It’s with a mix of amusement and incredulity I feel when seeing “news” about an increase in drone sightings in and around the New York City area. I mean come on people! What is it with all this ‘the sky is falling’ nonsense? The explanation is simple enough an awful lot of people should be embarrassed as hell. And if you looked at the title pic I just gave you a hint even the dumbest MAGA goober should be able to get.
Let’s take a quick look at the ‘situation’ shall we? Every day for well over a week (closer to two I think) there have been news stories about a ‘troubling’ or ‘disturbing’ or in some cases ‘alarming’ (lots more adjectives too) drone sightings. And oh my the speculation. “What’s going on?” “Why this sudden increase in drones.” “Who is responsible for all these drones and what are they up to?” Those and more questions are being posed, and freaking many folks including some of our top ‘leaders’ the hell out.
Rudy G. has made another stab at relevance saying China ‘raped’ us with a balloon last year and now they’re doing it with drones. Ok, Rudy is stomp-down crazy. But there are others. For example as noted in this article from Newsweek Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez is worried. He’s far from the only one expressing public concerns or even alarm. Backed up by the DOD, the FAA and the Intel community the WH is assuring people there’s nothing to be worried about but that’s not stopping the ‘Drones are EVERYWHERE! The bad guys are coming for us. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!’ crazies. Naturally RWNJ media is only to happy to fuel this. Any bets that once Trump is sworn in this talk will stop? (Hint, it will but by then there won’t be much need. And when the sightings suddenly decrease Trump will claim credit – even before being sworn in)
Personally I’ve never been a big fan of drones. Never had a desire to own one, or fly someone else’s. I’ve also had concerns about privacy with the things. Years ago people started complaining about drones looking down into their fenced off backyards. Yes, there are perverts out there looking for thrills like seeing women sunbathing and maybe topless or nude while doing so. Or couples enjoying the kind of wicked delights consenting adults engage in while out back in their hot tubs or pools. So yes, I can see that and other issues with some individual spending not that much money on a drone and flying it around their (or someone else’s) neighborhood.
Then there’s the matter of package delivery which Amazon in particular has wanted to make common. Leaving aside the issue of noise pollution created from drone large and powerful enough to carry a package with some weight, seeing those things all over the place when we just want to look up and enjoy the clouds in the sky isn’t a pleasant thing to have to deal with. But the fact is, bit by bit more companies are delivering everything from pizzas and other foodstuffs to packages via drone and Amazon got the go-ahead earlier this year to greatly expand its capability. If you think drones in the sky are bad now you ain’t seen nothing yet!
That brings me to my explanation. It’s freaking CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!! Package deliveries are through the roof like they are this time every single year. NASA issued a release explaining how in July they’d worked out a partnership with the FAA to allow operators to use drones travelling well beyond the operator’s line of sight. In other words, for Bezos/Amazon and others things got to a point where they could fly drones miles to deliver packages. Remember what I said about this time of year being THE time for packages to be sent?
There’s something else. Every morning when I turn on my TV the default channel is Spectrum News. If I watch long enough I see a story about this or that house, or neighborhood or park with a spectacular display of Christmas lights/decorations. This is nothing new. Some people/families have generational traditions of putting on quite the display. Same with some neighborhoods. And well-off jurisdictions have developed a tradition of pretty spectacular downtown decorations or a big show in some public park people can drive through. But what if you don’t need to take a drive?
Think about it. With drones now including cameras almost as a standard feature one is limited only in the range of their drone. Why leave your home at all if you can sit there and fly it around town? Or if in an urban area instead of going all the way to some specially decorated place have a nice dinner a couple of miles away, and then from the car or perhaps even the restaurant itself fire up the drone? Why inch along in traffic through some park when you can just sit somewhere and record it all with your drone and watch on the big TV screen at home? Oh, and if something grabs your fancy you can hover for a while. Move back and forth and/or circle for a bit to get an extra special view. Sort of like a UFO…
So yes, in my humble opinion all this hysteria isn’t just misplaced it’s downright stupid. Between package delivery and using drones for Christmas light display viewing (remotely) it’s no mystery at all why in recent weeks there’s been a ‘bigly’ uptick in drones flying around, especially since use at night is also a rather recent development! My prediction is that after Christmas there will be notable drop-off. Mostly from a whole lot less packages being delivered by drone. However, some folks will get drones as Christmas presents and I’m betting they will use their new toy to take a last look at Christmas light displays before they are taken down.
However come January, this “OMFG!” attitude about drone sightings will quickly fade from the news. Christmas, and the reasons it’s prompted an increase in drone use will be over, and if a few major outlets figure out for themselves what I’ve suggested and talk about it some those who are making such a fuss will suddenly go quiet. And hope all their hand-wringing hysteria is forgotten.
y’all are losing your touch.
Well, maybe so and maybe not. You’re free to say you think I’m wrong or even batshit crazy with my theory. But a vague comment like you just made doesn’t tell anyone much. Except you think you’re smarter and have better material that can be displayed on this site than those of us who do actually plant our butts at the keyboard, research and write. Maybe you’d be so kind as to submit a few articles of your own to show us how it’s done? At the very least perhaps you could make clear what you disagree with in this piece. I don’t like criticism any more than the next person but when well intentioned I take it to heart. Especially when someone shows me I’m wrong or at least should have done a better job making a given point. And if you’re familiar with my work then you know I thank those who do so.
So please, tell me WHY you think I’ve missed the mark. I’ll take you seriously if you choose to offer serious, constructive criticism and so will any other writer on this site. Finally, if you can in fact write and contribute articles that people want to read I’d be delighted to have another voice contributing on our Little Engine That Could and say Welcome Aboard.
I’ve begun noticing that “Instru Mental” has been posting a whole lot of less-than-illuminating responses of late. Many seem to be little more than snide hit-and-runs that could be so much better if he (default pronoun selection) just posted “I don’t agree.”
I’m really thinking that “mental” might belong in an institution that could offer some help.
Your article might be the most “sane” one I’ve seen on the subject yet. If I see another right wing idiot bleating “THEY” aren’t telling us what’s going on, I think my head will explode.