There’s a thread on the IRV2 Forum titled “Liberties People Take.” People post their RV Park pet peeves and give examples of clueless or inconsiderate acts they’ve witnessed.

For the most part, RVers are a friendly bunch. We tend to look out for each other and we often connect with our neighbors. Every once in a while, a bad apple turns up. Here’s an example.

On Thursday night, Donna picked up Shauna at the airport and Shauna dropped her off back at the RV park around 11pm. I was already in bed by then. When Donna walked to our coach from the entrance, the site directly behind us was empty.

I thought I was dreaming. I kept hearing voices, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. The voices got progressively louder. I woke up and realized I wasn’t dreaming. A loud conversation was taking place outside near our bedroom window, but it wasn’t in English. It sounded like Chinese.

I tried to go back to sleep, but the people talking would get very loud at times. After a while, I looked at the clock – it was 1:08am. I got out of bed, pulled on my pants and went outside. A Class C rental RV had been allowed to pull in after hours into the site behind us. Three people were sitting at the picnic table with a bright lantern yukking it up – a man, a woman and a third person who was hard to identify in the glare of the lantern. I think it was a girl. I said, “It’s after 1am, you should take your conversation inside – people are trying to sleep.”

They went inside and I went back to bed. It took me about half an hour to get back to sleep. Then I heard it again. This time I was jolted awake by someone shouting unintelligibly. It was the people behind us again. I heard the man shouting, but couldn’t understand what he was saying. The woman responded without shouting, but he would cut her off and shout over her words. They weren’t speaking English. I listened for a couple of minutes and it seemed to be an argument that was escalating.

I looked at the clock – it was a little before 7am. I got up and dressed quickly. I went outside to see what was going on. It sounded like a case of domestic violence was erupting. I saw the woman standing outside their coach with two suitcases and what appeared to be several bags of trash. The man was a few feet away berating her. I told them I was going to get security.

I went to the security guard shack and told the guard on duty what was happening. He radioed the security guard patrolling in a car. When I came back to our site, the man was no longer in sight and the woman was still standing by the suitcases. I went inside our coach and left it up to security to figure out what the issue was.

Shortly after breakfast, Donna saw the rental RV pull out. I had to go to the office to pick up a package that had arrived there for us. As I walked past the site where the rental RV was parked, I couldn’t believe the amount of trash they left behind. I saw the park clean-up crew empty the nearby trash barrel earlier, but now it was overflowing. Plus there was a large plastic garbage bag that was full and a few smaller bags on the ground and there was some trash under the picnic table. I wondered how three people traveling in a small class C RV could have that much trash!

It was a very unusual encounter, not the norm for RV parks. The story is too long for to post in the “Liberties People Take” thread, so I thought I would tell it here.

I’m really looking forward to spending a couple of quiet nights boondocking in the desert!

Three people, nine hours and a pile of trash.

I should mention another strange incident. On Thursday evening, I met the group of guys from Bay Park at Dan Diego’s. I hooked up with this group last year at Offshore Tavern and Grill. On Thursdays, they are at Dan Diego’s. They have a regular rotation of watering holes where they stop for a beer or two and talk sports and enter the weekly football pool.

We had a few beers together. When someone buys a round, Courtney, the bartender, puts a poker chip in front of the people who have a free one coming. She’s really good at making sure you get the same drinks you had in front of you when the round was bought, so the person buying the round knows what they are paying for. I had a few chips in front of me, but I didn’t want to stay and drink. I gave the chips to one of the guys, then I went to the restroom. When I came out, I said my goodbyes – it was my last Thursday night beer at Dan Diego’s for the year –  and then I left.

When I got out of the car back at our coach, it hit me. I left without paying my bill! How embarrassing! I phoned Courtney. She told me not to worry – one of the guys (Dan) had paid my tab.

I needed to find the guys and pay up on Friday. We were car-less for about half a day, then Donna took her sister, Sheila, to the airport and brought Sheila’s car here. Sheila is away for the weekend, so we have a car again.

I drove over to the Silver Spigot – that’s their Friday night spot – I don’t go there usually. Anyway, I found the guys there and paid up.

My old high school friend, Carole Sue Bringas, picked us up at 6pm. We went to our favorite Thai food restaurant – Lanna Thai. We started with an appetizer plate that included shrimp summer rolls, spring rolls, chicken sa-tay, curry cups, and triangular pastry filled with minced chicken and potato – I don’t remember what it’s called – and a trio of sauces.

Thai appetizers for three

Honestly, it was enough food to call it dinner. But, we didn’t let that stop us from ordering entrees. Carole ordered shrimp pad thai, I had chicken pad thai and Donna was adventurous and ordered a dish called spicilicious sea food. It was a sea food medley bowl with a garlic chili sauce. I managed to finish my entree while the girls brought home leftovers.

Shrimp pad thai

Spicilicious sea food

The weather guessers are calling for clear skies and temperatures reaching the mid 60s to 70 degrees over the next few days. Christmas in paradise.