Every single individual I might come in contact with. Maybe wherever you live is fundamentally different from where I’ve lived, which is where 1/3 of the country lives. But it seems like a nightmare.
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Most US National Park rangers and US Forest Service employees are unarmed and responsible for educating visitors about wildlife, geology, and/or history in the park as well as fire prevention, trail restoration, fire & rescue, and park management. (my own experience, not speaking for @snarkranger)
aug 31, 2025, 10:14 pm • 3 0 • view
Parks with a lot of visitors have law enforcement rangers who carry a sidearm (and possibly a shotgun in their vehicle, usually for wildlife). They issue warnings & tickets to people who are doing something stupid/illegal they’ve already been told not to by other staff or that’s super dangerous.
aug 31, 2025, 10:14 pm • 3 0 • view
I am a national park ranger, as it happens. NPS law enforcement rangers are fully qualified federal law enforcement officers and carry sidearms and semi-automatic rifles. They can and do make arrests for all crimes cognizable to law.
aug 31, 2025, 10:16 pm • 3 0 • view
They're the park's police force, and they are trained and equipped accordingly. As an interp ranger, I'm empowered to demand compliance with the law, but I am neither trained nor qualified to engage with anyone refusing to comply - that's when I back off and call the people with guns and cuffs.
aug 31, 2025, 10:23 pm • 1 0 • view
That’s what I thought from what you were describing. And I know people are terrible at this time of year without budget cuts, so thank you for what you do! I love our parks, they’re a treasure!
aug 31, 2025, 10:22 pm • 1 0 • view
I saw several arrests over 5 to 7 years, but I don’t think I ever saw a weapon drawn. Thankfully.
aug 31, 2025, 10:24 pm • 1 0 • view
And depending on the park, visitors can and will be belligerent jerks, especially at this time of year, or whatever the busy season is, and especially at the busiest parks, like Yellowstone, and parks in or near cities, like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and where I’ve worked.
aug 31, 2025, 10:20 pm • 2 0 • view
And it’s actually somewhat a different kind of bad behavior, but a lot of the time it’s still the same assholes everywhere, if that makes sense. Some behavior will be specific, but mostly it’s people being dumb, entitled, rude, drunk, on drugs, starting fires, letting kids/dogs run around, sucking.
aug 31, 2025, 10:20 pm • 1 0 • view