Community Forums

John_N_Terry · 05-29-2011, 07:17 AM

I understand that camp hosts only have the authority given them by the management...but I often times wish they would do more about rule offenders than they do.

We've been to several State Parks as well as COE parks where campers break every rule in the book...and the hosts just look the other way because they're either not allowed to confront the campers or don't want to.

One time we ended up with neighboring campers sitting at our table eating our food uninvited!! Then we had to confront them. They looked at us like we had horns growing from our heads and walked off muttering to themselves. I informed the camp host, who told me he'd keep an eye on them.

Twenty minutes later the neighbor's brat kids started bouncing a basket ball off the side of our RV in FULL view of the camp host who was sitting outside watching the whole thing...I caught his eye and motioned to him in such a way as to ask, "aren't you going to do anything?" Then he looked away as if he didn't see anything. Again, I had to confront the offenders. Ended up calling the rangers out myself. They made the neighbors move to another site where nobody was around them.

Forest Grump · 05-29-2011, 09:47 AM

Please remember if you stop someone or try to detain someone that is an arrest and you might be civilly liable.

doc · 05-29-2011, 09:52 AM

We were camped at Moccasin Creek SP in N Georgia and had a host come by and raise cain about the tire of one of our party's car on the edge of the grass. Turns out the CG was trying to grow grass in the full shade of the tree canopy and it always died when the leaves came on every spring. Now this guy could have been courteous and asked the camper to move the car (6 to 8 inches on the grass) and told him why. He didn't. Maybe he was having a bad day - I don't know, but he left all of our campers, about 14 people, with bad feelings about him, simply because of his demeanor. We spoke to the ranger about the situation of the grass and he told us what was going on. No, we didn't snitch off the host.
When we began hosting a few years later in SD we both kept this guy in mind in dealing with the visitors there. Explain the problem and nine times out of ten the person will even help you solve it. You get what you put in when dealing with people.
Yes we did have some authority, that being we could have a trouble maker removed from the CG, but only had one group in two years that had to leave and when I mentioned the ranger would be there in 10 minutes they decided to leave immediately.

melvonnar · 05-29-2011, 10:16 AM

I was camped at a C.O.E. park in Alabama one june (hot, humity %99, air conditioners running full blast) 11 oclock at night a volunteer was beating; (yes beating) on the side of my camper yelling, I got you; I got you; I slid the window open to see what the problem was. The air conditioneers were dripping water on the pad and making a puddle under the motorhome, he informed me the I can't dump water on the pad and I have to catch it.
Needless to say I just shut the window.
The next morning bright and early a ranger came to our campsite with a bag of lime and asked where we had dumped the water. There was a large puddle under the motorhome where the airconditioner water had collected.
this ranger was as co co as the host.
There is a lot more to this story but I'm going to stop here.
Travel long enough and you will meet all kinds.

melvonnar · 05-29-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

Please remember if you stop someone or try to detain someone that is an arrest and you might be civilly liable.

And the lawyers love these kind of cases. $$$$$$$$$

bldrbob · 05-30-2011, 07:23 AM

I had a volunteer make me move a foot further off the road cause I was only two feet from the curb and a bad driver may hit me.My thought was if he or she is that bad they wouldn't have made it to the park.I just smiled and moved.

Forest Grump · 06-05-2011, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bldrbob

I had a volunteer make me move a foot further off the road cause I was only two feet from the curb and a bad driver may hit me.My thought was if he or she is that bad they wouldn't have made it to the park.I just smiled and moved.

If you are parked more than 18" from the curb that is a violation in our county, ticket time. When you park on the wrong side of the street that is the ticket that is written.

bldrbob · 06-05-2011, 06:34 PM

I was two feet into the campsite, not on the road.She thought I should be 2 1/2 feet.

JMonroe · 06-05-2011, 08:58 PM

As I mentioned earlier, I was applying for a volunteer camp host position for the county park system around Madison WI. I was accepted and last week went through their orientation. They made it clear that the camp host position was mainly PR. Help campers register, if help is needed. Greet campers and provide local information as requested. Handle fire wood and permit sales and help keep the main office up to date on site availability. Check the campsites after someone has left, check the restrooms a few times each day (call staff if they are in need of some attention). On occasion you may be asked if you'll assist with special projects. You are NOT, however, there to enforce any rules. Should you observe a rule violation, alert the paid staff and they'll decide how to deal with it. In an emergency call 911, then the ranger.

I won't be able to take a more permanent postition until the house is sold, but in the meantime I'll fill in for the temporary absence of the 'regular' hosts at any of the parks. My first such substitution will be in a couple weeks while the regulars attend an out of state wedding.

edatlanta · 06-06-2011, 04:55 AM

The same is true where I am JMonroe. We are here to assist campers and to be an extra set of eyes and ears for the rangers who can't be everywhere all of the time. If we see a situation, we call the ranger if a simple and polite meeting with the camper doesn't work. We don't confront anybody and I don't want to. I had enough confrontation in my working career. Hosting is fun for me and I want to keep it that way. I have all of the authority that I want - None. Been there and done that previously.

Easyrider · 06-06-2011, 05:49 AM

Hey Jay, we'll have to find out where you end up and see if we can "push your buttons"! Just kidding, good luck with the hosting, we're thinking of doing that someday.

JMonroe · 06-06-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easyrider

Hey Jay, we'll have to find out where you end up and see if we can "push your buttons"! Just kidding, good luck with the hosting, we're thinking of doing that someday.

We'll be visiting Baraboo in July with the Badger FMCA chapter. You should stop by. We'll be at the fairgrounds.