Was I unreasonable? Camping politics!!

[Seagullsbythesea]

Just been bank holiday camping. On the last day we were there, new people turned up on the pitch next door. We had our tent width ways accross the pitch so the sleeping end was right next to their pitch. They had a camper van & 2 kids also. There is an 11pm noise curfew on the site.

Last night they were up sitting outside their van with their friends talking really loudly at 11.20 right next to our heads!! My kids were trying to get to sleep.

So I went and asked them to keep it down - they really weren’t happy & just carried on. Eventually they did STFU but it was past midnight.

Was i a party pooper on their first night? Or right to just tell them to keep it down- I was polite & just said ‘it’s right by my kids heads’

We are actually leaving today whereas they are staying - I think I was feeling tired & grumpy yesterday & my kids were knackered!!

If the curfew is 11 it was totally acceptable to tell them at 20 past to keep it down. Nothing worse than noisy camping neighbours.

I think that's half the joy of camping. There's no privacy. Whether they were 8ft away or not you would have been able to hear them. First day of their holiday its not unreasonable for them to stay up till midnight chatting. Whereas you're probably exhausted. Neither are in the wrong go and have some sleep at home in your bed!

YANBU. It's just polite to keep noise down later and to abide by the curfew.

Also, they could have moved away onto their friends pitch too which wasn’t right by our heads or other tents too- but chose to stay on top of our tent!!

YANBU. As a long time camper I’ve experienced similar and noticed an increasing disregard for campsite rules and entitled twattish behaviour in general the last few times we’ve been camping.

No you were not being unreasonable. It’s the rules at most, if not all to keep the noise down after 11pm.

It’s done and dusted
There was an 11pm curfew
and you asked them to keep it down

no your weren’t over reacting
and yes you do know that

although how you asked them is relevant but we are unlikely to get the most objective interpretation from you!

@GiveupHQ i think I was polite but I was also grumpy after 4 nts of camping sleep!!!

It's so annoying. Some campsites enforce the curfew others totally ignore it. Last time I camped the tend behind us came back st 11 every night once the bar shut and then turned on their stereo with rave music till 2 am.

A noise curfew doesnt mean silence, to be fair, it means no loud music, shouting, kids running around screaming.

Its after curfew, its reasonable to ask them to keep noise down. That's the point if the noise curfew.

It being their first night is irrelevant.

This is why I will never go on a camping holiday. Tents are hideously noisy places to try and sleep.

I'm currently camping. The site is clear on the booking information that it's a quiet site and groups aren't allowed. There's signs all over reminding people to keep it down after 10.30.

There are multiple large groups here who are playing music well past midnight. The site is run by a young woman. I don't blame her for not calling them out.

I love camping, I've been going for 30 years. But in recent years it has attracted a new type of camper who don't have any regards for others and are ruining it for the rest of us.

I don't think chatting would be considered as breaking the curfew. Have camped for years and the noise curfew is for music, screaming kids, raucous laughter etc. Not chatting. I think YABU.

Make sure you make enough noise this morning while packing to disturbed them. It seems to be since covid travel restrictions that there's been an increase in inconsiderate campers.

I've noticed a different type of camper started appearing around lockdown times when people couldn't go abroad so we're trying out camping instead.

Lots of people playing loud music late etc.

I just make sure I have plenty of ear plugs and sometimes even nytol tablets when I go now! I'm a snorer so I probably annoy others well

It does mean chatting too.

We’re booked to go at the end of the week and the rules state that after 10:30 voices must be kept to a hush and quiet totally after 11. There’s a no music policy for the site.

I love camping, I've been going for 30 years. But in recent years it has attracted a new type of camper who don't have any regards for others and are ruining it for the rest of us.

We have noticed this, too. Along crossing across your pitch to go to loos/water/ waste/ cutting through to Auntie Lisa's pitch. Fine, but don't then moan when my tethered large dog wants to play. 🤣 although to be fair the last time kids wanted to play with her, the DM nearly had heart failure when the kids brought her over 'to play with the doggy' not bull breed, before anyone asks

I don't think you were unreasonable.

Is your tent pitched fully within your own pitch? Just you said it is sideways and unless it's a very small tent, this isn't how they are usually laid out. Just wondering if they are annoyed because you've encroached further than you should? Although the site manager would probably have told you if this was the case as fire breaks are needed.

If you like quiet camping and caravan club sites are good.

Things likely to piss off other campers are walking right across someone else's pitch, allowing your kids to run round their guy lines or letting your kids blow bubbles.

@fruitbrewhaha ok, most sites dont include chatting. The place you're going explicitly specifies. That's different

Everything about camping is unreasonable. Sounds like hell on earth.

We're they genuinely talking really loudly? Or were they just talking but it was the proximity to your heads making it seem loud?

I think it was EHU, mobile Internet and pre erected tents that led to the downfall of camping etiquette.

Its now "normal" to have tvs, projectors, loud music, karaoke machines, games consoles etc in tents. And people seem to have forgotten that sound travels.

Its easy to say its "just" chatting but if someone asks you to keep the noise down you need to make sure your volume hasn't creeped up after a couple of beers.

Camping is being slowly ruined by noisy people who play music all day and night , have groups where everyone in the group is on the pitch (rather than an area meant for groups or beach or whatever) kids really badly behaved and running through peoples pitches.

If they were just literally just talking I think maybe YAB a bit U.

But it really does dep me on the campsite rules - my favourite campsite has a strict no amplified music policy, no large groups and there’s never more than quiet chatter after kids bed times. The owner is hot on enforcing it too.

Whereas if a campsite allows amplified music, groups etc I would have much lower expectations that a curfew meant people with still be up talking, I’d just assume it meant no music blaring out.

Having said that I would think most reasonable people might have moved over or quietened the voices if they were actually keeping your kids awake.