Videos of tourists failing to follow the rules at national parks are typically alarming, and some are particularly terrifying.
What's worse is that many of the tourists in the videos don't realize they're in danger, or that they're likely causing harm to the environment. Some of the videos include people walking too close to geysers, taking photos on historic landmarks, and even bringing their children dangerously close to bodies of water, or in this case, a cliff.
One video posted on the Instagram page, Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone), which is dedicated to exposing tourists who don't follow the rules in the parks — with "touron" being a combination of "tourist" and "moron" — shows a man inching out on a rock ledge off an incredibly high cliff, the Half Dome at Yosemite National Park.
His children watch from behind him, also dangerously close to the ledge. One of them asks the heartbreaking question that viewers have too: "What if you fall off, daddy?"
Falling off at that height would mean certain death, and it would have been right in front of his children.
"That ledge could crack and fall," said one user in the comments, which is precisely the reason that national parks implore visitors to heed their warnings and read all of their rules and recommendations when it comes to exploring.
Even if it's a well-visited tourist destination, Yosemite and other national parks can still be dangerous — even fatal — if tourists aren't following the rules.
"Think safely, act safely," the National Park Service reminds readers on their website.
Unfortunately, these instances are all too common, and in order to keep these parks alive and thriving, it's imperative that visitors have the utmost respect for the scenery and wildlife. This will ensure that all tourists have a safe and positive visit and that sacred and endangered wildlife is not harmed.
Other users were outraged by the tourist's decision to not only endanger himself but also his children. "I feel sorry for the children," said one user. "Dude should be arrested for endangering his kids!" said another.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated the location of the video as being at Yellowstone National Park instead of Yosemite. We regret the error.
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