Outdoor "decorative" lighting RANT!

[Thunder_Mountai]

Ok, I have four solar lights that I put out near the door to light a pathway in and out to walk the dog. I've got some outside lights that we burn for a gathering. BUT some people are over the top.

Here is the reason for the rant. We were camped at McDowell Mountain Regional Park outside Fountain Hills, AZ. Sure it is just over the hill from Scottsdale and the smogbowl, but it does have a nice night sky. Nothing like Ft. Davis or Natural Bridges, but still a nice sky.

This guy pulls in and lines his campsite in white ground lights. This guy's slides have "alien" lights under them and on his dash that change colors from red, to green, to blue... Ok, this is not a real problem as long as he is outside. But this guy let them run all night long. It reminded me of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

So, after three nights, I put a sticky note on his windshield while walking the dog at 5 a.m. It read, "Do you have any idea how obnoxious your lights are? Not to mention the light pollution or waste of energy. The least you could do is put your lights on a timer."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tachdriver]

tpi wrote:
How about a nice middle of the road comment?

If you're already in a light polluted area, or an RV park with tons of ugly outdoor night lighting, cut the guys some slack for festive lighting. It really doesn't change much in the whole scheme of things.


If you're into festive lighting, how about some self awareness about dark skies and how the lighting affects others? In all cases turn it off at some reasonable point. Don't deploy it or use it very sparingly in dark sky areas.

You mean it's a two-way street? 😛

[tpi]

How about a nice middle of the road comment?

If you're already in a light polluted area, or an RV park with tons of ugly outdoor night lighting, cut the guys some slack for festive lighting. It really doesn't change much in the whole scheme of things.


If you're into festive lighting, how about some self awareness about dark skies and how the lighting affects others? In all cases turn it off at some reasonable point. Don't deploy it or use it very sparingly in dark sky areas.

[dan-nickie]

jake2250 wrote:

pappcam wrote:
What I'm starting to understand about this place is there are people who don't like other people and have chosen a hobby or lifestyle that gets them away from people but choose to go do their hobby or lifestyle in a place where they likely have less space and privacy as they do at home so they get angry at other people and come here to vent about them.

Interesting...

Agreed pappcam! Makes me wonder if these kind of people were ever to be invited over to my house whether they would come in and feel they could adjust my thermostat and turn of lights to suit them?
To put a note on some ones windshield expressing your dislike of lights?? Really? Spineless!!

/LIKE/

[wnjj]

jake2250 wrote:
Agreed pappcam! Makes me wonder if these kind of people were ever to be invited over to my house whether they would come in and feel they could adjust my thermostat and turn of lights to suit them?
To put a note on some ones windshield expressing your dislike of lights?? Really? Spineless!!

Naw. I'd just leave a note in your mailbox telling you how obnoxious and energy-wasting your thermostat setting was. :B

[wnjj]

D & M wrote:
So true. How people go to a campground and not expect campfires, kids, dogs, outdoor lights, golf carts, adult beverages, outdoor movies, and music is beyond me. But this does seem to be a west coast issue. Beach camping wouldn't be fun without "stuff"

It must be a regional difference or maybe a private campground thing. I can honestly say that in the more than 40 years of camping in Oregon & Washington state & federal campgrounds I have never once seen golf carts or outdoor movies. The adult beverages have been an issue a couple of times when drunken neighbors were keeping us awake well into the night. Music in campgrounds is rare around here too. So yeah, I guess I've come to "not expect" many of those things you list...not that they automatically are an issue but it does change what people consider the norm versus inconsiderate.

Outdoor lights are usually fine too. If they're "decorative" like the OP was complaining about that's one thing and I couldn't care less. Shining bright lights all night into other people's tents or RV's is rude and also not the norm around here.

Threads like these probably turn into many pages not just because of the diversity of people's camping interests but also the diversity of what is considered "normal" behavior around others which may well be regional.

[jake2250]

pappcam wrote:
What I'm starting to understand about this place is there are people who don't like other people and have chosen a hobby or lifestyle that gets them away from people but choose to go do their hobby or lifestyle in a place where they likely have less space and privacy as they do at home so they get angry at other people and come here to vent about them.

Interesting...

Agreed pappcam! Makes me wonder if these kind of people were ever to be invited over to my house whether they would come in and feel they could adjust my thermostat and turn of lights to suit them?
To put a note on some ones windshield expressing your dislike of lights?? Really? Spineless!!

[D___M]

pappcam wrote:
What I'm starting to understand about this place is there are people who don't like other people and have chosen a hobby or lifestyle that gets them away from people but choose to go do their hobby or lifestyle in a place where they likely have less space and privacy as they do at home so they get angry at other people and come here to vent about them.

Interesting...

So true. How people go to a campground and not expect campfires, kids, dogs, outdoor lights, golf carts, adult beverages, outdoor movies, and music is beyond me. But this does seem to be a west coast issue. Beach camping wouldn't be fun without "stuff"

Maybe it's just me, but I don't care if anyone has lights, be they white, multicolor, flashing or not flashing. Nor do I worry about "light pollution" or electric usage. I don't watch others and I don't care particularly about them watching me (kinda boring, actually). I like looking at stars and the moon, but I don't have to see every star in the universe. If I want to see stars, I drive to a dark place. I don't have outside lights, but when the RV next to me has it's decorations illuminated, I sleep just fine.

People want to go camping to have fun. Fun is different activities for different people. Part of that fun for some is decorating their site. When I go RVing at campgrounds I expect a certain amount of lively behavior. Live and let live, I say. As long as they are abiding with camp rules, they can have at it. The day I get annoyed with lights, flashing or not, I will sell the motorhome and retire to my front porch and growl at people as they walk by on "my sidewalk".

[JEBar]

SuzzeeeQ2012 wrote:

JEBar wrote:

wnjj wrote:
If you* are rarely asked to stop doing something, the asker probably has too high of standards though it shouldn't be too much skin off your nose to stop anyway for the sake of being civil. If you find yourself being asked frequently, you might consider changing your habits.

* 'you' doesn't mean you personally 🙂

agree .... I don't recall ever asking anyone to stop doing something at their site and know I've never been asked to do so .... guess I'm spending too much time enjoying being out and about (as this is being typed we are camped near San Antonio) than I am at looking for or worrying about something on our neighbor's sites

Jim

one time in Wickenburg, we started a fire. A lady comes around the corner "are you lighting a fire? I have lung problems and can't smell smoke"


uhhh there are CAMP FIRE circles made with rocks that people use for fires.

I was dumbfounded and put it out. In hindsight? oh, what I would have said! (like, you're in a CAMPING AREA with fire rings, and I'm going to have a campfire)

interesting .... with the benefit of having time to think about it, I believe that I would have put out the fire as you did but would have pointed out that she had chosen to camp in a CG where fires weren't just permitted, they were encouraged by the fire rings being provided ... I'd go on to tell her that in order to give her an opportunity to do whatever was best for her, we would be having a fire the following evening .... in short, she could stay or go as she chose

Jim

[SuzzeeeQ2012]

I spoke too soon LOL

this morning at 5:30 am.....the coach next to us (yes, we have 1,000's of acres to camp and they pick right next to us)RME (rolls my eyes) lights up and runs for 30 minutes before they left. Lights shining right in our windows.


the insensitivity of some people floors me.

[Padlin]

SuzzeeeQ2012 wrote:

JEBar wrote:

wnjj wrote:
If you* are rarely asked to stop doing something, the asker probably has too high of standards though it shouldn't be too much skin off your nose to stop anyway for the sake of being civil. If you find yourself being asked frequently, you might consider changing your habits.

* 'you' doesn't mean you personally 🙂

agree .... I don't recall ever asking anyone to stop doing something at their site and know I've never been asked to do so .... guess I'm spending too much time enjoying being out and about (as this is being typed we are camped near San Antonio) than I am at looking for or worrying about something on our neighbor's sites

Jim

one time in Wickenburg, we started a fire. A lady comes around the corner "are you lighting a fire? I have lung problems and can't smell smoke"


uhhh there are CAMP FIRE circles made with rocks that people use for fires.

I was dumbfounded and put it out. In hindsight? oh, what I would have said! (like, you're in a CAMPING AREA with fire rings, and I'm going to have a campfire)

You were being civil, nothing wrong with that. I would think your first reaction was the better one.

[SuzzeeeQ2012]

JEBar wrote:

wnjj wrote:
If you* are rarely asked to stop doing something, the asker probably has too high of standards though it shouldn't be too much skin off your nose to stop anyway for the sake of being civil. If you find yourself being asked frequently, you might consider changing your habits.

* 'you' doesn't mean you personally 🙂

agree .... I don't recall ever asking anyone to stop doing something at their site and know I've never been asked to do so .... guess I'm spending too much time enjoying being out and about (as this is being typed we are camped near San Antonio) than I am at looking for or worrying about something on our neighbor's sites

Jim

one time in Wickenburg, we started a fire. A lady comes around the corner "are you lighting a fire? I have lung problems and can't smell smoke"


uhhh there are CAMP FIRE circles made with rocks that people use for fires.

I was dumbfounded and put it out. In hindsight? oh, what I would have said! (like, you're in a CAMPING AREA with fire rings, and I'm going to have a campfire)

[SuzzeeeQ2012]

I'm amazed I guess. On a scale of 1 - 10, this would be minus 3 to me.

As long as they're not shining in my window, keeping me awake...what's the big deal? *shrug*

Now, a "Flashdance" white flashing light would bug me to no end lol

[24rules]

totally agree with you wbwood and de88rox there is only so many things that a person can control all other things let go you will live much longer.

[JJBIRISH]

sowego wrote:
I agree with the OP...some "camper" are just plain crazy with all their lights. Most of us travel for fun and want to get away from the bright lights of the city and some of us are on the road fulltime and still want to keep things simple. I would love to see RV parks make a rule that all excessive lights must be shut off at 10 pm. Just think of all the energy they are wasting and the RV parks is paying the bill!

While I to assume most travel for fun I am not so presumptuous to assume what they want to get away from or closer to, or their reasons for camping… I do assume there are as many reasons people camp as there are people camping…
Could be there are a few not allowed to decorate at home and fully enjoy the decorative lighting at their campsite…
My home is in the country with few neighbors, I don’t camp to get away from the city lights of even the city traffic… I have night skies at home but they are hard to see at ground level because of the many beautiful tall trees…

What I would like to see most of all, I would like to see RV’ers with special needs or wants, invest more time in finding the things they are looking for instead of making demands on fellow campers or the CGs… then crying because they didn’t get what they wanted…

While I believe in quiet time by rule and it should include things like excessive lighting 10 PM is a might to early… 11 PM is OK but 12PM would be much better… simply because it’s a CG not a retirement village…