Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tour Guide accuses Yellowstone Park Rangers of “Gestapo tactics”
Legal Insurrection ^ | 10-8-2013 | William A. Jacobson

Posted on 10/08/2013 10:54:19 AM PDT by servo1969

Foreign tourists locked in hotel under armed guard thought they were under arrest.

Yellowstone National Park is among a number of popular destination closed by the National Park Service as a result of the scale-back.

Some tourists and a tour guide are complaining about rough handling by park rangers of tourists in the park at the time of closure.

A New Hampshire tourist, along with many foreign tourists, were in Yellowstone National Park when the “shutdown” went into effect, and were met with armed park rangers who detained the group to the extent that the foreign tourists thought they were under arrest. The rangers stopped them from taking photos, and told them they were not allowed to “recreate” while in the park.

The Newburyport (MA) Daily News reports on the trip (h/t realmyiq2xu):

Pat Vaillancourt went on a trip last week that was intended to showcase some of America’s greatest treasures.

Instead, the Salisbury resident said she and others on her tour bus witnessed an ugly spectacle that made her embarrassed, angry and heartbroken for her country. Vaillancourt was one of thousands of people who found themselves in a national park as the federal government shutdown went into effect on Oct. 1.

For many hours her tour group, which included senior citizen visitors from Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States, were locked in a Yellowstone National Park hotel under armed guard.

The tourists were treated harshly by armed park employees, she said, so much so that some of the foreign tourists with limited English skills thought they were under arrest.

When finally allowed to leave, the bus was not allowed to halt at all along the 2.5-hour trip out of the park, not even to stop at private bathrooms that were open along the route.

When the seniors exited the bus, they were not allowed to take pictures of a herd of bison:

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 Livingston (MT) Enterprise interviewed the Tour Guide:

The tour director, Gordon Hodgson of Utah, learned his group would not be allowed to walk on any of the boardwalks located just outside their hotel, or visit any other geyser basins in the area.

Hodgson said the group was scheduled to spend two nights at the Inn. When they got up on Tuesday morning, they headed out to see Yellowstone for the day, planning to return to the Inn for their second night’s stay later in the day. Hodgson said they headed north out of Old Faithful and pulled over to let passengers out to take photos of bison.

Hodgson said in a phone interview Monday that a ranger pulled up behind the bus and told him he would have to get everyone back on the bus — recreation in Yellowstone was not allowed.

“She told me you need to return to your hotel and stay there,” Hodgson said. “This is just Gestapo tactics. We paid a lot to get in. All these people wanted to do was take some pictures.”

Hodgson said the ranger told him he could be convicted of trespassing if he disobeyed.

I don’t think this was “Gestapo” tactics, but it was rough treatment considering people already were in the park. Since the Park Service knew some scale back in funding was coming, more orderly plans could have been made to deal with people in the park and to ensure their exit in an orderly and respectful manner.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New Hampshire; US: Wyoming
KEYWORDS: arrest; gestapo; shutdown; yellowstone
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last
Mach das noch mal und Ihre Kameras konfisziert werden!
Löschen Sie Ihre Speicherkarten!
Schluss mit dem Spaß!
Holen Sie sich zurück in den Bus! Schnell!
1 posted on 10/08/2013 10:54:19 AM PDT by servo1969
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: servo1969

just following orders.


2 posted on 10/08/2013 10:57:17 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969
The Great Leader Only has Our Best Interet at Heart

those people could have been KILLED by BUFFALO!!!


3 posted on 10/08/2013 10:58:18 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( Un-Documented Journalist / Block Captain..Tyranny Response Team)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

This is REALLY becoming interesting.


4 posted on 10/08/2013 10:59:54 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Now imagine these people in charge of your healthcare —


5 posted on 10/08/2013 11:00:01 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969





6 posted on 10/08/2013 11:01:12 AM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Is John's moustache long enough YET?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

$300.00 paid THE DAY BEFORE, so the group had permission to be there.

Breach of contract and unlawful imprisonment, IMO.


7 posted on 10/08/2013 11:03:31 AM PDT by MortMan (Disarming the sheep only emboldens the wolves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Bullying. That’s the best description of this administration’s tactics.


8 posted on 10/08/2013 11:04:11 AM PDT by Sweet Hour of Prayer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969
Ranger Smith photo: Ranger Smith ca1e8117.jpg Show me your papers, schweinhund.
9 posted on 10/08/2013 11:04:12 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: All armed conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

I read this story earlier and found it very hard to believe...now it appears to be true.

Yet I still find it hard to believe it is really happening....our fears are becoming reality.

Locked and loaded.


10 posted on 10/08/2013 11:05:13 AM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

I hope they remember this when they go to the voting booth.


11 posted on 10/08/2013 11:05:41 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

These Rangers and others like them are REALLY asking for it. When (not if) the SHTF they will be among the first found decorating lamp posts


12 posted on 10/08/2013 11:05:41 AM PDT by clamper1797 (Evil WILL flourish when good men WILL not act)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Yep!

Hey Ranger!

What part of “Serve and Protect” involves these FASCIST tactics?

This is pure TYRANNY!
There is no LAWFULL ORDER being broken!


13 posted on 10/08/2013 11:05:57 AM PDT by G Larry (Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Psalms 109:8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver

Boy those tourism dollars are just going to come rolling in. Might be enough to delay bankruptcy. Why not just cut out the trip to the wilderness and have foreign tourist come spend their vacation at Leavenworth or one of the other federal pens?


14 posted on 10/08/2013 11:06:59 AM PDT by Portcall24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: servo1969
 photo brownshirtscopy_zpsd159a7bd.jpg

"What good fortune for the state that people do not think!"

Adolph Hitler 1933

“When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community’."

Adolph Hitler Speech November 1933

We're getting close, people! Very, very close!!


15 posted on 10/08/2013 11:07:05 AM PDT by Dick Bachert (A)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver

DISGUSTING CONTEMTUPOUS TREATMENT BY “OUR” GOVERNMENT

who is the “servant” here

the NPS should be DEEPLY ASHAMED OF ITSELF for agreeing to follow “orders” to act this way.

Didn’t take them anytime at all to devolve to being jackboots, did it?

“Ve vas only followink orders...”


16 posted on 10/08/2013 11:09:29 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

Mind-boggling.

Have any of the MSM covered this crap? I don’t watch any of them, even Fox anymore, but I’m inclined to think they haven’t touched this. Must’nt let the sheep realize they’re being led by a snotty-nosed tantrum-throwing CHILD!


17 posted on 10/08/2013 11:11:24 AM PDT by workerbee (The President of the United States is DOMESTIC ENEMY #1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

Just like Bami has made the white house off limits permanently I have yet to hear anyone entertain the possibility that some of the new restrictions might be made permanent. I put no possibility past this guy and his minions.


18 posted on 10/08/2013 11:12:16 AM PDT by Sheapdog (Chew the meat, spit out the bones - FUBO - Come and get me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: clamper1797

Ah ,
Now,
it ain’t that Bad,,,,
sarcasm,,,yes,no?


19 posted on 10/08/2013 11:14:00 AM PDT by Big Red Badger ( - William Diamonds Drum - can You Hear it G man?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Big Red Badger

What do you think ?


20 posted on 10/08/2013 11:16:48 AM PDT by clamper1797 (Evil WILL flourish when good men WILL not act)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson