Freeloading?

[Top Hat]

If someone offered to pay me for staying at any Aire free, and the only stipulation was I had to arrive after 11pm and leave before 5am they would also have to make a contribution to my divorce resettlement

Charlie

 

[Feltwell]

On the parking spots that have been provided for MH on the Isle of Harris, there is a sign asking you to pay £5 a night to a Paypal account for their upkeep. Now we normally had no phone signal, but we always paid up as soon as we did have one. No one checks, and it did make me think I wonder how many people actually bother. If the locals see plenty of MH using them and very little going into their account, only one result will happen...…..

Some people are just amazingly tight. Any aire is a facility that's been provided for you, to deliberately not pay up and therefore not contribute to it's upkeep is not on.

 

[JJ]

Thought. Motorhoming was supposed to be enjoyable. Driving round at 11pm at night .. Grab 4 - 5 hours sleep and back on the road again by 5 am seems a very strange way to enjoy yourself.

Surely it is possible they might be ON THE WAY to where they are going to enjoy themselves?

JJ

 

[Tea Bag]

Thought. Motorhoming was supposed to be enjoyable. Driving round at 11pm at night .. Grab 4 - 5 hours sleep and

Hi.
Work commitments,delays etc and you need to be somewhere at a given time ? As well as being a tool for enjoyment,a lot of people use one for the only reason that they have a pet animal and/or, don't want to lay their heads in a doss house.
Some m/homers have the desire to go to the toe of Italy and only have 7 days holiday.....No pressure there then ?.Captain to engine room..More Power. To others,400-500 miles a day is nothing and 6 hours sleep (HOW MUCH!!) a luxury..."Coming through!!"
Batteries on their last legs? would mean stopping for longer than 5-6 hours means it won't start'' .
Joking aside,sometimes..Needs must.
Tea Bag.
PS. If Jennifer falls asleep while on the move tea time ...... Me,in the morning. "Guess where we are"

 

[Feltwell]

On one French Municipal a teenage French lad and his girlfriend sneaked in after dark and put up their tent on the adjacent pitch. They got all dressed up and left for a night out in the town.

They were caught early next morning by the rather annoyed Warden before they could pack up. Ooops!

As a yoof of 19 I stayed on a deserted campsite in Northern Ireland one night. Pulled in on my motorbike about 6pm, didn't leave until about 11am the next day, so not exactly sneaking in & out. I couldn't find anyone to pay or any details of how much it was to stay there - even tried some houses nearby but no one was in.

Anyway, 2 weeks later, at the end of our holiday, I was back at the same campsite - it was close to the ferry port. This time there was a loud cough and "good morning" outside the tent at 7am, I get up & out of the tent all bleary eyed and half asleep, and the slightly unfriendly sounding local says "Just the one night is it?" - and me being half asleep says "Yes", I pay up and get a sarcastic "Thank you" from matey.

Only when he'd gone did it occur to me that I should have paid for 2 nights, he'd obviously clocked us first time round and that was why he sounded a bit off. I've felt guilty about not paying him ever since!!

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[Just smiffy]

I suppose I’m an unintentional FLT .... as I have a disabled badge it entitles me to free parking for as long as I want in French aires, even the ones with electric....

I had a discussion with the lady at Honfleur aire a few years ago where she gave me a printed copy of a law that was passed in 2014 I think for disabled people to park anywhere for free. I said so i could park here with free electric all year ? No problem was her reply..

This has been tested many times throughout France, wardens/gendarmes just wont take my money...

I do however, have to pay at automatic pay barrier Aires ...

I do also try and spend money in a village or town where I’m parked for free but it’s not always possible....

 

[nicholsong]

AaaaaH the freedom of wildcamping.

I Just pay what anyone would pay to stop on any free road/car park.

Sorry if I do not pay any Traffic Warden's wages. They could get a job producing something, if anyone would employ them.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

There is at least one Aire in France within a 100 metres of the village centre which provides an overnight stay, hook up, water and waste disposal points, toilets and showers – and has a box asking for a 'donation'.

That means you can stop there for free using all the facilities or you can give what you think is a fair amount for them providing the Aire.

What would you do ?

And if you were to donate how much might you think was a fair price ?

 

[Boringfrog]

Surely it is possible they might be ON THE WAY to where they are going to enjoy themselves?

JJ

Agree, I always have an early start when heading to Spain in the Winter. What does annoy me is people starting their engines 10 minutes before they drive off, knowing others are asleep.

 

[Lenny HB]

There is at least one Aire in France within a 100 metres of the village centre which provides an overnight stay, hook up, water and waste disposal points, toilets and showers – and has a box asking for a 'donation'.

That means you can stop there for free using all the facilities or you can give what you think is a fair amount for them providing the Aire.

What would you do ?

And if you were to donate how much might you think was a fair price ?

Probably €5 but I wouldn't bother to use the EHU, if I did a few more Euro.

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[Enword]

Agree, I always have an early start when heading to Spain in the Winter. What does annoy me is people starting their engines 10 minutes before they drive off, knowing others are asleep.

Just remembered we did stop off at a site for 3 days coming back from Assen once, as we had 3 day's spare before we had to be at Brands Hatch, but asked the folks close to us if they minded if we hitched up the trailer the night before & park in a way so we could start & go in the early (6 ish) morning with no faffing, 2 of the tugger's said carry on we will be leaving at about 6 in a couple of days time, the rest said fine But I know what you mean about the engine warmers of the world

 

[Richard n Ann]

Because they will always take advantage.If you honestly believe that people would remember ,return & pay then I think it is rather a nieve view.

I would expect people to take advantage of my kind offer Most would never return I'm sure, but some would if it's on a main route. .. but hey, it's no problem

 

[Puddleduck]

There is at least one Aire in France within a 100 metres of the village centre which provides an overnight stay, hook up, water and waste disposal points, toilets and showers – and has a box asking for a 'donation'.

That means you can stop there for free using all the facilities or you can give what you think is a fair amount for them providing the Aire.

What would you do ?

And if you were to donate how much might you think was a fair price ?

Probably €5 but I wouldn't bother to use the EHU, if I did a few more Euro.

Probably about 10 euros It would depend on which notes / change I had.

 

[Conal]

Re: honesty boxes, we would between £5 and £10 depending on facilities. I suppose we should compare it to other sites like it and pay a little less as they do do have staffing overheads.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

On another Aire we were supposed to pay €6 for staying overnight, lovely village with much to see and do and a couple of very good restaurants, but we were off the Aire when someone came to collect the monies.

They left a note telling us where to pay but after a good nights eating and drinking it completely slipped our minds.

When we got back home our consciences clicked in and we felt it only right we should pay.

So we sent the cash, with a letter explaining why we'd sent it, to the Mairie of the village.

To our surprise we had a letter back to thank us and say that if we ever visited the village again to call at a named Bar and they would provide free drinks for us both.

I'm not sure whether honesty always pays but at least they must have appreciated our effort in giving them what they were owed and perhaps look a bit more favourably at Motorhome owners in general.

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[Gellyneck]

To our surprise we had a letter back to thank us and say that if we ever visited the village again to call at a named Bar and they would provide free drinks for us both.

So you're now full-timing on that Aire!!!

 

[anniej]

Went to the stellplatz at Mainz and the man was there all day in his office. Had to fill in a form as well. No chance of a freebie.

 

[iandsm]

There is at least one Aire in France within a 100 metres of the village centre which provides an overnight stay, hook up, water and waste disposal points, toilets and showers – and has a box asking for a 'donation'.

That means you can stop there for free using all the facilities or you can give what you think is a fair amount for them providing the Aire.

What would you do ?

And if you were to donate how much might you think was a fair price ?

I would think 10 euros is a mimum. I would pay that although I wouldn’t use the toilets and showers. Perhaps if I did I would pay a little more.

 

[anniej]

Stayed on a municipal site at Fismes and two nights running watched this man with car drive in and cadge the pin off unsupecting campers for the shower block. Came out fresh as a daisy and drove off!

 

[Reallyretired]

Only once not paid, and that was a site. Its near Dieppe and we left earlyish (about 9). There was a barrier but no one in the office. They obviously lived there so we rang the doorbell, eventually the barrier opened but no one appeared so after waiting 10 minutes we left.

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[Lenny HB]

Only once not paid, and that was a site. Its near Dieppe and we left earlyish (about 9). There was a barrier but no one in the office. They obviously lived there so we rang the doorbell, eventually the barrier opened but no one appeared so after waiting 10 minutes we left.

Reminds me, 1979, stopped at a site near Dieppe with a tent, appeared a bit quiet, next morning realised it was closed, well it was September.

 

[Khizzie]

I noticed this year that many more aires had barriers, and as was said earlier very interesting that its mainly French motorhomers that want it for nothing. I was at Saint Geron which has a barrier now, in the late summer and they there were only five vehicles in there and they were British all the French ones kept coming up, seeing the barrier and turned around. Parked further up the road.,walked in with with their toilet cassettes and water carriers and helped themselves.. I can see the future of all popular aires being barrier controled or taken over by Camping-car Park who provide good parking for only a few euros per night .

 

[pappajohn]

Of course, if the owner was paying them to use the Aire the freeloaders would be falling over themselves trying to find someone to collect from.

 

[JonP]

A badge to be worn with honor.

Funny dress sense!!

 

[JonP]

Reminds me, 1979, stopped at a site near Dieppe with a tent, appeared a bit quiet, next morning realised it was closed, well it was September.

You must have had good bowel control in those days or maybe a shovel.

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[romany]

In my experience of being an FLT in France Spain Holland Germany and Denmark most aires and car parks were either free or very small charge many of the free ones only charged for facilities used 2 or 3 euros for water same for black waste 4 t0 6 euros for electric mostly by meter using either token or cash, a very fair system I think paying only for what you use

 

[Wildbill]

If they're just getting thier head down for a few hours it should be free. They're not taking a space up someone else could use or using any facilities. Why not offer a friendly place to park for a few hours? They might come back later when they've got more time and pay.

They will normally dump their waste and fill up with water no thay should pay or use a laybye
bill

 

[Richard n Ann]

They will normally dump their waste and fill up with water no thay should pay or use a laybye
bill

OK... I'll get me coat

 

[romany]

They will normally dump their waste and fill up with water no thay should pay or use a laybye
bill

I normally do use lay by's and roadside parking I find a lot less judgemental people with no evidence to back their claims there

 

[Paul and Val]

That is very anti social, so arrive late wake anyone up who has already gone to bed and then wake everyone up at 5 am. Suprised no one has thrown rocks at your van.

What a ridiculous comment. You have never heard a car start up in the night? You want to throw rocks at another motorhome because they leave early in the morning? Perhaps you should stay in a hotel with double glazed windows.

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