Dealing with Belligerent Campers

[Smooth_Sailn]

What is your worst experience and how did you deal with it?

[lj2654]

I was at a campground working as a volunteer security guy on a memorial weekend. I saw a young boy going in and out of the Marina restaurant and bar area late at night. The third time I saw him he was drinking from a beer can. I approached him on the golf cart and asked him what he was drinking. he said just a beer , why?

He was only about 15 at the most. I asked him to dump it out and asked what site he was staying on and where his parents were. They were all in the bar of course! I rode down to their site and no one was there.

On the way back to the Marina I was approached by three men. Before I even got off the cart I was punched in the face, and thrown down, where the three of them kicked me in the stomach and punched my face.

My wife heard all the noise and came running down the path hollering for them to stop hitting me. Then the manager showed up pissed and ready to kick their asses. Broke it up and called the cops, they came and spoke with the people there and of course no one saw anything first hand.

I was taken by ambulance to the ER. A few broke ribs, a black swollen shut eye, and cuts and bruises. charges were filed against the Dad but later dropped as no one would admit to seeing him hit me.

Never worked security again after that encounter!

[Dog_Folks]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Smooth Sailn wrote:
What is your worst experience and how did you deal with it?

I told him that when we got home I'd make him rue the day he tried to defy my Marital Authority. And I was as good as my word!

Foolish boy.

Most men realize that women truly hold all the power.

[gcloss]

We were camping at a 3-day music festival last year when a large group of teenagers were visiting friends at an RV starting fighting, running through the restricted RV camping section and urinating on RVs. We called the hired security, they were inexperienced and they were unable to handle the group. I simply called 911 and the local Greene County Sheriffs Department showed up, arrested a few and escorted the others to the main parking lot.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Smooth Sailn wrote:
What is your worst experience and how did you deal with it?

I told him that when we got home I'd make him rue the day he tried to defy my Marital Authority. And I was as good as my word!

[Dog_Folks]

Campground host: Two campers drunk and fist fighting inside their very small tent. After two visits to ask them to stop, called the cops. Of to jail they go, Ha HA Ho Ho.

I have to say, that I after 8 years of hosting, if you explain the rule to the camper, they usually comply. It is very rare when there is a problem. Most campers are really nice folks.

So very often, it is not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it.

[bluegypsy]

Campground host in a National Forest, no cell service, no phone, no radio. First week we were there, two drunks fighting each other in the middle of the night, knives wielded. Walked up the road to where we had cell service, called our boss and sheriff. Took a couple of hours, but they eventually responded and took them away.

As a CG host that summer, used tact and diplomacy more than anything else. I would approach rule-breakers with this statement: "Look friend, I'm not here to enforce the rules. I'm just the 'reminder', not the 'enforcer' - BUT, I have the 'enforcers' on speed dial, so if I have to....." Worked almost every time. When it didn't, used that speed dial.

[the_bear_II]

Motorcycle gang in large campground. Live band with a Master of Ceremony on a PA system. Lots of cursing in the songs as well as the MC chats in between songs (I felt sorry for campers with kids). After an hour, I called the Police, they broke up the party within 1/2 hour.

Only way to handle is to contact management, ranger or police... otherwise you are placing yourself and family at risk. Let the authorities handle it.

[downtheroad]

Oregon State Park.
Drunks plinking beer cans that they set on the picnic table with a .22 rifle.
This in a crowded campground. We were in the next site over.
Handcuffed and hauled.

[BuckBarker]

It has only happened to us one time. "Necks" next door were loud, obnoxious, and cussin' long past quiet time. Bottles that once held CHEAP beer were being broken in the fire pit and they were burning everything but wood.
Well, I had enough and politely visited their site and asked them to keep quiet. That didn't go over too well and on my way back to my site I heard more that one FU's. Well, that's enough for me. I notified the ranger about what was going on and they were ordered to leave. Well, it gets better. Nobody within the group was in any shape do drive and I'm sure the ranger knew it so they had the local Deputies waiting just outside the gate. The driver was taken into custody for DUI the trailer and truck were towed away. The rest of the party were forced to call for a ride, outside of the locked gates.
They should have listened to me the first time. F me? NO! FU!