Pierce Brosnan was charged with two counts of trespassing at Yellowstone National Park, specifically for walking on thermal springs in a restricted area. And how was he found out? Thanks to a photo posted to @touronsofyellowstone, wherein Tourist + Moron = Touron. The Instagram page is run by a Wyoming resident who is continually dumbfounded by the behavior of visitors to the park. It’s a chronicle of people getting too close to the animals (usually to take selfies), walking on land instead of designated boardwalks, bringing household pets that are not permitted, and so on. So that’s how James Bond was snapped standing atop snow-covered thermal springs in Yellowstone, where he was most definitely not licensed to chill. Now he’s pleaded not guilty:

Brosnan pleads not guilty: Pierce Brosnan has pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges after he was cited for hiking off-trail in November around the Mammoth Terraces area of Yellowstone National Park. The “GoldenEye” actor, 70, was charged with violating travel restrictions near the thermal feature, according to the documents filed in the US District Court in Wyoming. Despite seemingly being pictured standing in the protected area at the time of the alleged violation, Brosnan entered a not-guilty plea, Cowboy State Daily reported citing documents filed on Jan. 4. The “Mamma Mia” star could face time in jail, a fine, or be banned from the area if he is found guilty.

Even though there’s a photo: The Irish actor was visiting the national park for pleasure rather than business as previously reported, the US Attorney’s Office for Wyoming has said. The alleged violations took place on Nov 1, 2023. Brosnan received two citations; one for walking into a restricted thermal area, and the other for wandering into Mammoth Terraces. A photo uploaded to “Tourons of Yellowstone” Instagram account, which exposes tourists who allegedly violate the park’s laws, appears to show the actor posing on the snow-encrusted springs. He is seen throwing up a peace sign in the image.

Precautions are there for a reason: The thermal areas of Yellowstone have “delicate, breakable crusts that can sit atop scalding water,” according to the park’s website. Park guests are to use specific boardwalks and trails to navigate around Yellowstone’s thermal areas. Other safety precautions include staying away from water in the hot springs as they can cause severe or fatal burns. At least five people have been injured in Yellowstone’s thermal areas in recent years, and at least 22 people have died from burns sustained from the park’s geysers, according to the park’s official website.

[From NY Post]

Generally speaking, the equation holds true that the greater the congregation, the greater the potential for stupid. I cite Tourons of Yellowstone as my evidence. One post that got to me was about “Limpy the Coyote.” Limpy earned his nickname thanks to being hit by a car, and he was heading out towards the cars because he knew tourons would give him food! The post acknowledges that some people believe the story to be a fiction, and claim that Limpy fakes his ailment when he has an audience. Whether it’s true or not, his head (if not his body) has still been utterly messed with by our species. And we all know the job of taunting coyotes belongs to road runners.

As for Pierce, I’ll say this for him: going with “not guilty” when they’ve got a photo of him at the site is a bold choice. It appears he’s neither shaken nor stirred about being caught. What’s the legal strategy? Why wouldn’t he just want to pay the fine and make it go away? Or maybe he plans to charm his way out of a conviction, a la Thomas Crowne. We’ll see when he has a virtual hearing on February 20, so stay tuned. Personally I’m hoping for a video of Mr. James Bond entering his plea as “Guilty. Not Guilty.”

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Photos credit: Avalon.red, Getty Images for Netflix and via Instagram