Visiting national parks around the globe is a must for many tourists, but unfortunately, some tourists can make the experience a bit less enjoyable for others with their behavior. 

A Redditor visiting Svartifoss, a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland, came across some tourists acting irresponsibly and shared the incident in the r/VisitingIceland subreddit. 

They shared a photo of a railing covered with several signs; in the background, beyond the railing, two people can be seen walking toward the waterfall. 

The original poster wrote, "The obvious boundary and no walking sign at Svartifoss […] the amount of people we saw ignoring the fence and sign was astounding."

The photo sparked a discussion about tourists wandering off paths when they shouldn't and how this affects the experiences of fellow tourists and locals. 

"A small number of those visitors are going to trample on areas off the trail and have a negative impact on the environment and the locals' perception of visitors," wrote one person. 

Another Redditor commented, "You know how water parks have water cannons to spray people? Just have those mounted on the rail with a sign that says 'spray rule violators.'"

Signs in national parks aren't mere suggestions; they're there to keep people safe. Wandering past railings and signs could easily lead to someone getting injured due to a slip or fall, or even dying. 

These signs help protect the wildlife and plants in parks, too, as people wandering off the beaten path might trample vital native plants or encounter a deadly wild animal. 

Human-wildlife interactions often don't end well, as animals can attack, whether a person provokes them or not. When this occurs, wildlife authorities often track down the attacking animal and euthanize it, which can lead to reduced populations for these species. 

It may seem more exciting to go wherever you want while visiting a national park, but it's far safer for not only you, but also for all living things in the area if you stay where you're meant to — and it doesn't lessen the experience for other responsible tourists, either.

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