A little rant.......
I have been absent from these threads for a little while but in light of recent experiences at a CC Site and reading some of the threads I'd like to state the following:
I am one of these nasty members who has three Children AND two dogs - oh the horror of it all!
I would like to think my kids are reasonably behaved when on site as they go caravanning alot with our local Centre and have been bought up to respect other peoples pitches as well as cycling at a sensible pace when on club sites. I do know that some children are left to their own by their parents with an "out of site/out of mind" attitude adopted by some parents and that others appear to be on a permanent "high" from excessive sweets intake. Don't expect my brood to be like monks - they do like to shout with excitement/with friends from time to time although we to like a bit of quiet after about 9.30 in the evening as most others do. According to the rules by rights there should be a large group of parents sitting outside the play area supervising them but for some of their older offspring it is a case of trust and responsiblilty. If for some reason you think my brood are out of order for some reason then please have the b*lls to come and speak to me as I am very approachable and will be just as annoyed if my lot have been real scallywags rather than scuttle off and get a warden or leave snidey comments in the comments book. By the way, it's a bit of a no brainer moaning about there being lots of children on a site during the school holidays...
Children like to be mobile on their bikes, but before banning bicycles or asking wardens to be issued with speed guns just remember that some adults either have a very funny idea of what 5 mph is or their speedometers are shot to hell. Ideally a sign saying "Warning Free Range Children" and "Warning Speeding Cars"could be a better idea?
Dogs - I have two dogs but unfortunately cannot get them retro fitted with silencers which means they do occasionally bark as do adults occasionally shout. If you walk past our caravan, being dogs they may well think you are encroaching on their territory and will bark at you especially if they are tethered.It does not mean they are auditioning for the next dog fight or pitbull audition but just doing their job. I do use the dog walks and scoop the poop as well.
The Caravan club encompasses a wide variety of members - it is not as some envisage an old boys network or gentlemans club nor is it an excuse to let children and or animals go loony with unaccepatble behaviour but there should be a little leeway on both sides rather than tarring everyone with the same brush.
I apologise profusely for what may be percieved as a rant but feel it should be said. The Caravan club is and should be for everyone.