snobs

[Forester]

Driving down the roads when i go pass another camper or motor home van i always wave to them, the campers always wave back the M/Hs very rarely. Which one are you in? and why do the bigger van owners ignore the wave. Is it the mam-sab thing 8-) .

We are going to Thatcham for the w/end so will pick up thread when we come back.

T.T.F.N.L.U.L.W.  

[GJH]

We have a (small) coachbuilt and normally wave - but it isn't always easy to recognise panel van conversions and some smaller campers until too late on dual carriageways. We've waved to a number of small vans and mini-buses :-)

 

Graham

[breakaleg]

i wave to every van i see, even a police motorhome that was parked up.

(they didnt wave back) not so many people respond these days, i've noticed that the aa man dosen't salute any more either :-D :-D

[foxy]

Having moved up through the ranks (1972 commer) to (2006 Autotrail Cheyenne) I don`t have a problem waving to anyone. Seems strange when people wave to be friendly on the road butwhen arriving anywhere with other motorhomes everyone retreats into thier vans.

[breakaleg]

ahh yes, except after youv'e been on site for a few days, as your packing up to go, then they talk to you, and if you have to be somewhere in a hurry.

pete

[Guest starspirit]

Waving began back in the late fifties and sixties when there were so few of us on the road that seeing another van could be the highlight of a journey, and there was often a genuine friendship, much as there is on here at times.

 

Many of us would often stop to help if we saw a fellow 'vanner in trouble, and we would often swap decent overnight off-site spot details as well as often chatting together on site over a beer or tea.

 

Over the years that dwindled as TV's gradually took over from socialising as the favoured evening entertainment and sites with electric hook up grew in popularity until we arrived at where we are now with many folks hiding behind wind breaks to guard their plot from intruders before disappearing inside curtains drawn in the evening.

 

And so it came to pass that most of these gleefully waving folks on the road will not give you a second glance on site, let alone chat to you, which means that many of us are starting to feel that with the loss of that genuine cameraderie there is little point in waving to dozens of people you don't know and are never likely to meet any more.

 

The friendliness is better on CCC rallies and THS's and even better on CCC motor caravan section and MCC club events but even there much of the outgoing fellowship has long since evaporated with people often (but not always) gathering in cliques rather than going out of their way to include new members.

 

Cynical or realistic - you decide?

 

 

 

[Wingpete]

I find that I wave often, but all too often to the wrong vehicle.

Being a motorcyclists as well, I am used to waves, but sometimes get it wrong, and wave to bikers ! Wonder why they look perplexed.

My fellow riders who know my m/home do actaully wave to me as they pass, as they did this past easter, on the way to Belgium rally.

M/homers do wave a good deal, it's just recognising them in time.

I also have found fellow m/homers do converse at sites, often in a language which is not English, but not being a snob means I can talk right back, in French or English. Good to know the French accent impresses them enough to suddenly ask them to slow down (?)

It is not difficult to find something in common with our fellow m/homers that enables a conversation to develop, whether it is the brand you use, the place you are from, the flags you fly, etc.

But if starting out in a shell, the shell protects from inquisitors.

[empress]

We try to wave to all and sundry - this does cause surprise to white van man etc. When I don't respond to a wave I may have my nose in the road map.

 

Empress

[Millhey]

Surely the answer is simpler? We always wave on passing but, if we receive no acknowledgement, then we simply assume that the other van is being stolen!

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Some folk wave, others don't.  Some folk are snobbish, others not.  Inevitably, some snobbish folk only wave to others in vans that are equal to, or larger, or more expensive than, their own.  Some "non-wavers" are preoccupied driving or navigating, some don't recognise the oncoming vehicle as a motorhome until too late.  Other non-wavers are inverted snobs, and won't wave to anyone whose van is larger, or more expensive, than their own.  Some wave only to vans of the same make as their own, others never do this.  Does it really matter what others do?  All human life is there, with all its behavoural "tics".  Are we not all different?  Thus, some of us wave and others don't.  It is the human condition.  I wave until my arm gets tired, then I stop!  However, I don't worry over-much what others do, or why.  Except when invading other countries, that is!

[Brian Kirby]

empress - 2007-04-12 12:21 PM We try to wave to all and sundry - this does cause surprise to white van man etc. When I don't respond to a wave I may have my nose in the road map. Empress

I just want to know why only one of you wears her seat belt!

[Tony Jones]

Trouble is, our way of life is a victim of its own success. There are FAR more of us than there used to be in the days when we all waved to each other. And if you try it in France your arm will soon drop off!

We still wave, but I think it's more important nowadays to "make the first move" when we meet people on site. We soon pick up if they don't want to get into conversation, in which case we leave them alone.

 

Tony

[michele]

I would just like to say I have my own private room at the Princess Alexandra Hospital .............I wave to everyone including Mobile Library's

 

Hi everyone . :D

[Tony Jones]

You wave from the window of the private room?

Shall we form a convoy and give you a "drive-past?"

 

Good to see you're still in touch Michele

 

T x

[Dave Newell]

Waving aside, if you want to meet your neighbours on site simply open your bonnet and peer intothe depths looking perplexed and someone or other will soon come along to see if you need assistance.

 

D.

[michele]

Tony ,

you could of done it today apparently the princess Alexandra herself is there today ? WoooooooooHAHhhhhhhhhhh.

 

Dave ,

talking about under the bonnet on this last trip i like to think we are still kind and helpful to people . We had collected diesel parked for coffe and there was another camper Auto cruise . We made tea in the Aire after a while the guy came over ...Knock Knock hello are you experienced campers ?

We said depends turns out his battery was flat, leisure one and it was brand new he had fitted it himself .Seconhand but new to them . Hubby went over the panel doobrey with him and then suggested that he should look at the battery . We had a funny feeling it wasn't connected .Heypresto the guy reahed for the headache pills first time in france they were in a real panic. you should of seen the smile after hubby put it right for them .

We even parted giving them our old French 2006 books for site 's & Aires.

 

Told them to buy MMM or join the forum where they would find a wealth of knowledge on here .Soooooooooooo good deed done ... ;-)

[GJH]

Dave Newell - 2007-04-12 4:42 PM

 

simply open your bonnet and peer intothe depths looking perplexed

I'm good at looking perplexed without having to open the bonnet. Does that count? :-D

 

Graham

[Supertractorman]

I took 25 Motorhome owners on a coach trip earlier this week . They all waved at every motorhome that approached, but nobody seemed to acknowledge. Possibly they recognised some of the contributors from here and decided that none of them were snobby enough. ;-)

 

David

[GJH]

Supertractorman - 2007-04-12 6:11 PM

 

They all waved at every motorhome that approached, but nobody seemed to acknowledge.

I think we confused a few when we waved at them whilst were sat at the bus stop in Bakewell waiting to be picked up again (lol)

 

Graham

[J9withdogs]

If I'm concentrating really hard on the road sign/satnav/erks trying to overtake me just cus I'm in a campervan, then I sometimes don't see the wave 'til too late.

 

Then I feel really bad, and put myself in the naughty corner for at least 'til I can wave at someone else *-)

[Guest starspirit]

And I thought it was because you had your eyes closed when another van comes towards you?

[J9withdogs]

That's only if it's a narrow road.

 

Really, Richard, do keep up.

(lol)

[Guest starspirit]

What like the M5 you mean?

[J9withdogs]

Well, yes, sometimes, if there's roadworks it could be narrow and the cones do make such a luverly noise when the bounce off the crash barrier.

 

And of course, if I'm overtaking a big lorry I might close my eyes and offer up a prayer - but they usually honk their horn to say that I'm OK.

 

Well at least I think that the two fingers mean that I missed them by two feet - it might be two inches, I suppose *-)

[howie]

starspirit - 2007-04-12 11:11 AM

 

Waving began back in the late fifties and sixties when there were so few of us on the road that seeing another van could be the highlight of a journey, and there was often a genuine friendship, much as there is on here at times.

 

Many of us would often stop to help if we saw a fellow 'vanner in trouble, and we would often swap decent overnight off-site spot details as well as often chatting together on site over a beer or tea.

 

Over the years that dwindled as TV's gradually took over from socialising as the favoured evening entertainment and sites with electric hook up grew in popularity until we arrived at where we are now with many folks hiding behind wind breaks to guard their plot from intruders before disappearing inside curtains drawn in the evening.

 

And so it came to pass that most of these gleefully waving folks on the road will not give you a second glance on site, let alone chat to you, which means that many of us are starting to feel that with the loss of that genuine cameraderie there is little point in waving to dozens of people you don't know and are never likely to meet any more.

 

The friendliness is better on CCC rallies and THS's and even better on CCC motor caravan section and MCC club events but even there much of the outgoing fellowship has long since evaporated with people often (but not always) gathering in cliques rather than going out of their way to include new members.

 

Cynical or realistic - you decide?

 

 

Cynical i,m afraid Richard. Motorhomers are no different to any other cross section of society and nothing has changed over the years. Some wave, some don,t, and the same applies to sociability on site. No problem out on secluded routes, but with the sheer volume of traffic on most main roads easy to miss at times.

Always annoying when you wave and get no response, and I always feel guilty when the reverse happens, but as far as snobbery goes, I suppose this can be the case sometimes but thats their problem, not yours.