We went to Sequoia NP for the T-day weekend. Arrived Thursday morning to a fairly full campground. Took a spot that worked and settled in. Friday morning the site by the river we coveted opened up. I paid for the space and placed my tag, stating purchase date and with the "night paid for" corectly filled in. Left a tablecloth on the table with rocks holding it down., an axe and shovel by the fire pit, a folding aluminum table, BBQ, and charcoal by the table, our gray water bucket, hose, and our leveling blocks by the parking area. Then we went sight seeing in the park.
Returned at 5:15 to find a family of three generations in our campsite. Two vehicles, two tents, a fire going, and dinner cooking. Most of our stuff was set aside, but they were using the table to cook on. I confronted them. "Wasn't there a tablecloth and gear here when you moved into the site?" Silence. Finally the daughter said yes. You have to love kids for their honesty. "And a tag was posted", I added. The wife speaks up. "We thought it was for yesterday." "Really? You had to fill your own out. You didn't notice that the purchase date and night paid for were the same?" No answer. "Even if you didn't, what about all the gear in camp." The wife again, "We thought someone just left it here."
I am visibly upset and not holding back on what I think of them. The husband comes over and says in a low tone, "I just got here. My wife came earlier and set up camp. Will a couple hundred bucks take care of this?" I'm dumbfounded. He just threw his wife under the bus and offered two hundred dollars for an $18 site. I said it isn't about money, you people took our campsite, you need to move.
About then my wife, being a more sensible person then I, started gathering our gear and throwing it in the truck. They have kids, she says, let's just get another site. I followed her lead and we did just that.
So, my first question is do you think they really are that stupid or they just took the site? My arguement would note that based on their gear and the wife setting up the whole camp tells me they are experienced campers and would know how to read a tag and that a tablecloth on a table and gear in a site means it is occupied.
My second question is what would you have done? In hindsight, I feel I should have forced the issue and made them move. Depending on whether you believe them or not, these people are either really stupid or they are just a$$holes. Either way, I think it would have been a good lesson to the kids to not be either if we made them move.
On a side note, the guy next door to them was leaving Saturday morning and offered me his site. The idea of sitting in it all day facing this family and filing the blade of my red axe had me wanting to stay. Again I listened to my wife and we just drove home instead.
Returned at 5:15 to find a family of three generations in our campsite. Two vehicles, two tents, a fire going, and dinner cooking. Most of our stuff was set aside, but they were using the table to cook on. I confronted them. "Wasn't there a tablecloth and gear here when you moved into the site?" Silence. Finally the daughter said yes. You have to love kids for their honesty. "And a tag was posted", I added. The wife speaks up. "We thought it was for yesterday." "Really? You had to fill your own out. You didn't notice that the purchase date and night paid for were the same?" No answer. "Even if you didn't, what about all the gear in camp." The wife again, "We thought someone just left it here."
I am visibly upset and not holding back on what I think of them. The husband comes over and says in a low tone, "I just got here. My wife came earlier and set up camp. Will a couple hundred bucks take care of this?" I'm dumbfounded. He just threw his wife under the bus and offered two hundred dollars for an $18 site. I said it isn't about money, you people took our campsite, you need to move.
About then my wife, being a more sensible person then I, started gathering our gear and throwing it in the truck. They have kids, she says, let's just get another site. I followed her lead and we did just that.
So, my first question is do you think they really are that stupid or they just took the site? My arguement would note that based on their gear and the wife setting up the whole camp tells me they are experienced campers and would know how to read a tag and that a tablecloth on a table and gear in a site means it is occupied.
My second question is what would you have done? In hindsight, I feel I should have forced the issue and made them move. Depending on whether you believe them or not, these people are either really stupid or they are just a$$holes. Either way, I think it would have been a good lesson to the kids to not be either if we made them move.
On a side note, the guy next door to them was leaving Saturday morning and offered me his site. The idea of sitting in it all day facing this family and filing the blade of my red axe had me wanting to stay. Again I listened to my wife and we just drove home instead.
