Thomas Lyons is a guy who supposedly takes great interest in his lawn, so he was upset to see his yard being possibly harmed by trespassers who often cut through his land. After inventing a strategy to mark his territory and prevent others from cutting through his grass, the homeowner documented the results of his work on security camera footage and turned to TikTok to showcase his inventive concept. Although many people praised him, others were unimpressed.
“When people won’t stop cutting across your lawn…” Lyons wrote this in the video footage obtained by a security camera that pointed right into the yard. In the video, a trespasser goes across the yard, but when she reaches a specified region of the grass, her movement activates a sprinkler alert, drenching the lady, who can be seen scurrying off the lawn for safety.
@tgunz81 #funny ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Two kids are also seen in the footage taking a shortcut across the lawn, and just like the first woman, it was a decision the pair would soon come to regret, as the two trespassers are seen in video footage being soaked when the sprinklers turn on, and they, too, are “flushed” off the grass before the video concludes, “set up an automatic sprinkler.”
Thomas Lyons wasn’t finished either. In fact, he posted two more short video clips, one of which was the same video footage as the first clip, but this time with the “original alarm audio,” demonstrating that the automatic sprinkler had an alarm that was triggered by the motion of trespassers, sending them running towards the sidewalk after getting soaked.
@tgunz81 #funny #sprinklerjob #nomercy #originalaudio ♬ original sound – Thomas Lyons
Other trespassers are seen receiving their comeuppance in a third video shared to the social media site by Thomas Lyons. But first, Lyons demonstrated life “before the sprinkler.” Individuals are shown freely wandering through the center of the man’s yard in a montage of footage, with some even riding their bicycles and motorized bikes over the grass. And it appeared to happen at any time of day or night.
Then, in a cheerful tone, the on-screen text states, “and after,” alluding to the installation of the sprinkler alarm, which successfully drenches and pelts trespassers off the field. Lyons must have a good time, because he chose upbeat music to go with the video of the sprinklers greeting the intruders. But first, check out Lyon’s third video below.
@tgunz81 More lawn pirates! Asked nicely everyday to stay off the lawn but people just keep coming. #Lawnpirates #Lawnmageddon #Funny #Sprinklers ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
The clips immediately accumulated millions of views and likes, as well as tens of thousands of comments. Sadly for the TikToker, not everybody was enthralled. However, the homeowner’s unconventional techniques generated an online controversy, with social media users debating whether it was ethical to “punish” strangers in this manner for the mere act of treading on someone else’s yard.
“Let those kids get home a minute sooner,” one person said, adding, “I’ve never understood why strolling on the grass is such a horrible thing.” It’s just grass.” Furthermore, several commentators who publicly objected to spraying individuals for going over the lawn used the same argument, claiming that it was “just grass” and advising Thomas Lyons to “relax.”
“These are school kids, you could simply install a stone walkway [on the lawn], it’s only grass,” another critic remarked. Several others, however, refuted the claim that it was “only grass,” saying, “it’s just water,” alluding to the so-called “punishment” meted out by the homeowner to warn off individuals who ventured too near to his property.
For every individual who claimed that the homeowner should be kind to the trespassers, there seemed to be just as many social media users eager to defend his conduct, stating that as long as it is his lawn, he can do anything he wants, even soak those who don’t have permission to be there. “I like this level of petty. “It’s your yard, so do whatever you want,” one commenter stated, while another commented, “I don’t understand.” I was taught never to wander across someone else’s garden, particularly a stranger’s [sic].”
Others adopted a less emotive and more practical approach, pointing out that pavements were there for a purpose, confirming that walking over the grass may kill it, and emphasizing that it was the homeowner’s yard to do with as they pleased. Lyons uploaded the additional films, which showed what would occur before the sprinkler was placed, after the first movie sparked the original dispute. In the description of his third video, he also said that the “lawn pirates” were requested very respectfully every day to get off the grass, but people simply keep coming.
Maybe a fence would have been a better option, but it would have been more expensive. A motion-activated sprinkler costs less than a hundred dollars, while a fence might easily cost thousands. The same may be stated of the “stone path” described by one critic. Instead of telling someone else what improvements they should make to their house, maybe the greatest approach is to respect other people’s property. Stick to the public walkway if you don’t want to be caught in a sprinkler spray while taking a shortcut.
