More Camp Ground Etiquette - Montana Owners Club

campbud · 04-17-2006, 05:15 PM

Our first time out this season and we picked a beautiful site. The site has just electric, water is spaced every couple of sites. No one is suppose to stay hooked up to it. We had a neighbor who did just that, ran the hose right through our site( step out and step on their hose!) Well we didnt say anything, we were just happy to be camping! Well the next day when we needed water, my husband went out and disconnected there water hose to hook up ours (he let the wife know ahead of time) My husband no more gets it hooked up and the husband comes and demands to know how long we are going to stay hooked up! At that point my husband is a bit irratated and stated that he would be hooked up just long enough to fill our tank and that it was against park rules to stay hooked up full time. When my husband was done using it, he came over and hooked his hose up! These were people that just didnt care what they did. Luckily they were leaving the next day. I just feel people like that are the ones that ruin things for other people. I wish in times like that I had a Campground Etiquette Book to hand them...Kinda like here is your sign...lol ...Anyway we had nice weather and enjoyed our first outing of the season.

jrgwdenner · 04-17-2006, 09:44 PM

I would consider that very rude, at best. That water connection was not just for them. If it had continued, I would have reported the situation to the park ranger or someone in charge. It takes all kinds....

stiles watson · 04-17-2006, 10:34 PM

Some folks only have taste in their mouth.

Glenn and Lorraine · 04-18-2006, 03:39 AM

What would have happened if you were splitting some firewood for your campfire and accidentally cut his hose in half and not just once but 3 0r 4 times?

vickir · 04-18-2006, 05:40 AM

Most of the time, at most of the parks where we've stayed, we've experienced only courtesy and consideration by the other campers. Of course, we do encounter the occasional moron ... the ones who are excessively noisy or don't feel the rules apply to them, like your water-hog-neighbors. For example, we recently experienced something we've never come up against in three years of full-timing ... we came home from a day of sightseeing to find that the family next door was having a party. We had to wait for some of their guests to move their chairs from our parking place in order to park. And then, Steve had to tell them to move their vehicle (partly in our space) ... they wanted us to maneuver around it and park in the grass (against the rules) just so they wouldn't have to move it. We were totally flabbergasted!!!

Additionally, we are noticing a new phenomenon ... the "rental campers." You know, the families that rent a Class A or C and, more often than not, have no camping experience and therefore little or no knowledge of general campground etiquette. I would be willing to bet the farm that the rental agents do not inform these people of little more than how to hook up the water, sewer and electric. A Campground Etiquette book should definitely be included with the rental paperwork!

Parrothead · 04-18-2006, 06:19 AM

I will agree with Vicki on this subject. We have only occasionally ran into rude people in a campground and often it is those people who have a rental and are new to camping. I just love the answer we get if we say anything "It is a free country".
Happy trails...............

toolmanroy · 04-18-2006, 06:55 AM

Where are the park owners and/or hosts? This shows a lack of control on their part. When rules are strictly enforced, it is a better experience for all.

richfaa · 04-18-2006, 07:36 AM

We must be very lucky. We have never in all our years of camping, and our Local group will go out 10 to 14 times a season,have we met downright rude or uncaring campers. The worst are barking Dogs. I do not understand folks who will leave their dog locked in the camper or tied outside and expect them not to make noise.It is no wonder that more and more campgrounds have a no pet policy..strangley enough they do not include a Bird in that category.We found one of those joke signs that you stick in your campsite that said...Barking Dogs will be shot .It seemed to work...

Dustytuu · 04-18-2006, 10:14 AM

The only time we had a problem and it really wasn't a problem after I said something to them. A family had a rental next to us and they had their black tank open and the smell was awful. I told them ....not supposed to leave that open all the time. They just didn't know.

Wordsmith · 04-18-2006, 02:11 PM

Like Rich, we must have been fortunate not to run into “jerks” of this caliber. Obviously, this person you encountered is not what I would call a true camper.

Vicki, you make a valid point about these “rental” campers. When we were at Unicoi SP over spring break, the camper next to us was a couple and their two girls who were renting to see if they liked it. The man was very friendly and they were gone most days sight seeing, so it was not a bad experience, but it could have gone the other way…

Glenn, I TRULY like your solution to the water hose problem. I can hear it now when the water hog comes over to inquire about his hose : “Well, I never was much good with an ax!”

Emmel · 04-18-2006, 02:47 PM

We just returned from the Rally in Daytona and the same people were there that the rules didn't apply to them either. On Monday evening at the start of the entertainment, the MC said to NOT leave any trash laying around so I guess they thought that meant to put it in a sack and put it in the open field so it could be easily spotted!

campbud · 04-18-2006, 04:15 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

What would have happened if you were splitting some firewood for your campfire and accidentally cut his hose in half and not just once but 3 0r 4 times?

See, We just dont think fast enough..LOL I have to say these are probably the second campers we have encountered in 11 years of camping. The first ones had a knife throwing contest...yep in the campground and if that wasnt scary enough, come time for the campfire, they actually bought along with them a full size tree...I think everyone in the campground was in true disbelieve! I guess 2 out of 11 is doing pretty good.

old turbo · 04-20-2006, 02:00 PM

A cure for the share a water line is a two and three spigot adapters. I carry them all the time they really come in handy.

kdeiss · 05-01-2006, 04:49 PM

You know in every aspect of your life there are rules, and there are some people who just can't rest until they break those rules! It is a control issue. These people can not stop for stop signs, must park in the handicapp areas etc.We have all experienced them. I have been a nurse for 37 years and I have learned alot about people with control issues in that time. The most important thing I have learned is - they can't rest until they feel they are the one in control so it is best to just let them have it as much as possible and just forget about it. It is easier on your blood pressure.

vickir · 05-02-2006, 04:21 AM

I've come to the conclusion that some people feel that rules/regulations are like a buffet where they can pick and choose which ones they want to follow and which ones they'll ignore!

campbud · 05-02-2006, 04:25 AM

Vicki, I totally agree with you ...sad that we all cannot follow easy rules.

vickir · 05-02-2006, 04:42 AM

Even sadder ... campground managers who, after making the rules, don't enforce them.

toolmanroy · 05-02-2006, 04:47 AM

This weekend we had a slight annoyance with a neighbor in a motorhome. He was across the street from us. We had a site with grass by the lake, he did not. He did not leash his dog and let the dog roam around. At least 2-3 times a day I would see the dog outside by our trailer and they did not follow him with a bag to dispose of what he left behind. Though we did not say anything, we should have. The campground even has free bags for that purpose. It only takes a few like that to spoil it for everyone.

Kathi · 05-02-2006, 05:39 AM

When we came to Montana for the first time we stayed at this CG, can't remember the name, and I was sitting at our dinner table and could smell something really rank. I told Paul that I thought the black tank must be leaking because I knew it wasn't full. He went out and checked and came back in and said he couldn't see anything. So as I stood up to go out and look myself I looked out the window to see our neighbor with his septic hose just laying on the ground at the base of a tree!!! Yes it was draining! The drain to put the hose into was maybe 2 ft away but I guess he figured he would fertilize the tree.. Yuck!!! I got on my cell phone and called the office. They came down and knocked on his door and he came out and told them he didn't know he was suppose to put the hose in the drain....Now wait a minute. This guy was a vetran you could tell this wasn't his first trip. Some people just don't think. That is my conclusion. That is the only thing I can figure out.

countrygirl · 05-02-2006, 05:43 AM

I couldn't resist the opportunity to share this with you....but this wasn't a dog that left behind something in the fire pit. These people were tent camping and there were several couples with children all ages. A large group spread out over several sites. We just happened to be between all of this. This terrible mess was reported to the park authorities (SP) but, nothing was done...so , the couple that came in cleaned it up to be able to stay there. Can you imagine civilized people doing something like this??
Countrygirl or Shirley

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