vindiboy Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I love to wave at other Motorhomers whilst travelling and most wave back,all very friendly you might think, but has anyone else noticed that when you pitch up somewhere, people are reluctant to speak and in some cases even refuse to acknowledge you? I consider myself to be a friendly person, always willing to meet new people and chat in a friendly way ,but some people won't respond, I realise some like to keep themselves to themselves but saying hello can't be too difficult can it? some people will virtually blank you till departure day and then seem to become your best friend, I hope others have experienced this or else it must be me ? *-) *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 This has oft been discussed before and whereas in the 'old days', pre TV mainly, it is my perception also that folks were more friendly and outgoing and happy to talk about where they'd been and where they were going - and any nice 'freebie' free camping spots good for the odd night or two. You even used to get an impromptu game of cricket or rounders or maybe an evening fishing party - or just a good old fashioned natter over a beer or three. These days of mass 'communication' by electronic means seems to have caused many people to shy away from face to face conversation - maybe they are so unused to it they can't handle it - I dunno - but it is very obvious on most sites that as soon as you go for a stroll looking to have a natter and a maybe share a cold beer everyone disappears inside and draws the blinds. In truth I guess the days of the pioneer motorhomers in the sixties and seventies where almost everyone tried to help anyone in trouble - a frequent issue with older vans in them days - are long gone and what we have now is in the main (but by no means entirely) the sanitised new van and no mechanical or DIY skills brigade who want no contact with the outside world save to wave and consider themselves part of the 'clan'? We gave up waving several years ago - what's the point if you just get ignored on site. Never mind eh - at least the Dutch and Germans and Norwegians and Swedes are more friendly and more likely to chat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 We were talking about this in france whilst on an Aire with a couple from England and another couple from Belgium. It is so strange that we all wave at each other on the road and yet quite a lot of people will virtually go to the opposite end of the campsite to avoid parking up beside there fellow motorhomer even when the site is virtually empty. We have found that this appears to happen on campsites but it is not the case on Aires. We found most people on the Aires do want to talk about things and maybe even have a beer or two. We made more friends on the Aires of all nationalities in three weeks than we have done on U.K. campsites in the last three years. Lets carry the friendly waving through to the sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I admit i always park away from people . That tends to be cause I don't want to spoil their relaxation/holday peace usually I have the kids . But I always wave when on Aires sites where ever . :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Thats very thoughtful of you Michelle but i have seen this happening mostly with people without families. I have to say i would not mind you parking beside me even with your kids. Lets all be a bit more sociable and helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Ah , Thats nice :D As the kids are disabled it very hard to tell them to shut up and be quiet . I know it would get right on my nerves if i had a screaming kid next door . The little one threw no fault of her own and nature of disabilities cant help it ,well not anymore as now she has no noise or speech at all . I just always did it out of respect for others even with my grown up ones I just would not tollerate noise and crap spoiling someones hard earned break .But that lot I usually could swipe :D Bit big now :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I have always found that my companion campers are a gregarious lot and they mainly always say hello and mostly have a "short" chat of about an hour or so. This is at foreign Aires both official ones and unofficial ones. I have lost count of the different nationalities who are only to pleased to practice their English, good job to as my schoolboy French doesn't stretch to much. I simply wander over and ask where the water or something is, that breaks the ice then off we go. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Agreed - Aires and other 'off site' camping areas are much more friendly places than official camp sites - and a bloody sight more cost effective too. Maybe we are the only remaining motorcaravanners who use their vehicles as they were designed and intended? But don't tell anyone or all the Aires will always be full! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevandali Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 At times, my wife tends to roll her eyes and I'm sure must think "here we go again" I love to visit most of my fellow motorhomers when on site or Aire. I normaly start with, sorry for being nosy -- - - but - - - - You can very quickly get an idea if your neighbours want to talk/interact by their body language. The only way to find out where your fellow travelers have been or are going, is to ask. If they don't want to talk or practice their English or even help with my appalling French, then that's ok. Keep talking, keep smiling, keep waving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 gmcclin - 2009-07-01 4:37 PM We have found that this appears to happen on campsites but it is not the case on Aires. We found most people on the Aires do want to talk about things and maybe even have a beer or two. We made more friends on the Aires of all nationalities in three weeks than we have done on U.K. campsites in the last three years. Lets carry the friendly waving through to the sites Just a thought, Aires are generally smaller areas and not as secure as campsites (In my opinion). Therefore, perhaps it pays to get to know your neighbours and you them for personal security when you or they may be away from the van, it would then be easy to spot strangers. I also enjoy a bit of a natter when on sites, I will usually give a wave, polite nod and smile or say Hello on my way to the ablutions. If there is a positive response then on my way back I may wander over and start a conversation with something like "Have you travelled far" ? and then take it from there. Those that do not want to engage, well surely they have a right to be able to do that don't they *-) I know that when we rush away on a Friday evening for a short break, my OH, a teacher, just wants to get set up on site, nice cuppa and sit and relax she doesn't want to make small talk (with me or strangers) :D Now day 2 may be different, especially if she has had a glass or three of chilled wine, so perhaps like lots of things....timing may be the key to this issue ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 It could be that Aires are friendlier places because they are generally smaller. There is less space between vans and maybe this helps lend to a more approachable environment or maybe its because we are all of the same ilk motorhomers. I forgot to mention that at no time did i approach anyone because of security reasons quite the opposite we felt really secure on the Aires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Swift Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Yes waving is an essential part of getting into "holiday" mode!! Leaving your cares behind and waving at other lucky fellows. I am sure Mrs Ned and the Nedlets think I am crazy but I don't care !! Why wouldn't you return a wave? - piles? - lost? - row with the better half? - lost your copy of MMM? - tried to reverse your X250? Suppose there is a few reasons, cheer up and wave Ned (comes in waves) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Wave bah humbug, pointless waste of time I always look the other way!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 mirage - 2009-07-01 8:25 PM Wave bah humbug, pointless waste of time I always look the other way!!! [ /QUOTE] Probably wouldn't want to chat either then ??? :-( :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Waving had a point when another 'van was a rarity but now, on many roads you see a constant succesion of 'vans and it just becomes a boring routine.With regard to campsites, many, particularly those in the UK, are constructed to separate us from each other and this I think discourages social contact. On aires and small campsites abroad there is very rarely any physical (and often not much spacial) separation, which encourages social contact - if only in self defence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I normally give a wave but i must admit that if i do give a jolly wave especially on a single carrageway and the occupants of the van coming the other way just give me a blank stare i do feel a bit silly and possibly the next van coming along i dont bother but then i get a wave from them and i think 'damn' as the head bottlewasher i always find that the best place to socialise is always when using the communal dishwashing area, i always find another down trodden male who wants to shoot the breeze there. Michele you can always park next to me when the sites are filling up, i have noisy grand children and am used to a bit of chaos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Why dont we just admit it we English are a miserable bunch of S.ds!! :-D not ME though :-D I love a natter but the amount of people Ive come across who it hurts to speak never fails to amaze me! the best one though was when we came out of Germany and stayed at an Aire at Stenay, we had only seen a couple of English in Germany to speak to and when we had been on the Aire a couple of hours a Brit pulled in between us and another French van we looked and smiled!! He waved both hands!! not just one! and I laughed as I thought What A Jolly Chap!! WRONG *-) O.H. went out to tell him where the hook up was! he replied "I know Ive been before" miserable face!! and when I was out speaking to someone he walked passed poe faced :-( I think I was mistaken with the friendly bit!! he was being Bl..dy sarcastic with the waving!! Just goes to show waving isnt all its cracked up to be.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 We tend to arrive early, park in the most distant corner of the field away from everyone. Then someone turns up and sets up camp alongside, frequently young Germans, then later having set up the awning, enclosure, put out all the BBQ stuff, chairs and tables, mini fridge for the beer etc they then put up the satellite dish and start the generator. To round it off they make a mobile phone call and half a dozen or more fellow football fanatics join them and watch the game at full volume getting louder and louder as the beer dissapears. Me unsociable - yup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Swift Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Perhaps the next free pull-out in MMM needs to be: "Self-Help Guide to Social Skills" or "Self-Help Guide to How to Make Friends and Communicate" or It could just be a National List of Psychologists OMG what is wrong, wave with your hands, shake your feet, smile, be happy, come on miserys, your're a long time dead!!! Dr Ned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I too have found that waving is a bit hit and miss, and like others get ignored so think why bother only to find the next van waves and we look like we're the miserable gits for not waving as they've past by then! It's also true that the friendliness on the whole evaporates when driving through the gates of a site. I always like to be friendly and chat, about something or nothing but more than likely find no one else willing so end up talking to the dogs - even if they don't reply they listen! Aires and foreigners seem far more sociable and willing to talk than fellow Brits on the whole ............. perhaps its the stiff upper lip - and let everyone think we're enjoying ourselves rather than actually doing so. I like to think that the tongue and speach was there well before electronic wizardry for the use of communication - so why not try it? We also found having travelled all the way to the Nordkapp last year, that there were only a couple other GB vans their and none of them acknowledged us - in fact as they saw our van they put their blinds up, and yet all other nationalities nodded or talked to us. It's times like that I feel embarassed to have GB plates. If everyone smiled or nodded to someone else think what a happier place we would be living in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Couldn't agree more with most of the comments above! We have just had a week in the Norfolk Broads on our first venture for a home holiday...... lack of "spare" holiday weeks this year / family holiday commitments/ euro etc.etc. As we didn't know the area at all we booked a site for the week, loaded our bikes on the back and hitched up our Smart car and A frame ;-) First surprise, pay in full, non refundable for the week. 2nd surprise, we had to park on a numbered pitch on the main camp field (there were about 6 areas) and not allowed on the "specially constructed, fully serviced motorhome pitch" we had requested. (These pitches were later taken up mainly by caravans and some left empty - but we had been alloted a number so there we had to stay! 3rd surprise, we asked if we could move 2 pitches along (empty) as our long electric connection cable wouldn't reach the electricity post - answer, "no, somebody else will be on that pitch in a couple of days, but we can lend you an extension to your lead - £20 deposit" :-| This was followed by having to ask another camper (tent) to move his car wheels off our lead on more than one occasion *-) We had a great week - thanks to bikes and Smart car but the site was good for children and we had paid for a lot of facilities we didn't use - once the owners had booked you in they lost interest. The other campers on our area were all tent campers and avoided us like the plague, even though we tried to be sociable............. We will definitely be going back to "Euroland" next time - sooo much friendlier - and they have Aires!!!!! (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I remain convinced that it's the Brits that have poor social skills, not all of them of course but some definitely have issues. I've no problem at all with anyone who passes and says Hello etc etc, it's when they start with "oh, where did you get that gadget/sunlounger/whatever from?" as a deliberate shoe-in for a natter. Ask me about anything, pass 5 mins on, no probs, but don't expect me to donate my leisure time just because you can't be bothered talking to your own Missus/kids/whomever. A classic of the wrong sort, a couple of years ago springs to mind. This couple on our site were very pleasant until it became clear that they were bordering on following us. Everywhere we went, a bar, the village, wherever we went, they did. Well it got to the point where these two ingratiated themselves onto us where we had to drop some pretty heavy hints, now I'm no Judgemental, (sorry Eddie), who probably would have just shot them, but it was getting close to that, even for me. I was relieved when I saw them packing up, can you believe that? Relieved, and you're on holiday! Compare that with the lovely French couple who pitched up next to us last year. It was hot and he was putting his awning up, I offered him a lift, (declined), and a chilled beer which he dispatched in seconds. The day after he invited us for a glass of Rose', which we accepted. But, and here's the rub for me, that was it, neither of us felt obliged to offer anything else other than the odd Bonjour etc. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 LordThornber - 2009-07-02 10:40 AM I remain convinced that it's the Brits that have poor social skills, not all of them of course but some definitely have issues. Martyn I think you've hit the nail on the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Have you thought that maybe some go abroad in the hope of getting away from UK and all that is in it? So do not want to socialise with other Brits. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Basil - 2009-07-02 11:15 AM Have you thought that maybe some go abroad in the hope of getting away from UK and all that is in it? So do not want to socialise with other Brits. Bas For those who are of that persuasion, fine no problem but if we're talking about visiting France, Germany & Spain then you're in bother, because there's a whole lot of us over there. Best take your holidays in say, Beirut. If folk don't wish to socialise, fine, it's your holiday, you do what you like. But there's no need to be downright rude about it which some folk are. I've mentioned this before, I offered my newspaper to a fellow Brit on site a couple of years ago and was greeted with snorts of derision and, "Good Lord, that's just the sort of thing I come on holiday to get away from" "No Thankyou" would have beeen a much more appropriate response. I rest my case with the poor social skills point. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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