Star Gazing (after hours) in a New York State Park requires a permit

[Beast]

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/cant-make-this-up-new-york-state-is-now-mandating-stargazing-permits-for-looking-at-the-sky/

 

You can't make this ***** up.

Edited January 29, 2020 by SDS
Title was misleading

[Gugny]

At first, I tried to make sense of it as just an, "after sunset parking permit," which it's framed as on the NYS Govt site.  But it also explicitly specifies, "for stargazing only."

 

I'm seriously at a loss for words.

[SDS]

What a dumb write up. The Gateway Pundit? Jesus. Don't you have a screwdriver you can jam in your ear?

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-gateway-pundit/

[Gugny]

7 minutes ago, SDS said:

What a dumb write up. The Gateway Pundit? Jesus. Don't you have a screwdriver you can jam in your ear?

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-gateway-pundit/

 

That was my first thought, too, so I verified.

 

It's real … https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=2ahUKEwj-stL43KnnAhVoh-AKHY5-B3sQFjAEegQIBxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fparks.ny.gov%2Fregions%2Fattachments%2F2020DashboardPermitGuide.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0CT6gjVW1Ik9S9JVPqGK28

 

Found here … http://search.its.ny.gov/search/search.html?q=stargazing&site=default_collection

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by Gugny

[SinceThe70s]

For the state parks on Long Island it looks like this applies to a few beach parking lots that are typically closed at night. The stargazing stipulation is probably intended to keep people from swimming, fishing, bbq'ing, bonfires on the beach, etc... after hours.

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

That was my first thought, too, so I verified.

 

It's real … https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=2ahUKEwj-stL43KnnAhVoh-AKHY5-B3sQFjAEegQIBxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fparks.ny.gov%2Fregions%2Fattachments%2F2020DashboardPermitGuide.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0CT6gjVW1Ik9S9JVPqGK28

 

 

 

The commentary though, is crap and that is the best you can say about it.

 

It's an after-hours permit, most likely to be used to escape light pollution in densely populated areas. It basically just means, "I'm here to use the the park, when it is closed to general use, for the purposes of stargazing. A park ranger would naturally approach anyone present in a closed park, if they weren't aware that they had a legitimate use of the park at that time of day.

[Gray Beard]

I have mixed feelings on this.  

 

It makes sense to have isolated places for stargazing, but they should probably be patrolled.  Isolated places provide opportunities for prostitution, robbery, etc.  Somebody has to pay to have the area patrolled.  

 

When the permit says for stargazing only, they are implying no parties, swimming, cooking, etc.  

 

The price seems steep to me, but I’m cheap and out of touch about such things. 

[Augie]

What’s really annoying is they have three different lines to buy your stargazing permit, your diving in the water permit and your breathing of the air permit. 

 

It’s a park. I get if they want to regulate things in some way in terms of hours and activities, but they already have a reputation for taxes and fees. There’s probably a better way to present this.  Call it an after hours/evening ticket with restricted activities, or something. The diving in the water permit is probably restricted to certain areas and pays for a lifeguard. Call it a ticket to the beach area. Calling it a “permit”, they left themselves open to exactly this. 

 

 

.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Augie

[Beast]

29 minutes ago, SDS said:

 

The commentary though, is crap and that is the best you can say about it.

 

It's an after-hours permit, most likely to be used to escape light pollution in densely populated areas. It basically just means, "I'm here to use the the park, when it is closed to general use, for the purposes of stargazing. A park ranger would naturally approach anyone present in a closed park, if they weren't aware that they had a legitimate use of the park at that time of day.

How many New York State Parks are in densely populated areas?

 

Here in Broome County we have one and it is very rural. People camp there.

Edited January 29, 2020 by Binghamton Beast

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

How many New York State Parks are in densely populated areas?

 

Here in Broome County we have one and it is very rural.

 

You will have to ask the permit buyers why they want to be in the park. I offered a common explanation for why someone would seek a non-residential area to look at the sky.

[Beast]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

 

You will have to ask the permit buyers why they want to be in the park. I offered a common explanation for why someone would seek a non-residential area to look at the sky.

The point of all this still stands. It’s ridiculous but so New York State.

[sherpa]

Use stellarrium.org, and do it from home.

I do.

[Gray Beard]

The parks where these permits apply are all downstate where getting away from light is a problem.

[SDS]

11 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

The point of all this still stands. It’s ridiculous but so New York State.

 

It's not, but then again you feel comfortable using the Gateway Pundit as a source so there's that frame of reference to consider.

[Beast]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

 

It's not, but then again you feel comfortable using the Gateway Pundit as a source so there's that frame of reference to consider.

Yeah, it is. And thanks for your permission. Appreciated.

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

Yeah, it is. And thanks for your permission. Appreciated.

 

The other option is to keep it closed to everyone and not offer any after-hours activities. Then no one pays a permit fee. ?

[Gugny]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

 

The commentary though, is crap and that is the best you can say about it.

 

It's an after-hours permit, most likely to be used to escape light pollution in densely populated areas. It basically just means, "I'm here to use the the park, when it is closed to general use, for the purposes of stargazing. A park ranger would naturally approach anyone present in a closed park, if they weren't aware that they had a legitimate use of the park at that time of day.

 

I just think it would have made better sense to call it an after hours parking permit, then have clearly stated rules (NOT to dos), rather than specifying that it's for star gazing.

 

But, then again, I can see how specifying that it's for star gazing would, by definition, prohibit anything other than star gazing if that's their goal.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

13 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

I just think it would have made better sense to call it an after hours parking permit, then have clearly stated rules (NOT to dos), rather than specifying that it's for star gazing.

 

But, then again, I can see how specifying that it's for star gazing would, by definition, prohibit anything other than star gazing if that's their goal.

of course it does. But the dumb title gets more clicks

[LB3]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

What a dumb write up. The Gateway Pundit? Jesus. Don't you have a screwdriver you can jam in your ear?

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-gateway-pundit/

It's funny that you used a biased hack website to call out a biased hack website.

 

For clarification, I agree that the Gateway Pundit article was slanted garbage.

Edited January 29, 2020 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall

[SinceThe70s]

4 hours ago, SDS said:

 

The other option is to keep it closed to everyone and not offer any after-hours activities. Then no one pays a permit fee. ?

 

I think the point is just that (at least on Long island) - the beach parking lots were closed to everyone for all after-hours activities. 

 

I know there are beaches out by Montauk where the after hours scene is bonfires and drinking. Saw it once years ago when I was out there with my toddlers. Looked like a great time. But not something the state parks would want any part of.

 

My guess is there was a  "star-gazer" contingent who were either getting around parking lot barriers or parking on the feeder roads but ultimately causing no issues. Monetizing this access to either get some revenue or fund parking attendants and/or security wouldn't bother me if that's what's going on.