Walking Through Campsites, Is it ok to cut through other's campsites? - looking for opinions Options

[drmcleod]

OK... here's the deal.

When my wife and I were looking into buying a RV over 5 years ago and doing the campground thing, we were unsure of the decision. Upon talking to many people we found that the campground vacation sounded great. Many people told us that "there is no place like a campground" or that "there's something about campgrounds". We were told that a campground is an escape from the real world. Whether you live in a city, neighborhood, or in the country, a campground is like one big happy family! Everyone is happy, waves hello, and welcomes you like an old friend.

Well, we've been camping for over 5 years now and are still yet to find the campground that we've been told about. Now understand, we love camping, and for the most part campers are friendly and inviting. But there seems to be one area where most campers are "uninviting"... walking through campsites.

There have been several times when I have been walking from point A to point B in a c/g and found that it would be easier/shorter to cut through someone's campsite only to get dirty looks and even an occasional rude comment.

Now, I'll admit, that since we've been camping, we have started to adopt this mentality. I mean, it seems that when we pull into our campsite, that it immediately becomes ours. I'm not proud of this, but it's true.

So, before I give anymore of my opinion on the subject, I would like to get other opinions. So, give me an earfull... please.

[Texasrvers]

I think most campers consider that it is rude to cut through someone else's campsite. You will even see "Don't cut through other campsites" posted in cg rules sometimes. I guess people look at it as an invasion of space--like walking through someone's backyard or livingroom without permission. You seem to indicate someone cutting through your site would not bother you, but I think you will find that most campers would not like it.

[drmcleod]

I think most campers consider that it is rude to cut through someone else's campsite. You will even see "Don't cut through other campsites" posted in cg rules sometimes. I guess people look at it as an invasion of space--like walking through someone's backyard or livingroom without permission. You seem to indicate someone cutting through your site would not bother you, but I think you will find that most campers would not like it.

Maybe it's because I do not mind if people walk through the backyard of my home. In fact, if a neighborhood kid needed to walk through our backyard to get to a friends house or a bus stop, then we would welcome it.

I think that's what is perplexing to me.

Like I said in my opening post, we are starting to adopt the attitude of "don't walk through my campsite" when camping, yet allow people to walk through our yard while at home. I'm not saying it's right, in fact I think it's wrong. I want to camp/stay in a place where we feel welcome and make others feel welcome. Remember the good ole days when neighbors were "neighborly"? Maybe I just thought campgrounds should bring back the sense of the neighborly neighbor.

[DXSMac]

I once stayed at Heceta Beach RV Resort, and I got stuck with the campsite next to the bathrooms. Everyone walked through my site. Yes, I said it. MY site. While I rent it, it's my space. If people stand at the entrance to my space and say hello, then I'm ok with it.

JJ

[Lindsay Richards]

I too think it is very rude to cut through other's site when walking around. We try not to do it ourselves and don't appreciate others doing it to us. The worst case we have every had was at an Upper Cape Cod state park where a group of drunk kids were playing football and frequently came into the site and even knocked our awning. We moved to another empty site in the campground and reported our move the ranger afterwards. The kids were very loud well into the night. Even cutting through going on a walk isn't very neighborly. We have had a person with a dog poop in our site and them pick it up in a plastic bag while we were having dinner outside. Now this really helps the appetite. Some people are just clueless.

[gwbischoff]

1). Folks meandering around the campgrounds chatting,waving, saying hello.

2). Folks walking,running through campsites where I might have personal items? Nah. And this is America in the 21st Century. I'm sure if they trip and fall over my kid's scooter I'll be hearing from an attourney.

3). Letting folks walk through my back yard at home? Maybe it's a regional thing. I live in LA. If someone's running through my back yard, chances are there's a helicopter following him with a searchlight.

[HappiestCamper]

Stay out of MY site - period. I have a camper that cost me quite a bit of money. I have equipment in my camper that cost me quite a bit of money. I have 3 children under the age of 11 that I don't want to have to deal with strangers if they are in MY site and I am in my camper. One of us may be changing into our swim suit or something inside the camper, but since the window can only be seen from within OUR site, we didn't put down the shades. Walk through MY site uninvited, and if something ends up missing, I saw you in MY site that I am renting - so what is the first thing I'm going to tell the ranger/host/police?

When we rent a site, we are responsible for everything that happens on that site (barking dogs, people damaging trees, etc.). Someone walking through MY site uninvited has just taken some of that control away from me. My huge dog is friendly, but territorial - he's wary of uninvited "guests" also.

As you walk by my site or I walk by yours, I will wave, probably say hello (and hope you would do the same). We may strike up a conversation on the edge of MY site or YOUR site, and if we hit it off, or one needs help from the other, then one of us will invite the other into OUR site. Simply walking through MY site uninvited just to get to the other side is not acceptable - I may have paid extra online to reserve this site months ago just because it was next to whatever it is you want to shortcut to. I'm not going to walk through your hotel room just because it's quicker for me to get to the pool.

Best practice - stop at the edge of my site and tell me your rvparkreviews username - I'll break out the drinks immediately and welcome you right in.

[gwbischoff]

I'm not going to walk through your hotel room just because it's quicker for me to get to the pool.

DING,DING,DING!!!

You just won a kewpie-doll!!

[drmcleod]

As you walk by my site or I walk by yours, I will wave, probably say hello (and hope you would do the same). We may strike up a conversation on the edge of MY site or YOUR site, and if we hit it off, or one needs help from the other, then one of us will invite the other into OUR site. Simply walking through MY site uninvited just to get to the other side is not acceptable - I may have paid extra online to reserve this site months ago just because it was next to whatever it is you want to shortcut to. I'm not going to walk through your hotel room just because it's quicker for me to get to the pool.

Best practice - stop at the edge of my site and tell me your rvparkreviews username - I'll break out the drinks immediately and welcome you right in.

I like this thought, Happy.

I too feel that each campsite is that family's "piece of earth" for the duration of their stay. We also leave much of our "stuff" out in our site and wouldn't want anyone close enough to be tempted and/or trip over it, etc.

But, like you say, as you walk by... say hello, wave or even smile. I am (even to my dismay) one of the happy campers who gets unhappy when other's pass through my site. I think the exception to this is when we camp with a large group. Then, not only do I not mind if other "group members" come into my site, I even encourage the fellowship. The difference is that we know these campers and can trust them a little bit more.

[kcmoedoe]

I just paid good money to rent my site. This gives me temporary control of that space. I look forward to meeting everybody in the park, but keep it in the common areas. There are liability issues, privacy issues, safety issues and just plain issues. In many parts of the country, someone in your site is just as likely to be a peeping tom or a thief as they are to be just someone cutting through. Common courtesy is one ofthe best indicators of character I know. And it is common courtesy to respect a persons boundries unless invited to do otherwise.

[John Blue]

I do not do it. I will walk thru an empty site if no one is around the space. We have had lots of people do this at our site and most are kids on the way to someplace. School kids walk across our land at home all the time. I ask they to please use the sidewalk and most do not return again. Some parks have rules over this and others do not.

[RLM]

OK, folks can we have a bit of common sense on this issue?

1- None of us own the campsite. It definitely does not fall into the MY site category. No one has either permanent or temporary control of the site. The C/G gets to make the rules for its park, you do not.
2- For those who like the short cut path across someone’s ‘rented’ site, then don’t get offended if you are called to task for doing so.
3- For those of you who would be offended by the short cutters, then please have a modicum of tact in explaining the issue. Not everyone is an experienced RVer who would know that they have encroached on a manners issue.
4- Give the kids a break…even the teen agers. They don’t have a clue about this issue. They are in an outdoor environment with one goal in mind…having fun. I respectfully suggest that they might be the future to RVing so don’t screw it up by being a whiny old fart. You were a kid once too, you know.

Common courtesy is certainly worthwhile, but whatever happened to polite tolerance? For those who do not have either, then buy some concertina wire, pick an isolated site, and surround yourself with it. We’ll both be happy campers.

[Wadcutter]

Some of the parks where we've stayed we've encountered "trespassers". Typically it's been in public parks. Tolerance? No tolerance when 3-4 teenage/20 yr old kids parade thru our campsite, walking between my grandson and the campfire while he was sitting there cooking a hotdog , and stepping over the hotdog stick he was holding. No tolerance when a couple in about their 50s walked next to our camper and then complained when my wife came out the 5er door that she nearly hit them with the door. Tolerance? No way. That's just plain rude, inconsiderate conduct by people who have never learned any manners.
Cutting thru someone's campsite because it's closer to the bathhouse? Tough, lay off the Twinkies and Coke, go for a walk and walk around other's campsite. The walk will do you good. I wouldn't think of encroaching on another's site and I expect the same from others. "common sense"? Common sense is don't go where you aren't uninvited.

[BBear]

I've never had adults cut through campsites that I've stayed at nor have I ever cut through an occupied campsite as an adult.

However, I have on occasion had unsupervised kids roam through my campsites on foot and honestly, I did the same as a child as well, but mostly because when I camped as a youngster we would "family camp" and since we had a large family most of the sites around where my family was camping was occupied by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, so we'd often cut through other family members sites to get to another family's site and never thought nothing of it. But, we would never roam or cut through sites that were not occupied by family members.

I've never said anything to those unattended kids who walk through my site on occasion, except to say "Hi" and they usually say the same and keep walking. I guess it really just doesn't bother me.

[RL36]

Heres my 2 cents, Ive had peaple kindly ask "Do you mind if we go through your site" I dont mind that. As long as its not a habit. But if peaple use it as a walkway or kids think they can rudly run and scream through my site then thats wrong, inconsideret and should not be done. The whole reason for us RVers and campers is not having to deal with that kind of c/g rudness. So I say, I pay good money to stay at that c/g so please stay out of my site, thank you!