Pitch privacy
Comments
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Very timely thread and interested to see the views expressed.
We arrived on a club rally, on a commercial site, on Saturday. I glimpsed a guy walk across our pitch passing between our awning and car and then later saw him do the return.
The site is laid out in such a way that there are no pathways that lead to the washblock so it seems the norm, this is our third time here, to cut across pitches following the marked pitch boundary so later when washing the windows I turned to see him again crossing so asked him to please not cross the middle of the pitch but pass down the side of the van.
His response was that people walked across his pitch so what was the problem. My reply was that that was his choice but that I did not want him doing that across 'my pitch' and ,maybe, that's a clue-'my pitch' because that's how I view it whereas plenty don't and see no wrong in crossing where others are pitched. I have tried not to see this as an issue but can't so will just try to ensure that any requests that I make remain polite.
It does seem to be worse on sites with no physical boundaries, but on site in Spain last year,with hedges all round, we had people stepping over our awning guy ropes to take a short cut.
Still it's a bit better than this rally last year when my neighbour drove across our pitch and crushed my flagpole which was laid on the ground due to high winds.
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I think a some of this has to be laid at the door of how sites are designed. Perhaps the Club imagine everyone will just follow the road round rather than take the shortest point between A and B. In many cases all it would take is the laying of a few gravel pathways to and from toilet blocks and service points so there would be no need for people to cut across pitches. The alternative would be to have physical barriers along the back of pitches? Perhaps a short campaign at site offices asking members not to cut across occupied pitches might just remind people that to walk within inches of someone's window is rather rude!
David
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David it's exactly what I was saying in the first post. The club seem to assume people will follow the driving routes round. That's often a really long way if you're on foot. Putting in 'paths' would indicate where it is acceptable to walk. Of course this would mean that it may cut down on the number of pitches. But on large sites, we've been on a few but I couldn't name them right this minute, the facilities it's usually those rather than service points, that are furtherest away, where the facilities block can be seen directly opposite over an unused grass area and you head off only to find you're amid pitches. 😲
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Must admit I do not like it at all and have in the past had words. Commons Wood site is a prime example where the inner ring has pitches, with vacancies there is no problem short cutting across the centre grass area but many on the outer side of the road were to lazy to walk around, and would shuffle by the pitched caravan sides .
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Yes, one of my bugbears too. I'll cut across a pitch if there is noody occupying that pitch, but wouldn't dream of doing that if it is occupied. Like Dave above I too have had words in the past with some offenders. With a MH we have no car, we have no dog to tether in a strategic place, but when we have the awning out we make sure it is secured with the necessary number of guy ropes
As they say, every bit helps!0 -
Most of them are to ignorant and idle, talking to them is waste of your time,try and chill out with a beer,but to be honest I cannot do that and would try the more physical approach it is this they understand.
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I guess if people are at one end of the site and the facilities are at the other then they have no option but to traipse up and down the site.
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Lady Margarets at Chirk is another site that suffers from this, especially if you are on the grass pitches at the back of the facilities block. There is a small wood with children's play area, so at weekends its used a lot. There is no path from the outer ring of hardstandings, so folk cross the road cut up between the hardstandings on the other side of the road, walk through the grass pitches, then go up the banking into the wood to gain access to the block. Why they don't just lay 2 paths across using the grass strips in between the hardstandings is beyond me.
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If anyones been to River Breamish site the lower numbers say from 4 to 8 are in direct line to the facilities only trouble is pitches 10 to 13 are in their way, can't see anyone walking round the road to get to them. Also there is an official footpath, again to the loos, which passes right between pitches 51 and 52 and that will no doubt be used by many pitches to save them wlaking all the way round. Beware of pitches 51/52 on this site. So that begs the question, How close is to close?
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We are there now, they have put in a proper path between pitches 11 and 12. This uses the grass area between the pitches, as does the path between 51 and 52.
I do not see using the grass area between pitches for a path as a problem, but walking over the hardstanding when occupied is bad.
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Now on sixth day of the rally and no let up in the use of our pitch as a short cut. The area we are in is almost all club members and the latest rally arrivals, a couple in their 70s, have set up solar lights around their pitch directly behind us.
I thought it must be to deter the short cutters till he too walked right across mine to get to the rally stewards van.
I think previously on CT posters have questioned sometimes why people arrive on site and immediately erect windbreaks around their pitch but I can see one reason for it!
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The whirly washing line contraption can usually be deployed as a suitable blocker,❌ if there are persistent offenders. 😡 My main concern is when kids run, or even cycle across cables with the risk of snagging them, particularly as it is going dark.
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We've been there since the day the club took over the site on lots of occasions must be over 20 times and are going again on the 19th April never come across this before. You'll have to let me know what pitch you were on so that i can avoid it.
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We've been there since the day the club took over the site on lots of occasions must be over 20 times and are going again on the 19th April never come across this before. You'll have to let me know what pitch you were on so that i can avoid it.
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this has actually been a problem for many years I was a member of the club years ago and read about it in the club magazine, last year there was a thread saying what's wrong in letting folk walk on the finger of grass between pitches ,its annoying because people are invading your space and privacy and just goes to show that folk are too LAZY to walk to the facilities I don't do it and before you all jump on me I don't do it as I park as near to the toilet block as I can cos unlike all you lot I don't have facilities in my van ,the club needs to put signs up everywhere cos as the warden at Grassington said to me when I asked why there is a sign don't take your dog into the toilet ,if there isn't a sign saying don't do it people will do it !!!!!!!
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".....its annoying because people are invading your space and privacy...."
The finger of grass between pitches isn't part of 'your space'. It divides the pitches but doesn't form part of your pitch or next door's pitch.
Sometimes it's necessary to cross pitches and I don't give a hoot if people walk on the grass finger.
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There is no privacy possible on the average Club site - just don't expect it.
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I would agree TW. Although personally I would not use a narrow grass finger of only a metre or two. Occasionally however they are wide and in effect are just part of the site. In those situations I would use them. Generally when this is the case they are not crossed by power cables, so there is no risk of these being snagged in the dark.
As others have said it is surprising in these situations the club have not put in a path, where an obvious route exists. There are a few like it at Cirencester, with even steps down to the block, but no defined route. A path would also help in the winter months, leading to less mess being taken into the facilities.
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I only mentioned the finger of grass as it was the only part of the thread that has been on here that I remember judging by the comments here and then others thinks it's invading your space and privacy or they wouldn't post about it
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So how close is "to close".
The finger of land TW talks about, to me is "no mans land" and shouldn't prove a problem. The hard standing area is the booked pitch and should be avoided. A grass pitch I suppose is open to interpretation to what is a sensible distance so work that one out
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Agree with 'Harrys' post
I also think that most able bodied people who take these shortcuts are just too lazy to walk the road, same as supermarket parking where they all clamber to be near the door.
The 'no mans land' between pitches belong to no-one so I have no beef with that being used, and unless it's chucking it down with rain I enjoy the long way around.
I find the electric fence works a treat
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Some of the Club Sites are 40 years old, so they may not have as many paths through them as people expect them to have, especially if they haven't had an upgrade of layout.
Would I squeeze between two outfits just to get somewhere quicker? No, I respect others privacy and hope they will respect mine. The extra few steps does me good as well!
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