"Um... hi?" Cherry blossom madness returns to Vancouver

Cherry blossom madness is in full swing on one Vancouver street, according to a woman behind an Instagram account who documents the yearly frenzy to take pictures with the blossoms.

LeLe Chan, who’s spoken to Daily Hive in years past, blasts inconsiderate behaviour online by people who visit her neighbourhood to see the blossoms in all their splendour.

This year, a man trained his DSLR camera right into her window — using a tripod and everything.

“Um… hi?” Chan captioned a photo of the rather nosy photographer.

Commenters were quick to weigh in, saying the man’s camera pointing through someone’s window crossed the line for them.

“What would happen if you yell out ‘pervert?'” one said.

“Rude!” said another. “Why on earth would they be taking photos directly at your home?”

 

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Chan has been running her account for several years now — she began documenting the cherry blossom frenzy when she first moved to her street.

“I was baffled and confused by the number of people, and the neighbours informed me it happens every year,” she told Daily Hive. “People do all sorts of things that it’s hard to surprise me anymore.”

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The normally quiet residential area becomes a booming mecca during cherry blossom season, and she’s seen her fair share of bizarre scenarios over the years — from a rap video to a bikini photo shoot.

“We don’t like it when people are not respectful of the trees, the residents, and private property,” Chan said. “There are many actual parks where you can enjoy the blossoms.”

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival even has reminders for blossom lovers to be respectful. On its website, the festival reminds individuals not to climb trees, break branches, or stop in the middle of roadways.

It also asks onlookers to keep visits to residential neighbourhoods to 15 minutes or less and respect those who live there. Blossom photographers are also asked to stay off the grass, especially if they are wearing high heels.

“Be respectful to the environment and the residents. Remember that it is the residents who are responsible for caring for those trees,” the festival said.

With files from Sarah Rose Anderson