Anyone else encountered Motorhome hostility?

[Mick Kennedy]

I wonder if many others have encountered unbidden hostility simply because you drive a motorhome?

I have been driving these lovely vans since 1980 (a Bedford CF, various VW combie's, a Winnebago and now a Kontiki 649) and I've never had a problem. But my eldest son recently bought his first motorhome and has had some very negative experiences - from people flicking the V's at him to being cut up, or just getting nasty looks.

OK, I've had people a bit miffed if they get stuck behind us on a long country road, but nothing major; yet my lad, a good ''advanced'' driver is seeing some hostility. Maybe it's because he's young and people are resentful? I don't know.

Without opening a ''nasty'' thread of horrible stories, I'd be interested to know of others' experience in this regard.

Happy New Year, one and all!

Mick

 

[Brains]

Because it is very much a tiny minority, mainly Mebyon Kernow, Liberal and Lib Dem politicians and supporters from what I have read and know. I only personally know four people in Cornwall who want and actively push for independence, and they were/are all local councillors, but there will probably be many more I am not aware of. How would they (in their minds) manage? Well I can only guess they would want the UK Government to cough up as much as possible (e.g. the Barnett Formula principle) for them to hold sway.

As this is a political issue, I will leave it here as I do not want to go to Coventry (or anywhere else in this weather).

I think on this subject, you will find the location is Redruth!

My stepfather was a local councillor (Bodmin)
He was one of several Independants.

One of the Tories on the Council presumed all Independants were standing for Independence
As the Tories were the minority at the time he proposed that the Tories should support Cornish Independence, just so they could form a block with the Independants to defeat the Liberals.
(I think another Tory had to have a quiet word .....)

 

[Puddleduck]

I've had jealousy from those who should know better when I got a new car. "How can you afford that?" was the phrase used.

Hard work, second job and no spending that wasn't strictly necessary was my reply.

 

[Bill-H]

Might be worth checking that your son's motorhome brake lights and rear indicators are working......

 

[DandJ]

OK, slight exaggeration. But I know of many instances in the UK where nice new cars have been "keyed" as they call it. A nice long scratch down the side of the vehicle. Mine was one. And parked on my drive FGS. Doesn't happen in any other country I know.

You're surely kidding. I've seen plenty of keyed cars in France, Spain, Italy; less so in Germany.

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[Minxy]

OK, slight exaggeration. But I know of many instances in the UK where nice new cars have been "keyed" as they call it. A nice long scratch down the side of the vehicle. Mine was one. And parked on my drive FGS. Doesn't happen in any other country I know.

Just go to Holland ... They like to throw bricks MHs there as we found out! Thousands of pounds worth of damage.

 

[Minxy]

I've had jealousy from those who should know better when I got a new car. "How can you afford that?" was the phrase used.

Hard work, second job and no spending that wasn't strictly necessary was my reply.

Had similar ourselves, when we changed our car once one 'know it all' porter thought we could only do it because we had 'family money', we didn't, we just saved and didn't waste it like he did! He didn't know we both came from poor council estate families.

 

[Chris116]

Only once.
I made a mistake on one of our first outings while still getting used to driving a rather large vehicle I was over taking a parked bus in a small lay-by thinking it was at a bus stop as I passed I realised it was giving way to on coming traffic coming down hill round a very sharp hairpin bend which had been hidden by the parked bus. I had cars behind following me past the bus when we met a car coming down hill round the bend driven by a young lass of about 18yrs old. She just drove straight up to the front of the MH and started shouting and refused to budge, tried apologising and explained there’s no where for me to go all she had to do was tuck into a side street on her left and I could have got through and cleared the road but she wouldn’t move so we all had to back up to allow her through. Trouble was all the cars behind me pulled into the first available passing places meaning I had to reverse past them all on a narrow street round a bend. That was also my first experience of reversing in a tight spot so much so I even had to tuck the mirrors in, in places I had literally inches either side as I past the cars while she was just sat mouthing expletive comments. Not a good introduction to our new hobby.

 

[cyberyacht]

Perhaps you should have explained you had three days food and water.

 

[Compusol]

Only had a glare once, and that was totally due to my poor lane control. Going around a 6 lane roundabout in Valencia, and exiting onto a 3 lane road, I got into the wrong lane and almost wiped out a poor lad on a motorbike. He was fine about it, the glare was from the car driver behind him when he passed me a minute later!
Everywhere else others have been very tolerant.

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[pxh38257]

Yes,
Only once in the Lake District last year, we were on our way from Malum to Maryport with friends following us in their motorhome. Our wives wanted to go to Stables as it has a bird sanctuary so we turned of the main road on to a side road and after a couple of miles encountered another car coming in the opposite direction. We slowed down and moved across and then noticed the other driver wanted to say something so opened our window. Several swear words and we are a bid van so stick to the Fn main road, I just smiled asked him if he had finished closed the window and drove past. If the local idiot had said your heading in to a narrow village where cars park both sides and you may not get through we would have turned around but had no problems getting through. Once at our campsite I did the only sensible thing by recommending the village as a must visit place as the town was lovely and golf course looked great.

 

[akadingbat]

Personally never had a problem but I think it would be interesting to know if this was happening everywhere or in specific locations as there are some places which are fed up with Vans and MHs either ignoring parking rules or parking up overnight in stupid places and leaving a mess behind etc so I could understand it in those locations.

 

[CWH]

WELL. , since you asked YES I’ve been annoyed a at a MoHo that has been parking in a narrow street in our village , unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the twat , with parked cars at one side which is normal there is little space for cars /vans trucks to get by , the pavement is only 3 foot wide so this twat parks on the pavement leaving only 18” to allow pedestrians to past , no thought for anyone but himself, when I see it I think no wonder people resent MoHo’s

BUT. I personally have never felt hostility anymore that driving my car

Picture of street below
View attachment 995739

Has Lanarkshire not taken up the option to make pavement parking illegal? If they have, should be easy to get that sorted.

Pavement parking ban | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

 

[sarumsteve]

Mother in law gets a bit tetchy when we park up on her drive!

 

[CWH]

The locals would love to declare independence and put in a visa requirement to cross the Tamar
(with the English visa costing more than and other country).

... and ...

Carried out a poll have you?

Hmm, like "the locals" want to see a toll on the Skye Bridge (according to the meedja). Well maybe one or two (councillors) do but in reality I think there'd be as big a backlash as drove the then government to buy out the original contract and remove the toll back in 2004.

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[meanders]

Trying top stay non-political here, but in reality, does all this independence talk makes sense? The 300miles from London to Cornwall, or even the c700miles from Westminster to the north of Scotland pales when compared to the c3000 miles from Washington to the West Coast of the USA. I am aware of course that each of those states makes some of its own laws.

I am all for local people being proud of their area, and being able to take local decisions, but there is a huge jump between local democracy and running a separate country. If Scotland did get independence, how long before the residents of the Highlands and Islands are demanding independence from Edinburgh? Thurso is a similar distance from Edinburgh as Truro is from London.

 

[nicholsong]

Has Lanarkshire not taken up the option to make pavement parking illegal? If they have, should be easy to get that sorted.

Pavement parking ban | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

It s the opposite with Richmond-upon-Thames Council. In a road where I used to live(quite narrow) parking is facilitated on both sides of the road with signs showing wheels on the pavement and lines denoting how far onto the pavement one can go. Leaves enough space for pedestrians and gives all the houses(no drives) somewhere to park without cluttering up nearby streets which are also full.

 

[pandas]

Sometimes on this site with keyboard warriors

 

[Britters]

I wonder if many others have encountered unbidden hostility simply because you drive a motorhome?

I have been driving these lovely vans since 1980 (a Bedford CF, various VW combie's, a Winnebago and now a Kontiki 649) and I've never had a problem. But my eldest son recently bought his first motorhome and has had some very negative experiences - from people flicking the V's at him to being cut up, or just getting nasty looks.

OK, I've had people a bit miffed if they get stuck behind us on a long country road, but nothing major; yet my lad, a good ''advanced'' driver is seeing some hostility. Maybe it's because he's young and people are resentful? I don't know.

Without opening a ''nasty'' thread of horrible stories, I'd be interested to know of others' experience in this regard.

Happy New Year, one and all!

Mick

Once, because I was stuck in the fast lane on a busy motorway.

 

[Deep Owl]

As several others have said, I like to pull in or slow/indicate to allow cars to pass. This doesn’t seem to work in France; I stop and the car behind sits there, I indicate and it stays there. After about 20 seconds, I pull away, they can stay there until I turn off the road!

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[Treefitter]

Only hostility seems to be from various councils as they don’t really want strangers in their locations. I assume we are all considered to an ethnic minority and therefore feel threatened by us!

 

[PaulW2]

Not much evidence of overt hostility against motorhomers for being motorhomers.

I suspect it’s a case of people not being rude to you but sometimes being disparaging about people like you without knowing you are one!

 

[Canucks]

I wonder if many others have encountered unbidden hostility simply because you drive a motorhome?

I have been driving these lovely vans since 1980 (a Bedford CF, various VW combie's, a Winnebago and now a Kontiki 649) and I've never had a problem. But my eldest son recently bought his first motorhome and has had some very negative experiences - from people flicking the V's at him to being cut up, or just getting nasty looks.

OK, I've had people a bit miffed if they get stuck behind us on a long country road, but nothing major; yet my lad, a good ''advanced'' driver is seeing some hostility. Maybe it's because he's young and people are resentful? I don't know.

Without opening a ''nasty'' thread of horrible stories, I'd be interested to know of others' experience in this regard.

Happy New Year, one and all!

Mick

Sadly yes, in Wigtown near the Galloway Forest, started when I was having trouble parking in town without causing a blockage to either cars or people, I got out to check my overhang and was greeted with choice language from a local dog walker, when I asked for suggestions for a better parking area I was told to head for the A75 to head back to England, that bit bothered me most because although I'm English I live and work in Scotland. So I think the episode started as anti motorhome and then descended into anti English. We try and make an effort to shop and eat locally, that day the town lost out on whatever we would have spent on lunch and provisions. I will add this was my only experience so far as anti motorhome and sadly not my 1st experience of anti English sentiments.

 

[Northernraider]

Yes .

On many occasions

And in many countries.

But I live in mine 365 and drive it 365 so the more you do something the more experiences you'll have .

I notice car drivers treat large lorries and busses way way different than they treat large motorhomes. They'll give way for the bus or lorry ...they'll barge through with the motorhome.

 

[Northernraider]

Sadly yes, in Wigtown near the Galloway Forest, started when I was having trouble parking in town without causing a blockage to either cars or people, I got out to check my overhang and was greeted with choice language from a local dog walker, when I asked for suggestions for a better parking area I was told to head for the A75 to head back to England, that bit bothered me most because although I'm English I live and work in Scotland. So I think the episode started as anti motorhome and then descended into anti English. We try and make an effort to shop and eat locally, that day the town lost out on whatever we would have spent on lunch and provisions. I will add this was my only experience so far as anti motorhome and sadly not my 1st experience of anti English sentiments.

That's not anti English. If it was they'd have suggested the m74

It's quicker

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[Puddleduck]

I will add this was my only experience so far as anti motorhome and sadly not my 1st experience of anti English sentiments.

There are always pillocks around.

We were stopped in Edinburgh by a tourist person doing a survey on where visitors had come from and she just wouldn't accept that we were from The Borders.

 

[Northernraider]

You obviously frequent the wrong streets in the UK, I doubt that there is much difference across the whole of the western world in this respect

I see many things throughout europe that would be vandalised or stolen if they were in the UK.

So yeah I agree with the other poster . There's a different mentality in the UK to many places.

 

[Rick Axon]

No, never, I've had cars reverse up narrow roads to let me pass.

 

[The Wino]

Only hostility seems to be from various councils as they don’t really want strangers in their locations. I assume we are all considered to an ethnic minority and therefore feel threatened by us!

The question of course then is why does anyone feel threatened by ethnic minorities. We are in some ways a sad race!

 

[meanders]

I suspect the worry was 'Travellers'! Sadly over the years, that particular group of caravan dwellers have generated a lot of fear of theft and antisocial behaviour by their actions. We have personally known some traveller families, all of whom were really pleasant, but that seems not to be most peoples experience. About 50 years ago, as a Curry's store manager, I lost a colour TV from near the front of the shop. They just walked in, two lifted it out, while a third threatened my staff with a cricket bat if they tried to intervene.

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[WITCHY]

Some times there are hidden reasons why we own a motorhome..be it a brand new one or a 24 year old one which is how old mind is..and yes she being only 1.9 td is a little slow..but am very glad to say ..ivs received no rudeness or nasty drivers so far be only having had FREEDOM since August...in fact very often get a lovely wave..and have met lovely people here on this site and on sites...you see my reason for having her is to help me cope...I'm one of those people who is not able to work..through disabilities...so yes I do get a little money of the government after 12 year s of nothing...atos doing...since then...I've git one parent in Peterborough hospital...and one in pilgrim hospital..over new year...one in pilgrim was let out..to come home ..to a drain blockage and sewage rising up to the top of toilet..new years day calling out someone to clear all...she is completely disabled 79 year old women with no other toilet...since then I've had the other parent walk out of hospital having complete alziemher dementia and them losing him..full scale police search in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire ..finding him 3 hrs later... + much much more besides..so just be cause I'm unable to work ..spinal problems and more besides ..not everyone is tard with the same brush..and owning a moho is my escape to be able even for 1 night away just gives me me time to recoup for the next lot of battles I face ..along with all the authorities that have been so helpful and caring to me...I'm youngish. 59.person..just because there are youngish moho drivers about don't judge them for you do not know whats going on behind what you see in front of you..this could also be there safety valve preventing them from having a mental break down....old saying..never judge a book by its cover....people on here have been so lovely with helping me with advice on how things work as no manuals came with her...would have been lost without all your help...Happy coming breaks and holidays for the coming seasons to you all.