Sorry if this sounds like a rant but I have to get this off my chest -
We are currently on a site in Northumberland - enjoying the sun for a change.
The site allows visitors to book a specific pitch and then the owner puts your names on a slate at the back of the pitch . So here is my rant:-
A couple in a 16 plate motor home swapped pitches and swapped over the name : slate. They then parked there car in front , blocking other people's view of the sea. Then to cap it all.... the day they were due to leave they went out for the day leaving the motor home on the pitch which then prevented the next user , who arrived at 4-45pm , from using the pitch THEY had booked !!!
So if you are the people who were in the Bailey motor home
I hope you realise how irresponsible you were !!
We only noticed the pitch name change the morning of their last day. They had gone out for the day . We notified the site owner as did the new arrivals - who say waiting due the motor home owners to return but eventually decided that having waited for an hour for them to return they decided to use another pitch
Usually campsites require pitch to be vacated by midday or earlier on day of leaving with another day chargeable if this does not happen so presumably they had to pay the extra? Or maybe they had prearranged this with reception?
But yes, it's the typical arrogance & self entitlement displayed by some folk these days. I bet they don't wave if you let them out of a side turning either...
Quote: Originally posted by woodman2 on 18/8/2016
I am sorry you do not feel confident enough to have a polite word with them and explain your frustration at the way they are behaving.
Hi Woodman ,
Agree with what you say but doesn't always work.
Couple of years ago we were at Brecon Beacons CC site.
The warden made a big thing of making sure our rear end was right up to the white peg etc.
After putting up a windbreak ,windout awning etc ,relaxing with a nice cuppa ,the couple next to us drove in with a Land Rover Discovery over our guy ropes of the windbreak.Got out with huge grins on their faces and no apology.
I, not wanting any trouble on my few days off work asked the warden if he could come over ,which he did.
He confirmed we were in the right spot and their discovery was in fact on our pitch and he would have a word with them.
A couple of minutes later he came back and told us because they had a huge caravan awning up we would have to move (this was the warden that had guided us in).
So the upshot was my wife and I had to pack up the van off the ramps windbreak,windup awning and move the van,with our neighbours grinning like Cheshire cats.
The weather was beautiful and I knew I would not get anywhere close so we had to endure these people all weekend.
I have never been back there sadly,because I like that site.
I am afraid some people feel this earth was put here solely for them.
I do sympathise.
Regards,
Greg
This is a farm site with no office and the owner was not aware they were "overstaying". If people want to spend an extra day on the beach they can put their motor homes / caravans on neighbouring rally field
Perhaps people who are members of forums like UKCS learn etiquette from the discussions on the boards and most of us, hopefully, try not to upset neighbours or campsite owners. However, there must be thousands of campers who have never learned anything about camping at all and have no idea how to behave. If anyone complains to or about them they just look upon those people as troublemakers not realising or maybe not caring that they themselves are the ones at fault. This of course isn't unique to the camping fraternity and happens in all sorts of other situations.
I tend to look upon all other people as selfish and inconsiderate. Sometimes I am proved right but thankfully, I am mostly pleasantly surprised at being proved wrong
Sadly it's the selfish & arrogant ways of the very few who spoil things for the rest, you see it all the time in car parks, they park right in between two bays. I don't think they care what others think as long as they get their own way.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 18/8/2016
Perhaps people who are members of forums like UKCS learn etiquette from the discussions on the boards and most of us, hopefully, try not to upset neighbours or campsite owners. However, there must be thousands of campers who have never learned anything about camping at all and have no idea how to behave. If anyone complains to or about them they just look upon those people as troublemakers not realising or maybe not caring that they themselves are the ones at fault. This of course isn't unique to the camping fraternity and happens in all sorts of other situations.
I tend to look upon all other people as selfish and inconsiderate. Sometimes I am proved right but thankfully, I am mostly pleasantly surprised at being proved wrong
Hi Bob,
I have been camping for over 50 years and have always found other campers (whatever their mode of camping ),considerate, friendly and helpful.
I think that is why it is such a shock when we see behaviour like Moorlander experienced.
I hate to coin a phrase but ,sign of the times I feel Bob.
Regards,
Greg
I don't think it is about not understanding 'site etiquette'. Anybody knows what being inconsiderate is. No different from any other circumstances where you are interacting with others.
As pointed out, some people have an arrogance & self entitlement about them. These can be your neighbours who park inconsiderately & make noise late at night. If you challenge their behaviour they don't suddenly have a realisation that their actions are inappropriate, apologise & modify their behaviour, they will often over react, sometimes it can get totally out of hand & in extreme cases ends in a death.
You can sometimes read about it in the papers. I recall a recent case involving 2 male pensioners in a supermkt car park. Pensioner 1 made a passing remark about pensioner 2 who appeared able bodied parking in a disabled space. P1 carried on walking back to his car, P2 followed shouting obsenities & making threats of violence. P1 took a swing at P2, knocked him to the ground & killed him. P1, despite claiming self defence got jailed for manslaughter.
Which is why I never challenge anybody who I think should not be using a disabled space. Not because I am frightened of them but because I am frightened of the possible conclusion. Ie, I could end up in jail.
& so it is on a campsite. Only challenge obnoxious behaviour if you are prepared to go anywhere it might lead.
Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 18/8/2016
I don't think it is about not understanding 'site etiquette'. Anybody knows what being inconsiderate is. No different from any other circumstances where you are interacting with others.
As pointed out, some people have an arrogance & self entitlement about them. These can be your neighbours who park inconsiderately & make noise late at night. If you challenge their behaviour they don't suddenly have a realisation that their actions are inappropriate, apologise & modify their behaviour, they will often over react, sometimes it can get totally out of hand & in extreme cases ends in a death.
You can sometimes read about it in the papers. I recall a recent case involving 2 male pensioners in a supermkt car park. Pensioner 1 made a passing remark about pensioner 2 who appeared able bodied parking in a disabled space. P1 carried on walking back to his car, P2 followed shouting obsenities & making threats of violence. P1 took a swing at P2, knocked him to the ground & killed him. P1, despite claiming self defence got jailed for manslaughter.
Which is why I never challenge anybody who I think should not be using a disabled space. Not because I am frightened of them but because I am frightened of the possible conclusion. Ie, I could end up in jail.
& so it is on a campsite. Only challenge obnoxious behaviour if you are prepared to go anywhere it might lead.
Sadly you are quite right in what you say ,you only have to read about homeowners worrying about being prosecuted for standing up to burglars.
Very often the initial innocent party ends up "in the wrong".
As you say these days , you must think of actions escalating before acting ,especially by these people who feel the world is solely for them.
Very sad.
Regards,
Greg
Traditionally mutual cooperation and respect was an essential part of camping due to poor soundproofing and the use of shared facilities.
however it is not always the case and seem to me the decline in mutual cooperation and respect is a British phenomenon. i recently stopped in a large french campsite.
from what i saw the dutch and french neighbors were quiet and respectful of others. whenever music or TVs were blaring out, or loud voices and forced laughter late into the night without any thought for neighboring campers it was British people doing it. what is it about the forced insincere laughter?
i had read on another 'forum' a lady complaining that she had been asked to turn her 'groups' music down by a campsite warden because 'he could hear it in his pitch'
maybe the other neighbors didnt want to hear it either? what makes people think others want to listen to their choice of music late in to the night? especially when others who have young children who they are hoping will go to sleep for fear of another day of tried grumpy children the next day!
Post last edited on 18/08/2016 13:31:30
------------- First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara
i have got to agree with baileyjake ...we go to France for our tenting holidays they seem to have more respect for their neighbours with noise etc...the pitches are by far bigger than the UK in my opinion...if there is any problem with noise/drunkenness there always seems to be a British person involved...shameful and sometimes embarissing
We pitched the van at a popular holiday campsite on the Dorset coast this year. we noticed a larger than usual number of people passing straight through our pitch! In fact one man nearly knocked my OH over as she was coming out of the awning. She did say "Excuse me, do you mind not walking through our pitch please". Fortunately, in this case the guy apologised. We are now looking at the dreaded windbreak solution in these types of site, which is something we stopped doing when we took up caravanning. It seems to be the new norm as more people are holidaying in the UK.
------------- The Sun always shines on TV.(and not on my caravan!)
It just comes down to manners and common decency. We had a similar issue to Rob Johns in Wales a couple of years ago as we were pitched across from the toilet block others thought it OK to walk past our caravan on our pitch rather than walk round on the path. We would be sat eating our meal and people would walk right passed the windows having a right old nosey. We ended up having to rearrange the wind breaks and blocking the front with the car.
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Topic: Site etiquette
