Another reason NOT to use the "Water Thief"

Lantley wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I disagree with this. I've found that most people if told the rule and politely explained the reason for the rule will be understanding and not only follow the rule but, bend over backward to see that it is followed fairly by everybody.

It seems some of you have no faith in humanity. I'm sorry you feel that way.

It's not a lack of faith in humanity, it's being realistic. Look through this thread. After the OP posted the reason behind a decision, folks are still saying "well, they just mean X, so I'd still do it because I'm not doing X, I'm doing Y" - when in reality, they are still connecting to a spigot against the posted rules. They've just justified it in their minds that it's OK for them to do.

And somehow I don't think most park rangers want campers to "bend over backward to see that it is followed fairly by everybody". I suspect that most rangers would say "put your effort into making sure you follow the rules and let us worry about all the others".

Yes but the retired ranger said the problem is a lack of water, solar pumps may not be able to keep up with demand. Ironically the sign does not mention anything about consumption, however consumption is the root of the problem. While a water thief does make it more convenient to fill tank. I could fill my 80 gallon tank pretty easily with 5 gallon buckets and not break any stated rules. The sign should state consumption is an issue but it does not.
When the powers that be believe the public can't handle the truth there is a problem.

That may be a choice of wording on the actual rule that is at the root of the problem. Does the sign say "do not connect to RV" or "do not fill RV tanks using campground water". The former leads one to believe that it is OK to fill the RV tank as long as you don't connect directly to the spigot, the latter says don't fill your RV tank. A clearer regulation can do a lot more than all the reasons in the world.

Personally, as a Californian dealing with the current drought situation and having my water usage (that I pay for) limited, etc., it really irritates me when I read that Southern California State Beaches are letting folks fill their RV tanks for free. Maybe if they'd stop handing out 50+ gallons of water to all these folks, the state would have enough water to provide flushing toilets to visitors at Hearst Castle or provide minimal water to campers at Mt. Diablo they can brush their teeth, etc.

It's great that folks want to save money by traveling with empty tanks, but I am having to pay more for my residential water in order for you to do so. The water you're filling your tank with is being diverted from my paid supply.