A snowboarder at Brighton Resort in Utah was greeted by a surly gentleman wielding a rifle at the bottom of a run.
When the snowboarder, who was recording his run on video, saw the man with the gun, he exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry. Oh! I'm sorry."
The grouchy man, who resembled an elongated Elmer Fudd, shoved the snowboarder and said, "It's private property, you f*ucker." There weren't any visible "No Trespassing" signs.
"I didn't know that," said the snowboarder. "I'm not from here."
"I don't give a f*ck," said Elmer. He added, ominously, "If you do it again, there'll be holes."
Xitter users' responses to the encounter demonstrate the usual spectrum of perspectives on property rights, personal freedom, and community living. Some sympathize with the property owner, understanding the irritation that comes with repeated trespassing and the desire to protect one's space. Others, however, have criticized the approach taken, arguing that threats and aggressive actions are neither an appropriate nor legal response to such issues.
Legally, property owners cannot resort to threats or physical force to deter trespassers in Utah. From the Utah Legal Blog of Hepworth Legal:
Utah also allows what is commonly referred to as the castle doctrine, which is the use of force by a person to prevent another who is attempting to unlawfully enter their residence. In Utah, this is called "force in defense of habitation." Specifically, this statute allows for the use of deadly force only when there is a "reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or serious bodily injury if the entry or attempted entry is unlawful and is made or attempted by use of force, or in a violent and tumultuous manner, or surreptitiously or by stealth, or for the purpose of committing a felony."
See also: Trespasser going berserk set to heavy metal soundtrack
