When it is approved to speed on site
Just returned from a club site where I had an argument with the warden reference speeding on site and being accused of doing over 5 mph although car speedometer showed 5 mph. During this heated debate I mentioned to the warden that I had returned to site one afternoon to find him using his tractor mower to cut the grass on the adjacent pitch to mine. Not being in a hurry I sat in my car on the road waiting for him to finish. Please note site was all grass at this point. During my wait I assessed that the warden was doing in well over the 5 mph limit and told him so. I was therefore very surprised to be informed that it was accepted and approved by the Club for wardens to exceed the speed limit whilst cutting the grass as the mowers can only properly work at a minimum speed of 9 mph. I expressed my surprise at this statement and said that it was obvious that the mowers where incorrectly specified for the job and that in my opinion they were more dangerous travelling at that speed than a car than a car travelling at 5mph due to the partially exposed wheels and the large cutting blade revolving under the tractor mower. I also suspect that they do not have an NCAP rating as the majority of cars on site would have. The warden explained to me that he is only allowed to cut the grass after he has carried out a full risk assessment to ensure that there would be no danger to children and site users and that he had been fully trained to observer all around him whilst carrying out this task.
I cannot see how any properly carried out risk assessment can determine that a tractor mower travelling at 10 mph with an operator concentrating on cutting grass rather than navigating the machine can be safer than a car travelling at 5 mph. This would appear to be the Club imposing rules for one and not for their own employees.
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Maybe put that point to CAMC and get their definitive opinion?
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Goodness Me!
I never realised that club sites could be so much........fun.
33 years a member and I have yet to see a warden eviserate a single dog, child, OAP, rabbit or Woopigeon. Where have all these incidents been taking place?
What next? Speed traps on site? Maybe have Average speed cameras placed around the site for when those pesky wardens collect the rubbish?
Just enjoy your holiday. Its no wonder the club are finding it hard to attract wardens when they have members critiquing them this way.
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Well I would have just said I was doing 5mph but accept from the warden's perspective it may have looked faster and left it at that rather than get into argument.
Personally I think there is a big difference between going on the site 'roads' at over 5mph and on large grass areas/unoccupied pitches at a greater speed. Site roads have vehicles, caravans and perdestrainians of all ages while large grass areas or unoccupied pitches usually don't, grass areas have to mowed and as explained a risk assessment is done to ensure safety and they have been trained to do so. I would accept that.
Also I have driven a grass cutting tractor (many years ago) and really the view is looking and concentrating forward all the time.
But the point is really that the warden has told you what the 'official' view is, now you can either accept that or if you think she/he or the club is in any way compromising safety by the things you mentioned then write in to the club as TW suggests.
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Evening
So, not splitting hairs but all site ride on equipment is governed to 8mph. A staff member telling you he's been trained suggests to me that he's new to the role so he's probably forgotten that the slower the operation the better the finish. A lot goes in to get the correct tools suitable for each site.
Interesting that you "assessed" he was speeding and "you told him so". Was that the same staff member you had a conversation with regarding your electric lead after you arrived who hadn't measured the pitches properly? Maybe he was having a joke with you in response?
I think it's best in this case as mentioned above and email enquiries@camc.com and title it with the site name, that should get you a response from the relevant regional manager..
JK
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Hi
kassies dad spot o Nunnykirk it was.
Cornersteady did not wish to get into an argument but warden came chasing down the site and accosted me in front of other caravaners indeed one of them interrupted the warden and told him off for his attitude and how he was speaking to me. Also the next morning whilst I was busy getting ready to leave (pre planned) five other members came and told me that they had had problems with the warden. Warden was not cutting the grass in long lengths but backwards and forwards between caravans where visibility was restricted.Wherenext caravanner I also have never seen an accident on site caused by a warden or a caravanner in my over 35 years of membership, however I have never heard such a poor reason for such an activity. I am not in particular blaming the warden he may be acting in accordance with Club policy it is the fact that the Club considers over 5 mph to be unsafe when driven by members but the warden when operating a dangerous piece of machinery can travel at twice that speed seems very duplicitous to me. With regard to speed cameras he actually had a small radar type camera that he was using to check speeds unfortunately he did not appear to know how to use it properly as he was holding it with one hand instead of two for stability, he had no idea as to how or when it should be calibrated and many of these small cameras are not suitable for use under 10 mph.
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Lamplighter, you’d do well to take note of JK’s words above and follow his advice. In case you’re not aware, he is a site warden and knows far more about these things than us mere posters.
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Lol. He's not calmed down any then! I was at Nunnykirk a couple of months ago and was caught doing 7 mph by his speed gun driving towards the back field. Didn't so much mind the accusation of speeding but was put out by the aggressive tone in which my misdemeanor was relayed!
And by the handmade sign at the entrance which read 'Yes, your car can do 5mph'.
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hi lamplighter had a bust up with said warden . reversed my car to let him over the bridge on the far area of the site went onto his no mow zone you know where I mean he reversed back so I came over bridge to get to pitch 42 on the right side of the tear drop . reversed onto pitch then he came steaming over before had got out of car and started ranting I reversed to quickly to let him over the bridge plus driving two wheels onto his wild life haven .he continually berated me so I told him where to get off with a bit of Anglo Saxon .he then said he was going to report me to the club so I told him to go and do it then .while talking to some others walking back with their dogs he and his wife came back with bit of paper to say have been suspended for 14days in front of other campers very nice of him to do that and thanked him .the others have told me about his speed gun also got rollocked when booking in for coming down lane to quick before the gates prob doing about 8mph with van on back so that was a good start to our holiday.we have been on 12days so prob had a natter with one another .yep he has a bee stuck up where the sun doesn't shine every day he has given someone some (advice) note the brackets .he didn't like it during the week when I suggested to him at the water point that the site looked a mess with all the long grass (for nature) to develop also it's a fire hazard if you get someone using a disposable barbecue all I got other people like it ! with the layout of the site with a westerly breeze it would fan flames very quickly and the bracken would soon be off.told him to get his regional manager here to site this morning but no avail.just have to see what the committee come up with ha have been a member for 31years this warden or manager what ever you want to call him has got the worst attitude of any.to the others that have posted be warned about this one . this post will probably be Deleted User by the club moderator shortly so good luck everyone
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Note to Club…Hire staff for attitude, train for skills later.
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Morning
While social media is good for getting things off your chest so to speak, if there's a perceived recurring issue at any site it will never be dealt with unless the proper channels are followed as I mentioned upthread.
JK
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Please be advised that our site staff work hard to ensure that everyone on our Club campsites are safe. We are sorry to learn you were unhappy with the service received. Our Site Staff are the face of the Club and providing excellent customer service is something that we always strive for. We always welcome the opportunity for feedback and you can do this here. We do ask that complaints are sent via the correct channels so they are directed to the relevant departments to review.
I will now close this discussion as we would like complaints to be addressed via the proper channels.
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