The 1pm arrival message getting through
Comments
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No matter what arrival time is stipulated some would still still turn up earlier than requested. Although few in number it is these people who cause the problems. Why they do this is for several reasons but as has been said several times it can be to bag one of those, for them, best pitches. To have an open arrival time wouldn’t be feasible in my opinion without a radical change in a whole host of arrangements on site which I reckon would be more expensive for us members and detrimental to the standards we witness on sites. Furthermore, staff number and/or hours worked would possibly need to be increased. Not sure either are an option mind without causing considerable cost increases to us members with additional accommodation/cost issues also being incurred for the extra staff required. That is if takers could be found to do this work. We, the majority who do keep to the times, should be careful what we wish for. We should not accommodate those selfish people that spoil things for others and cause the problems, they know the times but ignore them.
There are many single couple sites, even two couple sites who must be questioning how they can work ‘smarter’ for those few that cause the problems. They must be smarting at the prospects being discussed by some on here.4 -
Exactly, the congestion is caused by the early arrivers, not the club setting an arrival time, nor site design, nor even sat navs, no early arrivals - no congestion.
Proposals? they're in place people are being turned away if they arrive early, I'd like more with three strikes and you're out but hopefully if people start to learn they'll be turned away they'll stop doing it?
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+1, folk need to stop thinking they need to be there post-haste. It’s a break that should be enjoyed at leisure not amidst the panic of losing minutes🤷🏻♂️🙁
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Have they done away with the grass pitches at the top then? Maybe folk don't realise that.
The other thing with Stover is that pitches near the gate can suffer from traffic noise whereas those at the far end on lower ground are more peaceful. Perhaps people are desperate to get the quieter ones but that's no excuse for arriving 90mins early! 😣
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There are one or two people who seem to feel it is right and proper to turn up earlier than requested or that it is their right. I have yet to see any suggestions as to how this can be facilitated which has little impact on others and the prices we pay. Now I’d love to hear of solutions which would stand up to scrutiny and wouldn’t have cost implications. There was one idea pages back which suggested payment for an extra day, but that too would only favour the selfish who have extra dosh to chuck at their problem. It didn’t take account of staffing implications and workload and didn’t consider those that do turn up at the correct time who are, incidentally, the vast majority of us. Any other viable and inexpensive solutions out there? I doubt it!
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There’s a time span of seven hours to arrive in that the Club allows before it is deemed “early arrival” or “too late to be allowed on a pitch”. It’s not that ruddy hard to hit somewhere between 1.05pm and 7.55pm surely🤷♀️
Granted you might get the very very rare occasion where a huge traffic hold up or a breakdown might drastically alter plans, but in nearly 40 years of touring, it’s only happened to us once when the whole M5 was closed for a murder investigation.
It’s selfish human behaviour driving the problems.
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It's a conundrum, Micky. I think the only effective measure will be a membership penalty of some sort. Three strikes and you're out has been mentioned and maybe the cancellation of forward bookings is a consideration. People have suggested fines in the past but that's unenforceable and folk will probably just wave two fingers at the club and carry on.
I always thought it laughable that penalties for breaking forum rules can be more severe than those for breaking site rules.
The whole thing needs an overhaul.
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Lay-bys, JV. We have lots of them and you will regularly see them in use by vanners.
Overnight driving does not excuse early arrivals.
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The idea of three early arrivals and a member gets banned will not work on sites where non-members are admitted.
By the way, am I the only member that will move pitch during a stay to get the better view?
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No we've moved pitches before with all permissions, and we didn't even tell the occupants but waited till they had left.
I have actually only known one non-member outfit and that's because I booked them in for one night on their tour of the UK.
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Sorry been busy the last couple of days.
Yes I was suggesting paying for an extra night and leaving later in the day. How would that cause problems with 2 way traffic, people come and go all day long. Surely leaving say, after teatime, the chance of meeting another unit arriving is slim.
As to depriving another person of choice, again if you were staying until the next morning and departing at 8am it would be the same. If you've paid for another 24hrs you are entitled to go when it suits you.
Those arriving would have a choice of available pitches on the day, just as it does everyday, no difference.
Again, yes we disagree on what that time should be 1200 or 1300, I would say most would prefer the earlier time so they can get set up and have an afternoon left to enjoy. We rarely arrive on CAMC sites before mid afternoon, so it makes little difference to us. We don't tend to do short hops between sites especially with the caravan. With the MH that's different but I tend to book with the C&CC so I can guarantee a hard stand. 😊
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It would be interesting to know if the early arrivers of recent time are the same early arrivers who used to turn up early but have now adjusted their "earliness' to take into account the adjusted time frame as laid down by the Club?🤔😀 If they are then obviously the 1pm message is getting through, just that they refuse to change their rule breaking habits.
Also interested to know from, say JK, if he still gets people turning up earlier than 12.00 thinking that 12.00 is still the time for arrivals, but again refusing to change their rule breaking habits. 🤔😀 Now they are just first class rule breakers.
I don't suppose I will know but strangely I seem to have other more worthwhile things to ponder about.🥱
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"Again, yes we disagree on what that time should be 1200 or 1300, I would say most would prefer the earlier time so they can get set up and have an afternoon left to enjoy."
Well, in a way, that just makes my point - great for those ("most?") who can turn up on the dot of opening time, but most working families can't and they are deprived of an extra hour on site. Can't understand how making them leave by 11am is going to encourage future generations which is what is so often a charge levelled against the club.
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Should that early arrival who pays an extra night for the privilege be ‘allowed ’in the future, as some advocate, it would be interesting to see how this could be written into the rule. It would also be interesting to discover how this could be squeezed into the staff’s busy morning’s procedures as they stand today. Would it also be acceptable for members just to just tip up early, booking or not, pre-arranged or not, and offer to pay the additional charge, if so, what time would this actually be allowed, a time limit would be needed surely? So many questions and considerations. Not sure those advocates of this have thought it through!
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Not early arrivals paying for an extra day. It was folk wanting to squeeze as much time out of their weekend have the option to pay for an extra day. Say instead of leaving 11.00 or 12.00 on a Sunday they pay for an extra day and leave at their convenience, early evening or even early the next morning. Its something that was suggested years ago on a very long running thread.
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I can see how paying for an extra night and leaving late would work. It happens now quite legitimately. It is allowed.
I can’t though see how paying for an extra night in order to arrive early would work. It would mean someone would need to book to arrive the day before they intended to but, if they did not arrive by 8pm that day (ie the day before), they would be classed as a no show and the rest of their stay would be cancelled. That’s self defeating.🤷🏻♂️
Edit: typing when TG posted.
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There are 7 days in a week, you are talking about 1 day and what I would imagine is the minority of the membership. Not that they should not be considered. Maybe the club should come up with something just for this minority group of members.
How about the majority of members that will be disadvantaged by moving check in time forward an hour, as has been pointed out come the winter months by the time they get set up there will be little daylight left.
You can't please everybody.
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Damage Barton - affiliated site in Devon - does in fact on their website suggest booking for the previous night for anyone who will be coming early in a morning before their normal 12 noon arrival time. They say that will mean there is a pitch ready and waiting . It can be done and is done there .
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I think you misunderstood my post. If the "early arrivers" complied with club rules and arrived at 1pm, they plus those who currently arrive at 1pm have created a longer queue than would have been the case if wardens have relented and cleared them early. Instead of say four 1pm arrivals you are then faced with seven or eight 1pm arrivals. Congestion still occurs. Any arbitrary specified arrival time, whether 12pm or 1pm or indeed any other time creates the potential for congestion and a queue.
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+1, that works perfectly & I’ve done it in the past & would do so in the future👍🏻. The break is way more important than the cost. You are covered to the next day & it is your choice when to leave.
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As you said, it's an AS and not a club site. They work their own way and what succeeds on one independent (family run?) site doesn't necessarily extrapolate to a whole network of club sites.
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Your hypothesis depends on there being staff on hand to deal with those early arrivals and the availability of pitches for them. Otherwise, those 3-4 early folk have to queue and possibly bung up the entrance until they are joined by the good folk arriving at 1pm and are allowed in. Don't forget we are talking about club sites here and not the huge multi staffed sites some have referred to.
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When booking a pitch we used to book the extra night and leave at about 18:00 hrs but now like most members we take down our awning the day before we leave so less of a morning rush , While I agree with the rigid 13:00 arrival time will this impact on our normal target arrival time of 14:00 to 15:00 with units still waiting to book in, no doubt we will see on our next weeks outing
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