Never Again
I was at Littlehampton site when a fellow member pitched up next to me. It turned out he didn't have an extension water pipe to connect to the mains water nor did he have a adaptor for for the tap nor did he have a connector to connect to his own pipe. So being the type of person I am I was happy to lend him everything he was short of. When he left the day before me, he took off with my hose connector. Now, this device has a very low monetary value, but the fact he didn't have the decency to return it really gripes me.
I asked the warden if she would contact him, give him my number and ask him to ring me. She did this without disclosing his number to me. This guy never called me and now I have to buy a replacement.
So, can you guess how I feel about lending anyone else any of my equipment !!!
Comments
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Almost ten years at the Melrose site, I saw an Italian family trying to fix a bit of trim that had come loose on their motorhome. I wandered over and handed them an almost new roll of gaffer tape and tried to speak to them. They took the tape with a smile and I walked back to finish my cup of tea. Next thing I knew, the tape had worked its usual magic and the Italian family were driving off, waving at me.
Had I been a victim of theft or misunderstanding? Are the Italian family still telling stories of the generous and helpful Englishman or the naivety of the English? It's not something that I felt so strong about that I learned Italian but every time I see an Italian motorhome on these shores, I remember. I can empathise with qdvspain.
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so he returned everything apart from the hose connector? is that the part that screws into the tap?
I agree with you but if it is just one item it could be still on the tap or they just forgot that one item?
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I 'lent' a TV aerial cable to hook to bollard to a couple next pitch. When they arrived on site thay had asked which way to point TV aerial as they could not get a signal. I said I didn't know but lent them the cable. we were leaving a couple of days before their departure. The chap coiled up the cable to give to me as we were packing As I knew he had been watching the world cup and there was only a few days to the final I told him to keep it as we had carried the damned thing for about 9 years and not used it since the first day of purchase.
He did insist that he should pay for it but I said that if he had a couple of bottles of a decent beer that would be more than acceptable. He did and it was and I drunk his health after setting up on the next site.
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Well, you know the saying "better to have loaned and lost then never to have loaned at all"!
As another saying goes, it says more about you than, possibly, them, so don't let one poor experience put you off being able to help someone out.
And yes, I would be miffed too.
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How sad to change your philosophy because of one small item. The world of caravanning is full of people willing to lend a hand, some equipment or just advice yet you will be letting one unfortunate experience change the way you act. Aren't you better than that?
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We were at Stover a couple of years ago, my old dog (17) was really struggling walking and this lady in a motorhome came out and asked about Patch how old he was etc , she asked if we had thought of a doggy pram for him which we hadn’t though we were struggling getting anywhere ourselves as he didn’t like being left alone.
The lady shouted her husband to bring the pram which they had used for their old dog who had passed on we put PatcH in it and he loved it she gave the pram to us would not take anything for it and it was unbelievable how happy PatcH was up to his last days a year or so ago.
We use it now for Daisy (15) she also likes it but what a very generous gift which when Daisy has done with it we will pass it on to someone else with an elderly dog in need of some help
Thankyou to the unknown motorhomers for their kindness and giving Patch and now Daisy a happy end to their days.
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What a touching story, Cman. Thanks for sharing and it’s great to know there are good people out there.
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+1
The thing is the vast majority of people are I've found
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That’s true. Sadly, it seems to be the others we hear most about.
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Morning
You're right there TW. I find that most folk help each other out but the selfish disrespectful ones are always remembered. Very similar to our job. Last year we had over 45000 people through our gates. Out of those I had dealings with SIX, yes SIX. But do you know what, when talking with colleagues about your season it's always that six that get talked about!!
To the op,life's too short to get bitter, just mark it down to experience and move on, either lend out your £1 hose connector or don't. You'll probably never meet someone like that again. Just maybe he forgot to give such a small thing back? Think positive eh?!
JK
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Last year on an Aire in France a fellow Motorhome owner asked my wife if she could pop round and give him some advice about a meal he was attempting to prepare for himself.
I really must try and remember which Aire it was and go back and find her later this year ......
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Why, does she owe you money?🤔. . .😂
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I have helped many a fellow caravaner struggling putting up their awning and had some great laughs, like the man who was scratching his head and said he was a pole missing.
I helped him check all his bags etc and no pole was found I then realised he had a very long tv aerial pole in several sections and yes one section was the missing pole.
we both had to laugh as we finished putting the awning up.
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Just to redress the balance...…..
We were pitched on a site in Spain, last July. I was woken by a tapping sound at 7am and further investigation revealed a young Spanish couple trying to knock tent pegs into the rocky ground with a stone ! Taking pity on them, I took them our mallet and then spotted they were using standard (cheap) and by now bent tent pegs. Returning again with some of our spare rock pegs, I also realised that they were trying to erect the tent from front to back- and hadn't left enough room. We couldn't speak Spanish and the young man had only a little English but it turned out they'd never been camping before, never put a tent up before and hadn't even had the tent out of the bag !
My husband joined us and between us we showed them how to pitch the tent. We left our equipment with them but did ask them to leave them before they left. Two days later, they did leave the site AND left our pegs and mallet on the caravan step along with a thank you note, a pack of beer and a big box of chocolates for me !!
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It is sad when someone abuses your trust and help but you have to live with it. I have helped people in various ways, usually showing them how something works or is set up though.
The only thing I can remember lending is the gas bottle spanner and that has always come back.
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We met up with a lovely pair of Dutch brothers camping at Wincanton. As campers do, we got chatting. They wanted help with making most of a few days motorcycle camping in Cornwall. Gave them our old OS map with some decent interesting places to see and stay marked up.
Only thing we have had stolen was a water carrier from a CL. Owner thought it was just opportunist and they would probably use it to siphon off fuel somewhere else.
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