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Drone Flying Near White House Causes Lockdown

Posted by timothy on from the just-want-to-keep-tabs-on-the-civil-servants dept.

stowie writes: The White House was placed on lockdown this afternoon after a man allegedly tried to fly a drone near the building, authorities said. The Secret Service detained and is questioning an individual in connection with a drone flying in Lafayette Park, according to a senior official. President Barack Obama is not currently in the White House and is at Camp David. It's the second drone incident at the White House in 2015. Also covered by CNN.

12 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Oooh, a scary drone!!!! by Trailer+Trash · · Score: 5, Funny

    Whaddya bet it's actually a toy helicopter?

    --
    Do you have ESP?
  2. What's the big deal? by halivar · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hear the president is absolutely in love with drones, and he likes to spread that love.

  3. Come on, that's across the street by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That park is across the street from the White House. I get flying around/over the White House premises, but a park seems like a pretty normal place to fly those things.

    1. Re:Come on, that's across the street by g0bshiTe · · Score: 2

      True, but the DC FRZ includes toy rc aircraft.

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      I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  4. Ruining it for the rest of us by captaindomon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What makes me mad in this case is that the pilot is ruining it for everyone else. Every time an idiot does something like this, it's going to contribute to locking down the ability for everyone else to fly them.

    --
    Just because I can hook a shark from a boat, I do no offer to wrestle it in the water.
    1. Re:Ruining it for the rest of us by captaindomon · · Score: 2

      The problem is that the criminals will still have drones. And the media will still have them. And the police will still have them. And the terrorists will still have them. You just won't be able to have your own.

      --
      Just because I can hook a shark from a boat, I do no offer to wrestle it in the water.
    2. Re:Ruining it for the rest of us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Maybe instead of being mad at the pilot you should be mad at all the people who pee themselves over a drone flying in a park near the White House?

      Land of the free? Home of the brave? More like Land of the sissies. Home of the babies.

    3. Re:Ruining it for the rest of us by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      What makes me mad in this case is that the pilot is ruining it for everyone else. Every time an idiot does something like this, it's going to contribute to locking down the ability for everyone else to fly them.

      No it's not. The pilot isn't ruining anything. The government is ruining it by placing arbitrary rules on where your eyes can and cannot go.

      Now if the pilot was flying it at aircraft altitudes, or flying around the local runway, or at head height through a busy park I'd be right with you. But the fact is the only thing he's guilty of is crossing some arbitrary line that the government decided should exist around some government building because of ...erm .. terrorist are everywhere.

  5. Also in the news... by countSudoku() · · Score: 2, Funny

    A 6 year old girl was taken down by 8 FBI agents when she tried to fly a Hello Kitty Kite within 600 miles of a white house

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    This is the NSA, we're gonna geet U h@x0r5! Also, what is a h@x0r5?
    1. Re:Also in the news... by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 4, Funny

      Given that she got an A on her examination on "Sharing & Caring", she got on a watch list due to her communist tendencies. Then she clearly attempted a workers overthrow. You can't really blame the government there.

  6. To all the idiot drone users... by Last_Available_Usern · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Please don't fuck up recreation drone use for the rest of us.

    Sincerely,

    The rest of us

    1. Re:To all the idiot drone users... by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 2

      Um . . . no.

      The fix isn't banning all flying things from around the self proclaimed important people hangouts.
      The fix is for the Government to quit over-reacting for obviously trivial issues.

      It's an RC toy. . . who gives a shit ? Go pick it up and toss it back over the fence.

      I might understand the concern if we're talking landing a fully armed Reaper drone on the front lawn, but in all
      likelihood, this is some silly ass toy. Thus, pure Benny Hill style security theater.
      ( And it's every bit as amusing I might add )

      If an RC device flies near your home, do you:

      1) Look up and wave at it
      2) Ignore it
      3) Dress up like a Ninja, go all commando and proceed to lose your mind over it ?
      ( Insert obligatory " Get to the choppah " and " Get DOWN " vocalizations here )