Got gamed Westmoreland State Park in Va- reservation rant!

[Lantley]

Those familiar with VA state parks know that you can reserve a site online but in may VA state parks it is not a site specific reservation.
You actually get to choose your site once you arrive on a first come first serve basis.
In short VA state parks guarantees you a spot but not a specific numbered spot.
When I arrived there were several unoccupied sites that I wanted to take however they had name tags designating them as taken or occupied however there was no one actually occupying the site. THe sites were all tagged with the same name
Turns out one member of a large group had arrived and tagged 8 other sites as occupied even though those people had not arrived yet.
As it turns out 2 of those sites were still unoccupied the next morning.
It would seem if sites are distributed on first come first save basis than all parties need to be present to claim/occupy a site.
I ended up with a lesser site even though I arrived a full day earlier.
I have never had a problem with the VA system until now.
I do know VA state parks sometimes monitors RV.net site.
If you're listening, I think there is a flaw in your policy.
How can one reserve/hold a site for someone not present if site are 1st come 1st serve?
I can agree holding one site is OK but to holding 7 is a bit much.
Why did I have to settle for a lesser site, when I was present and ready vs. someone not there.
The 1st come 1st serve policy works as long as no one is allowed to game/cheat the system. Rant Over!

[answerswillvary]

Yes, there is a solution. I think this topic has definitely run its course. Closed.

[DiskDoctr]

Busskipper wrote:
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/540/681/b7d.jpg

Someone is tired of reading this post. I wonder if there is a solution for that?

[Busskipper]

http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/540/681/b7d.jpg

[Edd505]

vermilye wrote:
One compromise I haven't seen too often for the all reserve sites vs first come problem - Here at Emigrant Lake County Park outside Ashland, OR, all sites are reservable, but the earliest date you can reserve is two weeks away.

If you pull into the campground, all sites are tagged with the next reserved date. You can take any site, stay until the reserved date without worrying about someone making a reservation that chases you out. Two week maximum stay. A good way of mixing reserved sites with first come.

NM has about half the sites that can be reserved the others are 1st come. Reserved have a name & date and are prepaid.

[vermilye]

One compromise I haven't seen too often for the all reserve sites vs first come problem - Here at Emigrant Lake County Park outside Ashland, OR, all sites are reservable, but the earliest date you can reserve is two weeks away.

If you pull into the campground, all sites are tagged with the next reserved date. You can take any site, stay until the reserved date without worrying about someone making a reservation that chases you out. Two week maximum stay. A good way of mixing reserved sites with first come.

[troubledwaters]

IS THE HORSE DEAD YET???????????

[Lantley]

Edd505 wrote:

Lantley wrote:

ken56 wrote:
Why not just occupy one? Let the ranger straighten things out later. Rules are rules aren't they?

Someone in the CG office handed out 8 tags when there were not 8 groups of people present.(Which is the root of the problem)
I don't know that it is my place to ignore the tagged sites and just set up!.

I doubt a ranger would had out tags if the sites are not paid for. If he paid all 8 sites they are occupied (and paid) before you got there so it was first come first served. From the rangers point he's paid, even if the sites remained vacant the entire time. Maybe the first guy wanted some privacy and rented them all for him self - issue? No he paid to occupy what ever he paid for.

I meet frequently with a buddy at various camp grounds and who ever arrives first pays for two adjoining sites or as close as we can get.
We normally set a lawn chair in the empty space until the other arrives.

These 8 sites I referred to were not all adjoining. They chose the 8 larger sites, but the sites were dispersed throughout the loop. A few of them were together but some were not. They were all some of the largest sites available.
In the end they did not occupy all the sites that they took claim to
because their entire party did not show.
Again I'm talking 8 buddies not 1 or 2.

[Edd505]

Lantley wrote:

ken56 wrote:
Why not just occupy one? Let the ranger straighten things out later. Rules are rules aren't they?

Someone in the CG office handed out 8 tags when there were not 8 groups of people present.(Which is the root of the problem)
I don't know that it is my place to ignore the tagged sites and just set up!.

I doubt a ranger would had out tags if the sites are not paid for. If he paid all 8 sites they are occupied (and paid) before you got there so it was first come first served. From the rangers point he's paid, even if the sites remained vacant the entire time. Maybe the first guy wanted some privacy and rented them all for him self - issue? No he paid to occupy what ever he paid for.

I meet frequently with a buddy at various camp grounds and who ever arrives first pays for two adjoining sites or as close as we can get.
We normally set a lawn chair in the empty space until the other arrives.

[Lantley]

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:

DanNJanice wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:
What changes in the reservation system do you think would solve your problem?

I have never understood a First-Come First-Serve "reservation" system. This system might work if the campground was a tarmac, where all sites were equal, but that is the only way I could see it working.
.

Same here. I would prefer that first come, first served, means just that...no reservation, no prepayment..you show up, pay for your site and get a site. If you are able to choose the one you want best, thats nice, but not always possible.

In this case, if the other party pre-paid for the multiple sites and got there to claim them before anyone else, then it seems like they are in the clear to claim them.

My take is the first person should be able to claim their own site and maybe a couple extra. But at some point 8 is too many simply because it shuts out too many others expecting 1st come 1st serve.
it becomes more flawed when some of the group doesn't even show up to fill sites that were claimed.
The group is aware of the 1st come 1st serve rule if they want to be together than show up together on time!

[johnwalkerpa1]

DanNJanice wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:
What changes in the reservation system do you think would solve your problem?

I have never understood a First-Come First-Serve "reservation" system. This system might work if the campground was a tarmac, where all sites were equal, but that is the only way I could see it working.
.

Same here. I would prefer that first come, first served, means just that...no reservation, no prepayment..you show up, pay for your site and get a site. If you are able to choose the one you want best, thats nice, but not always possible.

In this case, if the other party pre-paid for the multiple sites and got there to claim them before anyone else, then it seems like they are in the clear to claim them.

[Lantley]

Walaby wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
Let me throw you another situation here. I reserved 3 sites in a Fla. park with my credit card and paid for 3 nights when doing so. I arrived before my two other brothers. I am there and claimed all three sites. Are you saying you should be able to take one of those even though I am there and have paid for the spots although I have not set up anything on the other two sites yet?

While Im not the OP, I would say the answer to your question, from my perspective, is YES, I should be able to take one of those spots, if I showed up before your other two brothers. Unless, of course, they are site specific reservations. Now, If I was preparing to occupy the site, and you came up to me, and explained the situation, I'd probably move to accommodate you and your brothers. But, I'd be miffed if they didn't show up and the site I wanted was subsequently vacant.

The Florida state parks I've stayed at are site specific reservations. Although I will admit, I've only been to a couple.

Mike

In my case there were 2 vacant sites in the A.M..
One went to a member of the group. But I believe the last site went to a non group camper that just rolled up and found a vacant site.

So the site that I was denied the day before went to someone outside the group after all. While I never went to the office to confirm the final site occupant was from outside the group. The name tags on the site did not match the name on the rest of the group's site.
Ultimately this annoyance led to me ranting.

[Lantley]

Bird Freak wrote:
Let me throw you another situation here. I reserved 3 sites in a Fla. park with my credit card and paid for 3 nights when doing so. I arrived before my two other brothers. I am there and claimed all three sites. Are you saying you should be able to take one of those even though I am there and have paid for the spots although I have not set up anything on the other two sites yet?

If reservations are first come first serve with an occupancy rule than yes I feel I am entitled to any unoccupied site.
What makes your group special that they supersede everyone else.
If your group wants to be together they need to make the effort to arrive together.
Now if this is a private park the owner can grant exemptions as they wish. However in a public park it becomes even more important to apply the rules equally

[Lantley]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
To summarize all these posts. The policy that would be far and away the best is the one that works for you. All the other policies do nothing but cramp your style.

Western you some it up pretty well.
You said in a post at the beginning of this thread that no policy would appease everyone.
I imagine you see a version of reservation policy heartache everyday.

Nevertheless I still want to see the same rules/policies applied to everyone equally.
Once you start to cater or favor one crowd you will surely upset the other crowd.

[westernrvparkow]

To summarize all these posts. The policy that would be far and away the best is the one that works for you. All the other policies do nothing but cramp your style.