Freeloaders not Welcome (74 Viewers)

[Campingdood]

I’m currently at the Grantown on Spey Caravan park in Scotland, as I walked into town I noticed an Autotrail parked on a side street (not on the caravan park) with stickers on all four sides - Freeloaders not Welcome here.
Sadly this town had lots of nice boutique shops and pubs when we were here last year and now half of them have shut. I wonder why?

 

[CAB96]

Wow!

Someone must be seriously cheesed off to go to the trouble of printing off a sheet of stickers?

Do you think they carry them round at all times just in case, or do you think they had to nip back home to get them

 

[steve69]

Should have checked if any security cameras were around. I'm sure what he did was a criminal offence.

 

[Steve and Denise]

That’s funny does make you think,
We put our village pub on Brit stops as a free stop over and the landlord told me about 70% of motorhomers would come into the bar and make an excuse that the wife was not well so will not be using the bar, after a couple of years the landlord got the hump and asked me to remove the listing
Now a new landlord has taken over and I have put it on S4S but with a £10 charge redeemable in the pub for food/drinks as yet no Motorhomes have stayed in the first 2 months.
Strange or coincidence?

 

[Larrynwin]

Presumably it was an overnight stay as parking up for the day to visit is not freeloading.

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[maison]

That’s funny does make you think,
We put our village pub on Brit stops as a free stop over and the landlord told me about 70% of motorhomers would come into the bar and make an excuse that the wife was not well so will not be using the bar, after a couple of years the landlord got the hump and asked me to remove the listing
Now a new landlord has taken over and I have put it on S4S but with a £10 charge redeemable in the pub for food/drinks as yet no Motorhomes have stayed in the first 2 months.
Strange or coincidence?

We regularly use Pub Stops and always buy a meal. That, for us, is one of the pleasures of motorhoming, occasionally having a meal that we haven’t had to cook or wash up from afterwards.

If a Pub owner is good enough to provide the parking space they deserve some compensation, even if it is only the price of a couple of drinks.

 

[Gina M]

We always go for a meal and a few drinks in their pub if we stay on a pub car park. Same reason as maison it's nice not to have to cook and wash up for change.

 

[Cal54]

I’m another who regularly uses pub stops and it’s part of the holiday eating out.

 

[Tombola]

Wow!

Someone must be seriously cheesed off to go to the trouble of printing off a sheet of stickers?

Do you think they carry them round at all times just in case, or do you think they had to nip back home to get them

Or a sad arse with nowt better to do..

I'd stay there and put one under it saying sad arse stay home.

 

[meanders]

There are two types of people in every walk of life including motorhome owners. 'Takers' and 'Givers'. Unfortunately, it does seem in many areas of society, the takers outnumber the givers. Ultimately, the Givers will get fed up and stop giving, so the takers will have no-one to 'use'.

AS said, even of you don't want a meal, a drink and a tip should be enough to keep any landlord happy. It's a bit like a couple of free 'family' events I run at the village hall with a bucket for donations to help cover the costs. Some people will put notes in, others loose change, some nothing at all. I don't watch, and try not to judge as I know some families are really struggling, but I suspect they may be the ones who put something in. Don't get it myself, but it takes all sorts to make the word go round, and I am determined not to make it a ticketed event as the kids from the struggling families need it much more than the wealthier ones who are always 'treating' their children. I could never refuse access to a child because the parents cannot (or even refuse!} to afford it!

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[Gina M]

Or a sad arse with nowt better to do..

I'd stay there and put one under it saying sad arse stay home.

There is no way on earth I would be able to sleep in our van with the dogs as well if I was parked on someone's street. Totally taking the piss. I live in the country and if someone parked on the footpath our house is on I would be well pissed off and would let them know

 

[Tonks]

There is no way on earth I would be able to sleep in our van with the dogs as well if I was parked on someone's street. Totally taking the piss. I live in the country and if someone parked on the footpath our house is on I would be well pissed off and would let them know

Yes, but we have no idea how long the AutoTrail had been parked up for, or any details as to where it was parked. Ie if it was obstructing someone’s access.
This hostile reaction to any MH just parked on any street is not good, and is part of an increasing ‘motorhomes should be on campsites’ cry which is cropping up more and more, with no thought to the fact that even motorhomes which are booked onto and overnighting on campsites will sometimes want to tootle out and about during the day.
I would be SERIOUSLY pissed off if anyone stuck stickers on mine and I would be reporting it.

 

[Madcaravanner]

We use pub stops and spend, around £50 under what CAMpRA say is the average but, We have found someplaces the councils start reacting to one complaint about motorhomes even if they're parked up for one day.
The problem we all will meet is when someone parks up and overstays or lets their waste drain out as they drive off (which is actually supposed to be against the law AFAIK) then those people who think they pay for privacy will complain about everything BUT also we have noticed that some councils are tending to listen to campsites complaining that people in motorhomes are making them loose profits

 

[Lenny HB]

That’s funny does make you think,
We put our village pub on Brit stops as a free stop over and the landlord told me about 70% of motorhomers would come into the bar and make an excuse that the wife was not well so will not be using the bar, after a couple of years the landlord got the hump and asked me to remove the listing
Now a new landlord has taken over and I have put it on S4S but with a £10 charge redeemable in the pub for food/drinks as yet no Motorhomes have stayed in the first 2 months.
Strange or coincidence?

When ever we stay at a pub we always buy a meal.
Boss not too keen on pubs now as since Covid, prices has gone up and quality has gone way down.
Fed up with pubs that say home cooked food and all they have done it warm it up.

 

[Cal54]

Lenny HB I agree with your sentiments re pub food. There is world of difference between home cooked and home prepared.

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[bobnick]

We had a pub stop over the night before we checked into Goodwood.
We spent well in excess of £100 in the place.
The Red Lion not a million miles away from Waterlooville.

 

[GMak57]

Not sure why you’d freeload on a side street in Grantown when you can stay over in the carpark behind the library beside the museum or a couple of other decent spots on the outskirts of Grantown that are walkable into town if they don’t want to pay for the campsite. I’d of thought this is just parked up for a walk around town but then again why not use the carpark.

 

[Steve and Denise]

When ever we stay at a pub we always buy a meal.
Boss not too keen on pubs now as since Covid, prices has gone up and quality has gone way down.
Fed up with pubs that say home cooked food and all they have done it warm it up.

When we eat out we expect as good as what we cook at home at least, if not better !
If not I take it up with the staff and won’t eat pub pies in a dish with no pastrie on the bottom as I would call that stew with a flakey turbin on top.

 

[Oldrat]

We never use campsites, we always street park, in the UK and sometimes use a Stelplatz or Aire in Europe.

We are careful about where we choose to park, never illegally, nor outside someone’s house or where it might cause a problem or we feel we are not wanted. We rarely stay in the same place more than one night, as we enjoy exploring.

In the last three years, we have covered over 30k miles touring the UK and Europe and not once had a problem.

We have had 3 occasions where folks have knocked on our door, each time has been to admire and ask about the van, not to complain.

So it seems that we are freeloaders and long may it continue.

 

[Lenny HB]

Not sure why you’d freeload on a side street in Grantown when you can stay over in the carpark behind the library beside the museum or a couple of other decent spots on the outskirts of Grantown that are walkable into town if they don’t want to pay for the campsite. I’d of thought this is just parked up for a walk around town but then again why not use the carpark.

Perhaps the stickers were stuck on when he was in the car park but you would have thought he would have removed them.

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[Kups]

I would be SERIOUSLY pissed off if anyone stuck stickers on mine and I would be reporting it.

I also wouldn't be happy but who would you complain to? Forget going to Plod, they will not be interested.

 

[Oldrat]

No real offence unless they cause damage.

Well very technically they might, as they have to be removed but scoring only 0.0000001 on the richter scale of crime.

 

[dryad]

if he was in a side road where there are houses, they could have been visiting someone who lives there, instead of using the free parking nearby..
just a thought..

 

[Oldrat]

if he was in a side road where there are houses, they could have been visiting someone who lives there, especially with free parking nearby..
just a thought..

Just guessing here, but the problem in that locality is probably too many folks doing the same thing, and being careless about it too?
Right outside folks houses? Taking up residents parking places?

Being sensitive to these things goes a long way.

 

[Orion]

No real offence unless they cause damage.

Well very technically they might, as they have to be removed but scoring only 0.0000001 on the richter scale of crime.

I’d have thought that in this day and age it would qualify at the very least as a standalone ‘hate’ crime!

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[Geistguy]

We were in Grantown last week, used the disposal point (£10) the co-op (£22) bakery/cafe (£24) So in all we supported local businesses by spending over £50. We had camped off grid on the outskirts but we prefer to do that than spend our money on using a campsite.

 

[dryad]

Just guessing here, but the problem in that locality is probably too many folks doing the same thing, and being careless about it too?
Right outside folks houses? Taking up residents parking places?

Being sensitive to these things goes a long way.

well, we'll never know but maybe the resident told him to park there..
people are often quick to judge and criticise without knowing the facts..

whenever i visited my daughter which is in a restricted area, she provided me with a visitors parking permit so that i could be outside, being disabled, in case i needed anything..

.

 

[Gaston aires]

Presumably the sticker onners has these pre prepared. They are cowardly faceless people just as abhorrent as keyboard warriors.
Phil

 

[steve69]

No real offence unless they cause damage.

Well very technically they might, as they have to be removed but scoring only 0.0000001 on the richter scale of crime.

Unless he sticks them on a police car of course.

 

[Tombola]

Presumably the sticker onners has these pre prepared. They are cowardly faceless people just as abhorrent as keyboard warriors.
Phil

That's my point, a quick civil converstaion explaining why he or she may be aggrieved would have gone a long way depending on why the van was parked of course and if indeed it was a "camper" and not parked for any other unavoidable reason

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