When is a pitch not a pitch?

[Auvergne]

Just returned from a Bank Holiday Weekend at Moreton in Marsh. Absolutely beautiful site, no moans there. However, all weekend we have had people cutting through our pitch to get to the toilet block and fresh water. If that wasn't enough, one family dragged their aquaroll, both empty and full of water, back and forth over our television aerial cable and our electricity cable every time they went to fill it up. The wardens had planted sapling bushes outlining our pitch in an effort to stop this practice, but the people just rolled the aquaroll over them too!!. This wasn't ignorance just idleness, pure and simple.

Would you have complained to the warden? When you book the pitch do you have the right to ask people not to cut over/through it? What is the right thing to do? I've taken the line of least resistance this week but I'm not happy about it. Has anyone ever taken things into their own hands and come off worse?

 

[BobD]

This really really annoys me too. If I have paid for a pitch I like it to be for my use only.

This example is not an isolated case but one that happened last year on a site near Lowestoft. 2 families arrived as a group. They decided to pitch their tents on one pitch instead of 2 then used the spare one (beside us) as a football pitch. I waited about an hour, pacing up and down the caravan and awning, puffing and blowing as the ball came closer and closer to the caravan until my temper snapped. I went out and told them to go back to their tent as site rules stated "no ball games". I followed this by a trip to the warden.

The warden did drive around the site every now and then after that. It solved the ball problem but it made the weekend very uncomfortable as the cheeky blighters and their parents gave us dirty looks and hand signals as they passed by on their way to and from the washrooms. I was glad to see the weekend over and them leave.

So in conclusion, I would say nothing to the purpetrators but say something to the warden. Its his responsibility, his site and his trees that were getting destroyed. You've paid for a pitch and expect rules and regulations to be enforced for the betterment of all. If this can't be done then the service you agreed to and paid for is not being supplied and you ask for a refund.

You've really got my blood pressure up now...LOL! (breathe.....)

 

[Stephen_374341239]

Hi

Yes some of the sites do need to start getting tuff with some of these people. The very few are just making every body,s life just HELL. Cannot behave and apply to the rules like everybody else then kick them of the site. If caravan club member stop the membership. We go away for peace and talking to other caravan people not to do Battle Name nd shame.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I understand what you mean Valerie. This topic has been discussed before but to me I wouldn't expect, nor would I put up with, ignoracious' walking through my garden as a short cut whether I was buying my property or renting it so I wouldn't expect pig ignorant people to do it on a pitch that I'm renting.

Basically it all boils down to common courtesy, something that is sadly lacking in todays society and it's getting worse.

 

[LMH]

Hi Valerie

I totally agree with you, people have no respect it's downright rude to keep walking across people's pitches.

As others have said, I'd definately speak to the wardens about it, I wouldn't approach the individuals concerned. Too risky these days.

A smiliar thing happened to me recently, only it wasn't just people walking across the pitch, a dog off lead (with its owner having no control over it) kept running across my pitch and using it as a toilet.

I usually find if I put this on the end of a chain, it keeps people and dogs away.......

 

[LMH]

And if the dog above needs 'back up' - this one joins him:

I'm not making light of anyone's views it's just that as LB says, courtesy is sadly lacking in all walks of life now.

Lisa

 

[weejock]

Valerie take a big breath and calm yourself. You only had aquarolls. What about the guy that put his barbie on my pitch because his wife did not want the smell going in their caravan.

It gets worse, I found this returning from walking the dog and had left the boot of the car open to let it air and the said fellow was happily restting in the back with his bottle of beer.

Being a 6ft 5 trucker type chap I promptly disconneted my hose from the aquaroll and extinguished his barbecue.

This did get him a little upset but after he tried to throw a punch at me I arm locked him and persuaded him to return to his own caravan.

ps

I am not anti social I enjoy kids popping in out awning, playing with the dog or my own daughter and I would probally be the first to give you a beer and then help you out with your awning but my wife was mortified at what I did however enough. is enough.

 

[davedee]

Hi. We've just returned from a couple of months touring Scotland. Our second stop-over was near Inverary and we'd planned to stay for 3 nights.

The site was basically circular with statics around the outside facing in and tourers on the inside facing out.

No problem - or so we thought until teatime, when the mums from the statics arrived back with their kiddywinks.

Within moments,the tourers' pitches were engulfed in unsupervised children , two of whom were being dragged around by their family dog - not a parent in sight.

Ball games around the vans, cycling up and down the site road, screaming (as children do).

And all for the price of

 

[davedee]

Must say though, the rest of the holiday was absolutely fantastic!

Dave

 

[LMH]

You were lucky to get a refund Dave & Dee - a lot of sites won't give refunds if you leave early.

Lisa

 

[joeby]

I think if some body else is using your pitch, you should be entitled to a rebate , how often do you see a warden walking around the site

 

[rodders2]

why should people not respect your space this is so anoying

as you dont walk through gardens at home because it gets

you to the shops quicker so why not show this consideration

to peoples pitches,i personally tell off my children for this

as i find it rude and disrespectfull

 

[davedee]

Hi Lisa. We were quite surprised by the owner's readiness to poppy up but I got the distinct impression that we weren't the first people to complain.

What is worrying from our point of view is that he obviously didn't want to upset the residents of the statics by asking them to control their children - which is what we originally asked him to do.

He immediately and calmly offered the return of our two unused nights fees.

We now shy away from sites with statics.

 

[Alex_374312290]

Hi Lisa. We were quite surprised by the owner's readiness to poppy up but I got the distinct impression that we weren't the first people to complain.

What is worrying from our point of view is that he obviously didn't want to upset the residents of the statics by asking them to control their children - which is what we originally asked him to do.

He immediately and calmly offered the return of our two unused nights fees.

We now shy away from sites with statics.

Hi dave & dee,

I would never condone anyone else spoiling another person's holiday, but can I ask, is it the kids cycling aorund the site's roads or the screaming that bothered you ?

The reason I ask is that I can understand the screaming, really annoys me too, but I always tell my two to cycle on the roads, so that they stay away from people's caravans.

Cheers,

Alex.

 

[Auvergne]

Hi dave & dee,

I would never condone anyone else spoiling another person's holiday, but can I ask, is it the kids cycling aorund the site's roads or the screaming that bothered you ?

The reason I ask is that I can understand the screaming, really annoys me too, but I always tell my two to cycle on the roads, so that they stay away from people's caravans.

Cheers,

Alex.

Can I put my tuppence worth in here please - as far as we're concerned its the screaming. It seems children don't speak or call nowadays, they bellow and holler which is totally over the top. There were two littluns on bikes whilst we were away this weekend and to be totally honest they were a damned nuisance. Yes, they were on the road but the constant scraping of the stabilisers along the tarmac was horrendous. On this site there was a fully laid out play area with "roads" and grassy areas so yes, I did take umbrance on this occasion although as usual said nothing. The reason we bought our van in the first place is to get respite from our noisy neighbours with their kids running riot, screaming, trampolining, kicking footballs everwhere etc. Can I just say I'm not anti kids, far from it, I have two of my own who are now teenagers. Caravanning is for families/children but a thought for those of us who work all week and want to sit and chill before Monday morning beckons would be appreciated.

 

[gypsy]

Yeah here we go again, we must keep complaining until something is done, how many of you see the wardens patroling the site!!!, I know they have other things to do, but so do we in our daily lives,so come on lets not stand in the shadows say what you think and make sure your complain gets to the highest level, we hear these complaints year after year, and unless we do some thing about it, it won't go away.

 

[Alex_374312290]

Can I put my tuppence worth in here please - as far as we're concerned its the screaming. It seems children don't speak or call nowadays, they bellow and holler which is totally over the top. There were two littluns on bikes whilst we were away this weekend and to be totally honest they were a damned nuisance. Yes, they were on the road but the constant scraping of the stabilisers along the tarmac was horrendous. On this site there was a fully laid out play area with "roads" and grassy areas so yes, I did take umbrance on this occasion although as usual said nothing. The reason we bought our van in the first place is to get respite from our noisy neighbours with their kids running riot, screaming, trampolining, kicking footballs everwhere etc. Can I just say I'm not anti kids, far from it, I have two of my own who are now teenagers. Caravanning is for families/children but a thought for those of us who work all week and want to sit and chill before Monday morning beckons would be appreciated.

Hi Valerie,

Without wishing to cause offence, I must say that your opinion does seem a little extreme with regard to young kids and stabilisers on the roads. Some kids only get a chance to ride their bikes on holiday or at sites, due to busy roads and no gardens of their own.

You also seem to be making sweeping generalsiations regarding all kids, not being able to speak, they only shout. I feel that as we get older, we get less tolerant, I know I definitely am, but have to remember there are all sorts of people out there and it's not my / our caravan sites it's for everyone to use, in there own way.

There is no excuse for bad behaviour and damage to others property, which I believe is down to lack of parental supervision, but I don't consider a child riding their bike on the sites roads either of these. Sorry.

But hey, we're all entitled to our opinion.

Cheers,

Alex.

 

[davedee]

Well said Shiba.

Unfortunately, it just isn't the British way is it.

Dave

 

[Dustydog]

There's only one solution. Avoid the school holidays like the plague.

I wonder if anyone has ever called the police to sort out the stone throwing brats?

Cheers

Alan

 

[Gumbo]

What is worrying from our point of view is that he obviously didn't want to upset the residents of the statics by asking them to control their children.

The statics will be the sites bread & butter with fees for the season paid up front. That's why they won't upset them. Not an excuse just a reason. The other reason being, they are at the site every week not just passing through. You did the right thing to move along.

 

[davedee]

Quite right,Frank. The statics are his bread and butter.

So he's only looking after his own interests - for which you can't blame him,I suppose.

Just bl**dy annoying !

Dave