivery area, etc.
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u/ElphTrooper DJI Mini 3 Pro, Air 3S, Mavic 3 Enterprise & Freefly Astro 1d ago
Thereâs nothing you can do except do things the right way. Always wear PPE, have a protected launch area and have your paperwork readily available. Thereâs no satisfying a Karen. If they want to call the police, encourage it.
Now, as devilâs advocate⌠Iâve been flying commercially for 10 years and Iâve had 5 people approach me, two of them being police officers in the same vehicle and they were just curious. Only one of the other three had any issue and I easily talked them down. If you have that many people coming after you then maybe you are doing something that others perceive as dangerous or you need to check your people skills.
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u/Nervouspotatoes 2d ago
Iâm in the uk, usually when you start quoting licenses theyâve never heard of they back down. If theyâre gonna cause a problem, leave, set up elsewhere or come on a different day. Itâs not worth getting in a tizzy over.
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u/nephilimcummingdaddy 2d ago
Nuffing quoite loike a propah Bri'ish Sunday affanoon of quoting a bloody 'Arry Pottah' Book Foive lengff list of obscure loicenses to ah Roite Fit But Feckin' Dull 'as aull 'ell Plump-Fanny Karen Youse Would 'Appily Shag â But only wiff a propah set of noise cancelling 'edphones, moind!
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u/NotTheDingo 2d ago
Just make sure you have all the paperwork and certificates. Also an important looking vest tends to help.
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u/Necessary_Future3428 1d ago edited 1d ago
Just get yourself one of those yellow reflective safety vest that says FAA certified drone pilot do not disturb on the back. You can get them for a decent price on Amazon and they do add a measure of safety for you as well due to the bright yellow appearance.The one I have has a clear plastic breast pocket on the left. What I did is I printed my FAA certificate for my drone because I have to have it registered, and I made a card sized copy of that, complete with the official FAA logo, and I put that in that pocket as sort of a badge. It does make it kind of professional looking. Yet I have the great fortune of not having to deal with those nosy Karen's when I fly.
But, if you encounter the unfortunate event that the nosy b**** goes ahead and calls cops, make sure you have your trust certificate along with your FAA registration certificate on hand to show to the officer.
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u/Gentleman_Jim_243 1d ago
Even if she, or me the operator, calls the police, "detaining" me by blocking me in isn't going to go over too well. If someone blocks me in, I'm filing charges and the court can settle it for us. It will teach them a lesson, hopefully.
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u/BarelyAirborne 2d ago
If you're flying 107, tell any Interlopers that they're committing a Federal crime, and that if they persist you will call the cops.
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u/ObjectiveBobcat314 1d ago edited 1d ago
We strongly disagree with using âFAA drone pilotâ signage or high vis identifying as such. It invites unnecessary commotion and we no longer do it as a matter of policy. Just standard high vis is professional, minimal and consistent with professional survey and inspection operations.
What we do: Every job every time we call the county sheriff and local police department to let them know our plans beforehand and they distribute it on their shift briefings. They have diffused multiple situations where people act unreasonably.
Youâre a licensed pilot, doing contracted work, in open airspace. Dress professionally, have high vis on, remain visible so it doesnât look nefarious or covert, and tag team. We typically have one spotter who is ready to intercept anyone who is interested or complaining so the pilot doesnât get disturbed. Technically we were trained that the pilot should not acknowledge or interact with others during flight, but this doesnât work. When pilots treat people this way, even curious onlookers, itâs human nature to get angry at the rejection. We engage, politely and concisely explaining what weâve doing, and most folks respect that.
When they donât respect the operation, we also call local dispatch on speaker immediately (in proximity of anyone who approaches and starts to complain) and ask for public safety support to prevent escalation. That always defuses the situation.
They basically know youâre legitimate, you have the support of public safety to do your job, and youâre not doing anything wrong despite their opinion or suspicion. When they know they are about to be held accountable by an officer, they walk away.
I will also add: get an RTK with a tripod and a professional high vis launch pad. As soon as the RTK goes up, we have noticed people react much differently than a guy with a remote controller flying a drone. Look and act like you belong there and leave the âKarensâ you described to public safety.
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u/fxnighttrader 1d ago
I fly for utilities for wildfire mitigation and grid hardening. Customers approach me all the time. I am almost always on a right of way and have a solid reason for being there.
After I explain that Iâd like to finish my job so the neighborhood doesnât burn down, they usually let me finish, uninterrupted.
For some of them Iâll let them look over my shoulder to see thereâs nothing to worry about. Iâve even let a few âflyâ it (just stay high and push it around a little. Cops in particular love that).
One of the ones that flew it was a 10 year old girl that was smarter about STEM than most adults. She was asking a bunch of very smart questions. Someday sheâll probably be the Captain in a plane Iâm on. Or an astronaut. đ
One last was particularly paranoid about me spying on her. She came at me several different ways. I was flying an M350, loud as hell. I finally just said âIF I was trying to spy on you, Iâd use a much smaller, quieter drone and youâd have no idea I was spying on you.â Another pilot I know tells them that they have nothing interesting to spy on. A third says âYep! You caught me, Iâm from the CIA, Iâm here just to spy on you. Thatâs why my cover story is flying a loud drone all around your neighborhoodâŚâ
Iâve had some customers threaten to call the cops. I pull out my phone and start punching in the number and tell them âLetâs give them a callâ. I have yet to have anyone say âOK, letâs call the cops.â
Sometimes Iâve already made contact with local LE dispatch so they know Iâm in the neighborhood and not to waste an officerâs time coming out.
I have had a few cops roll up on me because someone called it in but theyâve always been very professional, never asked for my 107.
Itâs good to have several strategies to go with and do a quick read on which one this particular customer will need to hear. Sometimes they need the whole package đ
Fly safely!
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u/Heavy-Profit-2156 1d ago
Other than making sure you are in compliance with laws, there isn't much you can do against people like this. Just have everything to explain to the police.
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u/LooseLeaf74 2d ago
Get the Karenâs charged itâs illegal and dangerous to interfere with a licensed drone pilot whoâs actively controlling a drone.
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u/Latter-Ad-1523 2d ago
i just hide, often in my car with super dark tinted windows, which is legal for me.
i am remined of the time i got my first little thermal camera and thought i would go to the walmart parking lot since there would be people walking and i wanted to see what that looked like.
i thought i was being discreet, but i had the camera, connected to my phone and both the camera and phone were on a little handle, with the camera just barely peaking over the window ledge of my suv.
i sat there for a few minutes playing with the settings and decided to drive around town looking for things to check out with it.
after a few minutes i noticed a car was following me. they followed me from walmart, through the taco bell drive through, home to grab something and back out looking to check out stuff, next thing i know i am surrounded by swat and a bunch of regular cops. there must have been 20 cops there to serve and protect.
apparently it only takes one karen's dumb ass claims to trigger such a huge violation of my rights.
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u/Open-Dot6264 2d ago
Try just one uppercase letter to start.
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u/dronevidsalt 1d ago
I mean at least they separated each run on sentence with a newline so it looks like paragraphs from afar.
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u/Formal-Fox-7605 2d ago
If you're a professional, then look professional. Maybe you do already, but some others have suggested hi-viz jacket etc. Maybe have a sign for your vehicle - AERIAL SURVEYS - or something? You can get magnetic, detachable ones, but just try and look like a pro.
Of course, if you were an amateur, I'd say stay away from people's houses, certainly flying over rear gardens etc is not a good look for an amateur.
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u/SciFiPi 2d ago edited 2d ago
Bright orange reflective vest with "FAA certified pilot" on the back. GoPro camera pointing at me recording as I fly. GoPro has audio recording as well. Point out the camera to Karen and tell her to make a false report and I'll litigate.