!["[Visitors] need to be handed a red notice when entering that says you'll be arrested, fined, and banned for leaving the boardwalk."](https://www.thecooldown.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-rec9sh4uni0vPXKZc.jpg?w=1920&h=800)
These tourists are lucky to be unscathed after standing ridiculously close to a Yellowstone geyser.
Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) shared another video of tourons — a term that combines the words "tourist" and "morons" — standing way too close to a flood geyser.
The clip captures two tourists posing and taking photos just feet from a bubbling geyser at Yellowstone National Park.
These geysers are scalding — they can easily be "200 degrees Fahrenheit or even hotter," according to Yellowstone Forever. If the geyser were to erupt, or if the fragile ground were to crumble, a tourist that close would be exposed to extreme and possibly fatal burns.
To keep tourists safe, park rules require guests to remain on boardwalks and trails as well as not touch the springs or geysers. Not everyone pays attention. One elderly tourist suffered third-degree burns after falling into a thermal area, and others have died after falling in. Boiling in a geyser is not a pleasant way to go, but it is completely preventable. The rules aren't to spoil your fun; they're to keep you and others out of harm's way.
Millions of people visit Yellowstone every year. Most of them are on their best behavior, but the bad apples may ruin it for everyone. Morning Glory, a popular thermal pool known for its color, has changed drastically because tourists throw trash and coins into it.
Our national parks exist for preservation, and if we can't put an end to this disrespectful behavior, we may lose our privileges.
Many commenters called for stricter enforcement of rules by the park.
One user said tourists breaking the rules "need to be handed a red notice when entering that says you'll be arrested, fined, and banned for leaving the boardwalk."
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"They should be arrested," another commenter agreed.
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