2 Yellowstone Workers Fired For Peeing In Geyser

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Two seasonal Yellowstone National Park concession workers have been fired after a live webcam caught them urinating into the Old Faithful geyser.

Park spokesman Al Nash says a 23-year-old man on Tuesday was fined $750 and placed on three years of unsupervised probation for urinating, being off trail in a restricted area and taking items from the area. The man also was banned from Yellowstone for two years.

The second employee's case is pending.

The park's dispatch center was called after someone watching a webcam on the geyser saw six employees leaving the trail and walking on Old Faithful on May 4.

The geyser was not erupting at the time.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts general manager Jim McCaleb says the former concession workers were hired at the Old Faithful Inn and that such incidents were rare.

Comments

[Mikeeee]

Ridiculous. This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard (ok, except for reagan and bush being elected). Somebody needs to take the people who are persecuting these people for a prank back to their mothers and hopefully their mothers will have the good senses to box their ears so they ring for a week.
They're being far more abusive than the preanksters.

[rcpmac]

YES! Box their ears bloody.

[alumtrix]

What a beautiful story to share with your kids one day. No harm, no foul and getting caught makes it even better. It's all the proof they'll need when dad is telling his son he used to do senseless things just to see if he could get away with it. Another harmless Rite of Passage criminalized.

[scottyknows]

Hey, my geyser's on a regulated schedule. When it has to go, it has to go.

First three rows beware...

[Harrier]

What's the big deal? Lighten up-what harm did it do?

[icemilkcoffee]

I thought this was a free country? Why is everyone do uptight and puritanical? Can't 2 kids have a little fun and pee in the Geyser? They aren't hurting anybody, and I hardly think Old Faithful would mind.

[alaskan]

I can't believe how many people have no clue how dangerous geysers are. Getting that close to a geyser is illegal for a darn good reason. It's illegal to pee into an erupting volcano, too.

Can somebody PLEASE update this story to include the actual reason it's illegal?

These kids are NOT being punished for peeing -- they're being punished for risking their lives to try and be funny, and therefore, risking the lives of rescue workers who would have to pull their corpses out of a boiling geyser.

[Mikeeee]

They're being punished because of a self important park admin.

[Chaimirija]

That is why they came down so hard on them. They are trying to protect future pranksters from getting killed. I am sure those kids did not realize how easily they could have been burned to death.

[greenerland]

It adds a new kinda irony to "yellow"stone doesn't it?

[Chaimirija]

peeHeeHeh

[Paulied]

Whatever goes down must come up?

[Cynth]

"The geyser was not erupting at the time."

I love that this needed to be said. Like KIVPossum said, below, "If they did it while it was erupting, they have my admiration..."

[Chaimirija]

LMAO

[NoblesseOblige]

The funny thing is the Old Faithful Geyser is ONLY about 50 yards from the adjacent hotel which does provide rest rooms. Just saying.

[Montana 123]

Been there several times. But has the inn opened for the season yet? Or is it later this month?

[Chaimirija]

Been there only once, must say though, love your area and love the people. Dream job for me is in the area.

[treboi]

I think this gives new meaning to golden shower lol.

[palmseast2]

Right, thanks for another fine example of your close-case version of "class". Guess that shows what self-loathing closet cases do all the time in the work place.

[treboi]

You sound like a repug...its called a joke

[Cycadeoidea]

"I Peed on Old Faithful"

I want my tee-shirt!

[Paulied]

Is that to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey"?

[DaisyDooks]

*Shaking my dayum head at the people who think it's ok to tinkle into a geyser. They're probably the same ones who don't wash their hands after using the toilet or urinal.*

[Melanie226]

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Tomorrow's big headline: Two Teens Chased Off Idaho Farm for Cow Tipping

[Freesia2]

I come in peace {white flag}. I am an environmentally inclined person - I swear. My husband and I make a monthly donation, I fire off emails for the NRDC Biogems, I check my candidates environmental plank first thing, I own a book about Yellowstone. I have a dog. I've rescued birds. I don't kill spiders. I love nature. :-)

But folks, I'm failing to see what the big deal is here. I can see where there might be decency issues. It's on a webcam. I can see where no woman wants to be walking down a trail to see Old Faithful and suddenly see...an "old faithful". It wouldn't be a good idea for men to be lined up the trail like men during half time at a ballgame. Certainly there are safety issues and probably legal concerns for the Park Service.

But - it's the wilderness. Those geyers are hot. 220 degrees or some such (In my book on Yellowstone someone fell in a hot pot and dissolved. Reduced to 8 lbs of oil slick) so I can't imagine there are sanitary concerns. Again, it's the wilderness. Were they tossing aside Charmin?

I'm missing something. What am I missing?

[madzippy]

Um. there are just some things you don't do on the job. I mean the white house dog can take a wizz on the white house lawn. The President shouldn't. Decency, etiquette. Common sense. While it's not peeing in your Domino's pizza dough, it's just a no no.

[suec03]

My concern was not that the urine would introduce bacteria into the water. There are already thermophile bacteria in the geyser pool which give the pool its beautiful colors. Synthetic chemicals from ingested pharmaceuticals and other substances dissolved in urine should be kept away from the thermophile bacteria native to the pools.

[alaskan]

You're missing the fact that it's illegal to get that close to a geyser because the crust surrounding it is quite fragile. These idiots could have fallen through into boiling water.

As park employees, I am 100% certain these guys knew it was illegal because I used to work there.

If they'd been killed by their stupid prank, a ranger would then have to risk their own life to pull their corpses out of a national treasure.

[elizlucinda]

I think it may be the fact they got too close to something which can be very dangerous. If they had piddled on a tree, I doubt there would be this much fuss!! If you read the article, It's not just piddling that got this guy into trouble

[ie]

it's "urinating". Classy headline--not.

[LauraD]

I've never seen someone get in a snit over the word "peeing" before.

Do you really think a story like this warrants a classy headline?

[CherrySpring]

Gee golly gosh darnit.

"Peeing" is a euphemism as is; what more do you want? Should the headline read "2 Yellowstone Workers Fired For Using the Geyser as a Potty"?