Campground irritants

[Greggo]

Mom, I'm bored!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ice-breaker

And that is when the rocket engine fire starter is brought out??

LOL.... That was late afternoon in the pouring rain, albeit under a big ass tarp.

Did you notice the nice fire ring I built last year?

I really sound like a dufus when I talk, eh?

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I knew the guitars probably got put away before 2

Hey, might take you up on the invite. When in Calgary we park in the in-laws driveway in a bland area. Your camping location sounds like more fun.

Ron

Seriously, any time you come this way, let me know.

Originally Posted by J Mac

people learning ukulele next door

I am planning to pick one up soon. A great addition to a campfire jam session, easily portable, nice sounding, AND not as loud as most guitars. Isn't there a Ukulele guy buying an Escape?

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker

People who think your campsite is their short cut to the beach

How about people playing a plastic baseball game in your vampsite where your picnic table is almost second base and they they're playing the rubber match at your dinnertime and they're really loud.

[gabeck]

Campground irritants .....cold coin operated showers ....top of my list today !

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by gabeck

Campground irritants .....cold coin operated showers ....top of my list today !

Not good, especially if you have to pay.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gabeck

Campground irritants .....cold coin operated showers ....top of my list today !

Campground showers have the potential to irritate me in several areas; being grotty, so bad you wouldn't dare use without flip flops; controls that are well past their best before date; shower heads that spray everywhere and are non-adjustable; no hooks to hang up your stuff and keep it dry and shower curtains that ensure everything you have with you also gets washed.

OK, rant over. But it's so nice to have showers that you're comfortable with. It would be much nicer if the great showers at Ossoyoss were commonplace instead of being the exception.

Ron

[Fox hunt]

Kids with motorized skate boards circling your camp site screaming driving you dog crazy

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by gabeck

Campground irritants .....cold coin operated showers ....top of my list today !

Any coin operated shower. You already pay more than enough for a campsite. It is excessive advantage taking when one has to pay to take a shower after paying $25-$35 for a one night stay. Stayed in a campground (nothing exceptional) one night in Wisconsin a few years back. $56 for the night and it had coin operated showers. Had I known what a rip off it would be, I would have gone to a motel.

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

Kids with motorized skate boards circling your camp site screaming driving you dog crazy

Their parents, who feel it is OK to allow them to do the above. The kids are just being kids.
One of my favorite campgrounds in NC does not have a swimming pool. When I inquired why, the owner smiled at me and said "Pools attract families with children."
Don't get me wrong, I like children. But on many occasions we have all encountered irresponsible or oblivious "parents" who could make the cover of "Not Everyone should be Allowed to Breed" Magazine.

[Ruthe]

When we travelled in a tent I would have said "loud drunks." But either people have gotten better behaved or the trailer insulates us better. Loud generators is definitely on the top of my list along with campgrounds that allow them to be run from 8 in the morning til 8 at night when we are generally outdoors.

[Jim Bennett]

Irresponsible parents and pet owners, for sure.

Both kids and dogs should have fun, enjoy their lives, but should do so under the control of their parents.

Kids that are excessively loud and obnoxious, and this isn't just limited to campgrounds, are definitely irritating. I agree with Carl, that it is more the fault of the parents and the control they exercise, than it is of the kids being kids. While in the campsites during the day, I see no reason they can't be having fun, this is why they are here, but when they are out of control and unreasonably loud, that is unnecessary. I actually enjoy watching kids having fun, it puts a smile on my face.

The same thing with dogs. It frustrates me to no end, being a dog owner myself, people who do not have their dogs under control. Dogs that bark at lots of things, and are not corrected by their owners, in unnecessary. Dogs with any kind of aggression should be corrected. One of my biggest peeves is those dog owners that have their dogs on the long 20-30' leads running all over the place, and not at heel. I was in a campground in BC when Jasper was almost a year old, walking with him with no lead on, and he stayed perfectly at heel. A campground employee gave me grief (she could have been way nicer about it) about how it was breaking the camp rules. Right beside us was some lady with her little dog blasting all over the place on a long retractable lead. I asked the campground lady just whose dog was the one under control, and her snotty answer as she walked away was "The rules are the rules" When nicely asked to, I will gladly put a lead on. Lots of campgrounds I have been in see Jasper under control, and are very happy with that, and say nothing.

I am a firm believer of sharing the camping experience with kids and pets, but both should be under control of their parents/owners. As in other aspects in life, it is usually only a small percentage that are troublesome, but these few seem to stand out like a sore thumb.

[Donna D.]

I have ZERO problems with coin-operated showers. Just got back from camping in California. It keeps people from wasting water. 50 cents gave me a great 10 minute shower.

Oregon State Parks have no-fee showers. There are people that will stay under the water for 30 minutes or more. Especially when it's cold and they're trying to warm up.

And I never take a shower in a public place without wearing flip-flops, no matter how clean it looks.

What's the problem, really... in the grand scheme of things. I'm just grateful I'm not the one needing to wipe down the walls and clean it!

[Jim Bennett]

I have never seen a shower at a campground I would not use.....yet! Some are nicer than others, and I certainly would want at least warm water. I have used some that certainly could use some updating, but the water is clean, and other than the the handle and the curtain, that is all I touch anyway.

Like Donna, I am not concerned with paying a bit for a shower, it makes it a user pay system as well as curbs people from taking long showers. This way, the folks that use it pay, and if you prefer to use the shower in your trailer, you are not covering the costs.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I have ZERO problems with coin-operated showers. Just got back from camping in California. It keeps people from wasting water. 50 cents gave me a great 10 minute shower...

...And I never take a shower in a public place without wearing flip-flops, no matter how clean it looks.

I cannot imagine taking a shower in a public facility and not using flip-flops (remember what they used to be called??). And I don't mind paying either. But what a good deal in California! Ten minutes for 50 cents? Fifty cents gets you only three minutes in a Washington State shower. I find that adequate.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by KarenH

I cannot imagine taking a shower in a public facility and not using flip-flops (remember what they used to be called??).

Every once in a while I slip up and call them thongs. My 23 y/o daughter rolls her eyes and says Mommmmm. But hey, flip-flops were thongs when I was a kid rather than dental floss underwear!

[Vermilye]

Some of the Washington State Park showers are as much as $1.00 for 3 minutes, but that doesn't match those at the Miller's Landing Campground in Steward, Alaska - Non refundable $1.00 tokens for 2 minutes. I think that was the most expensive I've found, but the view from the campground was great:

[MyronL]

The shower in Death Valley, Ranch at Furnace Creek campground? It's directly across from the no facilities Sunset campground. Five Bucks.

[sleepy]

Generators at anytime. Usually the owner places it as far away from their set-up as possible. This means it's closer to mine, then it is to theirs. jerks.

I also find certain diesel trucks very loud. So loud I can't hear. Obnoxious.

[Donna D.]

Barking, howling dogs! They don't even shut up during "quiet" times. It's not the dogs really... it's the dang owners. The ones where the dog is sitting right next to the owner and the owner ignores it... like if I don't pay attention the dog will stop. Instead the dog keeps barking as if to say... pay attention to me... which the owner isn't. GRRRRRR. In July I had a three-day trip ruined due to a hound dog! Double GRRRRRRR.

[C&G in FL]

If it's water savings they are after, then the campground should give you token for each person for a 5 minute shower every night you have registered. As I said, you already paid enough for the sight. And as far as taking showers in the trailer, some of the large rigs have tankless heaters, laundry facilities, etc. They can waste a lot of water and take excessively long showers and they do not pay an additional penny. Yet those of us who use the campground facilities get charged extra for the power to heat the water and the water itself, while the big rigs are using power and water provided from the same source as the bath house. It's not equitable.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by MyronL

The shower in Death Valley, Ranch at Furnace Creek campground? It's directly across from the no facilities Sunset campground. Five Bucks.

You would think they would go with tokens, and only allow their registered guests to buy them at a much reduced rate. Maybe charge anyone not registered triple for tokens. Something like that.

Originally Posted by sleepy

I also find certain diesel trucks very loud. So loud I can't hear. Obnoxious.

I have driven diesels for 30 years, and granted some of the older ones were a bit noisier, but none I had so noisy you couldn't hear. There are those macho guys that chip and modify them for performance, and as a result are often louder, and this I don't like listening too either. I absolutely love my new Ford diesel, that came out in 2012, it is so quite, nobody ever hears me coming, and everyone comments on how it doesn't even sound like a diesel. A lot of diesel cars are quite quiet too.

I think the biggest issue with them, is the folks that think they need to idle them a lot, to either warm them up, or think that it is cheaper and easier on the engine to leave it idling for a while, rather than stop and restart them. Both of these things are myths. I have been to a class led by a diesel manufacturer, that said that once the oil pressure is good (usually seconds), it is fine to drive the vehicle, as it warms up better being used than just idling. He also said that even for short stops, it is better to shut down the engine, as it saves fuel and that starters these days very rarely wear out due to use.