# Terrible Aire Behavior



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Firstly let me set the picture before you go imagining some packed out horrible sea side aire on the med. On a first class recomendation from mhf we arrived early yesterday on the lovely little aire at Castenet in southern Aveyron. It's the perfect aire. Just 4 places, well tendered lawns, each pitch with it's own picnic bench, tap and ehu. The village is small, picturesque and so quiet. Three pitches are close together but staggered and one is further away on it's own. Being Jammy and getting here early we got the one on it's own.

It's been so peaceful here the in aveyron the last couple of weeks I assumed this spot would follow suite.

A French van arrives and occupies the first of the three spots together. We say hello and it's friendly. They are soon followed by two Belgian vans (not together)

ithats it. The place us full and we go out for a few ours on the bike.

On our return we sit out, it's lovely. Others are dong the same. Around 9pm as we go inside a car pulls up and a couple walk down to the Belgian van in the middle of the three and are greeted by the owners. Clearly they are friends that are visiting. Now at first the chitter chatter outside doesn't bother me. We are. A good distance away and we planned to stay up late anyway but I start to feel concern for the poor French couple who are right next to them. I also assume as with all aires by 1030 or 1100 at the latest it will go very quiet.

To make it worse the poor French bloke has fiddled with his sat dish for hours trying to get a signal but gives up and we assume goes to bed.

The noise increases and by 11pm I start to think how rude. We are not sure if the second Belgian van has joined them but assume so as it's really quite unacceptable now. They must be right under the french couples window.

At around 12pm there is a loud banging and a shout which I assume is the French guy lfinally loosing patience. It goes quiet for a while then like teenagers after 5 minutes it starts again. We turn In and read till about 1am and it's starting to bug me now. Then they spill out into the middle of the aire shouting goodbyes and banging doors!

This is just not on and without thinking I open the window blind so they can see me and give them both barrels with some choice words that I'm not really proud of. Not so much for us but for the poor sods right next door to them.

The couple who arrived by car scurry off and quickly drive away and the other belgians retire quickly to the van and that's it. All over.

Well not quite. I'm awoken this morning at 7am by the sound of the French van opening lockers and generally making a royal racket outside which he has been doing for nearly an hour now. Normally I would be annoyed but good on him!

As I write this it's gone quiet again.

I just don't get it. How could people be so inconsiderate? I hate to generalise but on this trip his is not the first time we have come across noisy Belgians.

What do you think?will let you know if world war three breaks out!


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Definitely unacceptable :x 

Sounds like the French guy is getting his revenge by disturbing the Belgians early in the morning after the late night. :lol: 

I have found that the majority of m/homers are reasonable and thoughtful on the aires-you have got to be when you are crammed in like sardines,no 20 foot rule I'm afraid :roll: 

One of the most thoughtless things I have seen was a Frenchman on a very popular aire with his awning wound out with chairs and table underneath.New arrivals were having to turn round and go elsewhere.

I have not noticed any nationalities that are worse than others-the only time I have seen any noisy,yobbish behaviour was by fellow Brits.

On the whole though the majority of m/homers are decent and helpful I think.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks

yes I hate to generalise and perhaps it's just been coincidence. I agree with you. We as Brits can be a bit noisy although I can't comment on this trip as in three months we haven't seen more than a handful.

Looks like French couple are off. Can't say I blame them.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

I think surely you must have better things to do then relive every scenario in detail on here, Barry 

In life we come across rowdy, rude, inconsiderate people on aires, housing estates, hotels, in the street etc. Such is life. Move on and put it behind you and don't give it a second thought, let alone document it .

Sounds to me as thought you quite enjoyed the free entertainment though :lol:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yep, there are times when behaviour like this can cause more than mild irritation.

My 'bitch' neighbour had a party till 3am. when all the good byes and car doors were very loud. Apart from waking the other neighbours I caught a couple of comments about 'Les Englais'.

So at 7.15 next morning I cut up a pile of oak logs with a chain saw out front of my barn.

Been quiet since.

Ray.


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## tony645 (Sep 26, 2010)

hi, just back from a month 99% aires, only came across a couple of minor incidents, at Collonges 2 very large german vans parked together with their huge trailers taking up the 2 spaces between them, loads of people trying to get on but had to turn away.
At la boulou, found the last space only to find the french van next to it, awning out, had all their chairs and tables in it and sat eating, remarkable how quickly they got everything out of the way when I started reversing in.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I don't think they were drunk which kind of makes it worse as they must of been aware of what they were doing.

I like the reversing towards the awning story. Top man.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

We have experienced that sort of thing a couple of times too Barry. I find it hard to sleep if there is a lot of noise. I console myself with the thought that it's very rare. I think that there are bad mannered people from every country but luckily they are a small minority, Alan.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

If you feel you must make a protest you could try feeding the birds at daybreak. :? :? 

After dark just put a couple of slices of bread on the roof of their van and let the birds do the rest.   

It's very effective near the coast were there are seagulls especially in mid summer when it is light by 5am.

Don


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Sitting here in bed, it's easy to say "what's all the fuss about? It's only a bit of noise!" but I know how easy it is to become annoyed at the inconsiderate behaviour of others.

We had an episode with a generator at St. Paul les Dax, where there was a heated exchange between a Belgian couple (with a generator) and a French man, who thought that it was spoiling the beautiful countryside feel of the aire.

As others have said, it's rare for this to happen, and the overwhelming majority of aire users have been friendly and considerate.

Gerald


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## loopy86 (Mar 8, 2011)

We had a few incidences of cars coming to visit people in motorhomes and they decided to not only park up behind our van; I wasn't going to leave until the morning but what if I had wanted to go, they also caused an immense racket and left after midnight with their car stereos booming. Another time someone stood outside and peered in the back windows not realising we were inside, I opened the back door and waved which caused the desired result of him leaving fast. Some peoples lack of consideration grates me as we are so careful to be quiet - watching TV with headphones etc. I guess at least we didn't have a boring non eventful time away :lol:


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

An observation only and def not taking sides:

Who states that Aires should be quiet? People that like quiet I guess. No doubt there are people now back at work complaing about the rude inconsiderate campers that were up at the crack of dawn making noise.

Bear in mind that we do not all have the same time clock.

In Spain recently we walked around Roses for ages looking for a decent resturant about 9.00pm dismissing loads as they were deserted.

About 9.30 we settled on a place more due to needing a wee, and drink and a potential mutiny from the rest of the group we bundled into a steak house that at least had some life in it.

About 11.00 we left, only to realise that every street, pavement, bar and bistro was packed, solid with noisey, cheerful, freindly people. 

So I guess that if you want rules, regulations and structure pay to go on a campsite where you have the ability to complain if some one breaks the rules.

What some consider late, others will not, and what some consider early, may be disputed by others.

Bear in mind that Aire du repos are rest areas designed to allow people to tour, stop spend some money in the local area. If you are travelling and do not arrive until later in the evening you are perfectly entitled to do so. 

The fact that another user is already there, asleep, exhausted after a long bike ride, a heavy lunch and a surfit of the local plonk, doesn't make either right or wrong, they're both simply using the Aire in the manner intended.

I have never had a problem on an Aire, I think my frame generator, six children, seven quad bikes and four big dogs running around loose, puts most people off. :wink: 

Eddie


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

I hate those who insist on sharing their music collection with their ipod plugged into a big noisy box :twisted: Usually brits. It's just as bad 100 yds away as you just can't get the bass beat out of your head


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't think it's about rules Eddie, it's about consideration for others and simple good manners which ought to be universal and not need to be written, Alan.


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

loopy86 said:


> We had a few incidences of cars coming to visit people in motorhomes and they decided to not only park up behind our van; I wasn't going to leave until the morning but what if I had wanted to go, they also caused an immense racket and left after midnight with their car stereos booming. Another time someone stood outside and peered in the back windows not realising we were inside, I opened the back door and waved which caused the desired result of him leaving fast. Some peoples lack of consideration grates me as we are so careful to be quiet - watching TV with headphones etc. I guess at least we didn't have a boring non eventful time away :lol:


"Sat listening to the tv with headphones "  

I d love a picture of that for a caption competition in an italian camping magazine :lol: :lol:


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## PaulW2 (May 30, 2010)

I had a Dutch neighbour at a campsite on Lake Bracciano last year who said that the standard view among his mates was that the Brits and the Russians are the worst for general rowdiness and yobbishness. (I think we had started the conversation by discussing how well-represented the Dutch are on European campsites: they are probably the continent's keenest campers.)

I haven't thought about his comments that much since, but we were in a city camp site in Rome a few weeks ago when the young (in their 20s) English group who were on a pitch near us returned to their van at about 2 am. They were drunk and extremely loud, pulled out a guitar and proceeded to scream/sing at the top of their voices for about half an hour. The French, Italian, Dutch and German neighbours came out and looked at them pointedly but they didn't stop the racket until someone (a German I think) gathered the courage to ask them to settle down. 

It looks like it's what the statisticians call a 'bimodal' distribution. Many - most - are well-behaved but there are always a few who spoil it.

I think my Dutchman's point was that, unlike most other nationalities, some Brits and Russians seem to have a habit of getting utterly wasted and then behaving badly. And rowdy, drunk mobs of any nationality are horrible to have around one.

(I had a German van parking on my pitch in the campsite in Florence last year during the night - when I woke up these guys were about 2 feet away from me (my awning wasn't out). I asked them to move but it still took them an hour or so after they had finished a leisurely breakfast. I had a bit of a Basil Fawlty moment about the whole thing.)


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Sorry Eddie and don't take this the wrong way but I find the idea of going on a campsite for peace and quiet as there are rules laughable.

To be fair we avoid campsites like the plague but sometimes they are unavoidable. Certainly the Aires we stay on which are chosen very carefully have been much quieter than sites we have ended up on.

You can kind of expect it on a seaside aire with a hundred vans but this one is in the middle of a quiet village for 4 vans and before the entertainment started you could hear a pin drop.

The offenders have also left now but not before they gave me a filthy look on their way out. I take it they understood my colourful language then.


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## eurajohn (May 9, 2005)

Eddie, if you choose to go to areas such as the one you mention (and not all of Spain is like it although most is) then that is what you should expect; however as Barry mentioned most of us that choose to use rural aires do it because they are normally peace quite and tranquillity.
Not everyone wants somewhere "with life in it" as you put it.

Boring old fart! Yes that's me!!


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Camping*

Don't expect to go on a camping holiday and expect peace and quiet.

I don't use Aires that much.

But I have lost count of the number of times we have had run ins on campsites. Just the way it is.

It can start from anything from simple envy of your outfit, to shading or taking a sat signal out (they are marked pitches after all).

That said, we once hired a very expensive villa in St. Tropez and the parties in high season kept everyone up all night. You had to have a good drink to sleep. In Fairness, the lay of the land for some of these villas is such that you can hear a loud fart from the other side of the hilltop.

TM


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

eddievanbitz said:


> I have never had a problem on an Aire, I think my frame generator, six children, seven quad bikes and four big dogs running around loose, puts most people off. :wink:
> 
> Eddie


All that in a Minnie Winnie, amazing. :lol:

Ian


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

erneboy said:


> I don't think it's about rules Eddie, it's about consideration for others and simple good manners which ought to be universal and not need to be written, Alan.


I stated up front about not taking sides, Alan. I know people who are by nature loud and they feel that people who complain when they are having fun are rude and anti social and miserable.

In a society that eats late why shouldn't they be able to arrive and sit outside and enjoy their meal at "their" usual time for example. Perhaps these people think that we are weird as we eating our dinner so early.

Barry, where did I say that you get peace and quiet on a campsite? I said "if you wan't rules" With rules you get a clear defined set of values that are devised and imposed by some one else.

Before I get cast as the bad guy here, I am quiet and considerate when using an Aire, the point I was making is that people will consider different values as "polite" and it is simply no good thinking "this is what I believe" and expecting everyone else to agree.

An example, when my children were younger (I don't have six children or seven quad bikes) I found that pubs that refused entry to families stupid, narrow minded and old fashioned.

Now that my youngest Son is 18 years old and never wants to come away with us, we tend to steer clear of "family pubs" where "kids eat free" and prefer pubs that don't really welcome children.

No doubt when Grandchildren start popping out I'll return to being outraged that my family are not welcome.

In the meantime I am at a loss when I am told that our two beautifully behaved, German Shepherd's are not allowed to curl up in a corner of a pub as "food is served"

I understand that they wouldn't be welcome in the preperation area, but why not on the floor of the pub? are they likely to serve my food on the floor? or put the plates on the floor? No, so why can't my dogs sit on the floor? It is illogical

However, it does serve a point here. Many people that don't like dogs think that to take a dog to a pub or beer garden is anti social.

Many people hate kids and think that to sit down for a meal with a screaming child is hell, and that the parents should sit outside and save everyone else from having to listen to their screaming brats.

The parents sit their and patiently try to calm their child and glare at the people that are "tut tutting" them and think that they are anti social!

People have different perspectives on what is right and wrong, on what would be considered reasonable and "good manners" and both camps (no pun intended) think that they are being reasonable.

Live and let live

Eddie


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*comment*



eddievanbitz said:


> erneboy said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think it's about rules Eddie, it's about consideration for others and simple good manners which ought to be universal and not need to be written, Alan.
> ...


Very Fair and Valid comments. I think we can relate to a few of these points.

Bad Guy, No.

I think some people like to complain. We sat outside drinking and talking one night. It was 10:30pm and we were pitched next to the bar where there was loud music playing.

Johnny foreigner decided he was going to make a point about our speeches (and showing off his Command of the English Language) . I think he regretted it in the end and wished he had kept it buttoned.

TM


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I am not taking sides either Eddie. Just observing that consideration for others is generally universal and that there are some people who don't seem to give it a thought, Alan.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Reg Plate*

Hell, A registration plate can cause a kick off.

In Southern France, we heard a group complaining that some kraut had come along, parked awkward, like they do, left rubbish lying around, like they do. The usual stereotyping.

The Driver and his Grandson were American and had flown into Frankfurt and collected the hired camper.

TM


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

I think that the funniest time I was asked to shut up was caused by Dr Who!

We wanted to stay on a site down in Dorset, and the site was packed, jam packed.

The site had a tent field and it was deserted due to being not very level, had no water, no electrics and no showers or loo's

As Olley has bubbled me :lol: We have a Minnie Winnie (only 30 foot) and our friends had a American RV as well.

None of the above problems caused us the slightest concern as we only wanted a couple of nights.

So two RV's at the furthest edge away from the main site, we took ourselves off to a little pub in the middle of nowhere for lunch.

There was a new series of Doctor Who on that My mate wanted to watch (and in secret so did I but he was getting the flak from the girls so I kept quiet :wink: )

Imagine when we got back to the site, two RV's both with two slideouts' out one side and awnings the other with a tent erected in the shade of the vans.

So a field of about 5 acres I would guess, this tosser has put hi tent up about three feet from the side of our mates van.

Live and let live and all of that, we laughed and as we walked over to our vans, I suggested that the owner could be lonely and we could offer him/her a beer.

There was no one to be seen and the tent zipped up tight.

So, a couple of hours later, sat around a table, bottle of wine chewing the cud the big moment arrives!

"And no one BBC1 the new series of Doctor Who" and within about thirty seconds of the music starting a head appears at the door of the van and said in no uncertain terms "It's bad enough that I have to sit and listen to your idiot chatter all afternoon, but I DO NOT come camping to listen to Doctor Who, turn it off NOW"

I wasn't sure who started to laugh first, but it certainly wasn't the reaction that our tenting buddy thought that he would get.

Frankly he got told exactly where he could go, and how we would help him get there, and that if he was stupid enough to pitch a tent in a five acre field close enough that we could reach out of a window and touch the thing, he would be the one moving if he wasn'y happy.



They walk among us!

The funny thing was that the wardens had told us that we could run gennies if we wanted so long as they were turned off at dusk so we could have been much noisier had we wanted to!

Eddie


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Well put Eddie.
But now in my dotage I also choose not to have screaming kids present when I dine or socialise.
There have been several memorable and unpleasant meals due to uncontrollable children creating havoc. But many more undisturbed and enjoyable meals that fade into memory.

Bad news is always louder than good news.

Ray.


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

erneboy said:


> I am not taking sides either Eddie. Just observing that consideration for others is generally universal and that there are some people who don't seem to give it a thought, Alan.


I agree Alan, I am just pointing out that consideration for others means different things to different people.

I was a different person when my children were younger, but I never felt inconsiderate.

Frankly when a child is screaming in a resturant I hate it now, but who is being inconsiderate? Me? for wanting the noise to stop? the parent who is trying to console their child, instead of taking the child outside into the cold, to pacify other diners at the dissadvantage to themselves and their child? Is it in fact the child being inconsiderate?

Of course not, no one is in fact, but it does show that you can have a group where no one is acting "inconsiderately" yet it seems that no one is acting considerately to others

Eddie


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

That's interesting Eddie, perhaps it would help to examine the meaning and function of consideration for others then.

I think I would be so bold as to suggest that if there was any persistent behaviour which inconveniences others because it is not the usual or normal behaviour which we might expect in a particular place it must by definition be inconsiderate.

Let's consider the parent in the restaurant. I think what is inconsiderate would depend very much on the type of restaurant and how the parent dealt with the screaming child. If it is a family restaurant which welcomes children then a crying child might be normal. If the child is screaming than that might be over the top and perhaps the parent should show consideration for others by taking the child outside and calming him/her down. I think we could judge the nature of the restaurant by looking at the clientele, reading the menu, noticing whether high chairs are provided etc. If I am in a stylish gourmet restaurant with an expensive and extensive menu which does not offer special dishes, high chairs or discounts for children then I would expect any children there to be well behaved and not to spoil my enjoyment. If there was a badly behaved or even persistently noisy child there I would regard the parents as inconsiderate. I would not regard a very young child as inconsiderate.

On a remote aire with just four vans where the occupants of two are noisy it might be a little less clear. I suggest that normal behaviour, that of the vast majority of aire users, is not to make noise which might prevent others from sleeping after 10.30 or 11pm. I therefore conclude that people making persistent noise later than that are being inconsiderate, to what degree would depend of the volume of the noise and the manner of it's making. Loud conversation being mildly inconsiderate and loud music and singing being more so.

Aires might vary like restaurants. If I was on an aire in a busy town with late opening bars and restaurants then I would not expect a very quiet night nor would I think the townsfolk inconsiderate in going about their normal business even if I could not sleep as a result.

I agree that perceptions may vary, within limits, but I also think that once those limits have been passed behaviour becomes inconsiderate and indefensible.

I will be interested to hear your thoughts on the detail, Alan.


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## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

We use aires a lot and campsites hardly ever. I think you have to accept that parking at aires could result in you being closer together and there being more noise both from campers and others. However, the beauty of an aire is if you don't like it you can just move on.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Glad this has turned into an interesting debate. TM your st tropez villa post was really funny.

Been on a chicken hunt but to no avail and got chased down a tiny lane by a mental dog.

The aire is a real gem if your down rodez way. All the services mentioned for 5 euro in an honesty box. Page 374 of the new aires book no. 84.

There isn't much here but ideal if you want somewhere quiet to chill out (well maybe not!) and have bikes or a scooter or want to take off round te country lanes which are really narrow. We rode for hours yesterday and hardly saw anyone.

I'll just reiterate though. We were not that effected by the noise but my concern and annoyance was for the poor French couple who were right next to these Inconsiderate pollocks.

Still looks like normL service has resumed. It's a hot sunny afternoon, it's quiet for now but then tonight is my leffe night! Might even get the guitar out!!!


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

barryd said:


> tonight is my leffe night! Might even get the guitar out!!!


Oh gawd :roll: Just try to keep it down, would you? I need to watch Big Brother tonight :wink:

I think inconsiderate people have no idea they're being inconsiderate. If anyone complains, it's the complainer that's being a grumpy old sod.

Isn't it all down to the invasion of personal space, be it in person, object or animal, or by noise? I always try to allow people the space to do what they want, without interference by us, and would hope people would do the same to me.

Gerald


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

erneboy said:


> That's interesting Eddie, perhaps it would help to examine the meaning and function of consideration for others then.
> 
> I think I would be so bold as to suggest that if there was any persistent behaviour which inconveniences others because it is not the usual or normal behaviour which we might expect in a particular place it must by definition be inconsiderate.
> 
> ...


An excellent well thought out post Alan, as most of your posts are. I am simply suggesting that in a cosmopolitan melting pot what you or I consider reasonable may not be the same for everyone.

I have stated on here before that when I am cycling I cannot understand the rude and boorish attitude to drivers, yet when I am driving I cannot tolerate cyclists wobbling all over the road.

When I am driving my camper I am sure that I let people out more and am generally more courteous than when I am driving my car. Make me a pedestrian and I cannot understand the attitude of any other road user.

I am sure that there have been times over the years when I have been sat outside, late, thinking that we are whispering almost in an attempt at being reasonable to others, only for them to be laying in bed fuming at the nosie we are making, but also trying to be reasonable and not complain lol

I would totally agree though that the position and the nature of the Aire has a bearing and would also agree that regardless of all else that I have written it would take a moron to continue making noise unabated into the wee small hours.

However, if a boisterous friendly group bundled up and piled out to sit at one of the benches (which is what they're for) to have a late night snack, and a glass of wine or two, and there was a noisy, but good natured hour or so of disturbance I wouldn't deliberately make a load of noise the following morning to prove that I could be a tw4t as well.

I think that you either confront the problem if it bothers you that much, or, if tired, roll over a go to sleep happy that being are enjoying themselves not fighting each other

Eddie


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Laugh*



eddievanbitz said:


> I think that the funniest time I was asked to shut up was caused by Dr Who!
> 
> We wanted to stay on a site down in Dorset, and the site was packed, jam packed.
> 
> ...


I eventually stopped laughing this afternoon. Now I have just tried to read it to Mrs. TM and set off again.

TM


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