Revenge On Drone Users

So I was just visiting a national park, where drones are illegal, and heard a loud buzzing in a public area. It wasn't long before I came across a group of four, a man and 3 women, all in their early 20's, who were just landing it on their picnic table. I asked I they had permission to fly it, and they said they didn't need any, because the area wasn't listed as being in a no-fly zone. I said that didn't matter; drone are illegal in all national parks unless there is a specific authorization for it. One woman said they wouldn't do it again, but all four acted put-upon, like I was the one harassing them. I first took pictures, then started recording them, and the man said he "didn't appreciate" this. I told him I didn't appreciate the drone, or his failure to apologize, but they kept escalating the confrontation by saying that they were only flying it for 10 seconds (no, it was 2-3 minutes), that I could only have heard it when I approached them (no, I heard it in a viewing area over 100 feet away at first), that I was stalking them (no, I just came across them), and that my issue wasn't over their illegal action but about my pride (no, it was their pride which prevented them from acknowledging their error). Only the one woman came close to apologizing, the rest kept insisting that they did nothing wrong.

I later went to a ranger and said what had happened, and she didn't want to see the picture, just said if they did it again to let them know. Which I just did; so they didn't seem to be taking this rule very seriously.

More bothersome than the original drone flying was their constant denials and attempts to reverse the blame, like I was in the wrong. They kept saying they did nothing wrong.

But later while wildlife watching near my parking lot, I saw them go back to their car, get something out of it, and then leave again. They didn't see me, and there weren't many people around, so I waited about 10 more minutes, then walked to my car and wrote on a piece of paper I had lying around "I don't think I did anything wrong either." Then I took my Ryobi nailgun out of my trunk and quickly punched a hole in their tire, while putting the note on the windshield, before driving off.

Petty? Maybe. A Larry David move, doubtless. But they asked for it. If they think it's ok for a person to do something that harms others as long as the person doesn't think it is wrong, then in their book, too, my move was ok. I won't do it again.

And I trust that after repairing a $200 tire they won't fly drones in national parks again, or try to turn the tables on someone who called them out for illegal, and annoying, activity.