Caravans.

Originally posted by Shadow Leader@May 25 2007, 09:25 PM
Some people have a life to lead without these arseholes clogging up the entire transport network so they can have "a few days away".

I hope it bloody rains all weekend so these bastids are stuck in their cramped, soulless plastic boxes; miserable all weekend as they have nowt to do but play Scrabble :rant:
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I could put money on the fact that most of these aresholes/bastids have a much happier life than you appear to have.
 
Shadz, that's what's so weird - we did indeed meet up and, apart from telling you how incredibly slim, fit and well you looked, I thought you seemed to be in good spirits. So these sour outbursts on here are very strange. Please put the good spirits back onto the forum, as well as in 'real' life!
 
Erm, I seemed to be in good spirits as I am indeed in excellent spirits!

Doesn't mean that certain things don't still annoy me though ~ another of which being that I wish I'd previously known how much power I wield. Had I only realised before that I can control the weather at will.....
 
Originally posted by ovverbruv@May 28 2007, 07:36 AM
I reject your premise Dom, Horseboxes do not have to be on the roads, owners of horses choose to transport them to places, they are not forced into it, the same as caravaners choose to go on holidy in a caravan. if you allow a concession for horseboxes your entire argument (silly as it is) disappears
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Utter rubbish.

1) all horses from now on are to be born in, broken in, ridden in, the same yard/field they are born in; never sold to anyone unless they are within walking distance of origin? After all, if it is such a "choice" horse owners make to put their horses in a horsebox/trailer and such a choice is taken away, that is what it would mean!

2) regardless of the fact that you don't like horseracing, many millions of people do. Racing would not exist if horses were unable to be transported. So - that'll be another "choice" then?

3) a horse needs to go to the vet, it has a broken leg, for example. Another "choice" in transporting it? Oh, but of course - the owner could always take the "choice" of shooting it instead, God forbid that it should be transported anywhere.

4) Police horses. Maybe you could suggest to the Met that they shouldn't be using their horses to police large social events as that, again, constitutes a "choice" involving transporting horses.

They are just a few examples and that's all before you get to transporting horses for competition. Like it or not, aside from racing, there are many sports comprising horses, to which event they have to be transported somehow.
 
It is the use of the word "Have" that I am taking issue with here, most horse tranports are done voluntarily to try and win money/prizes etc, if you make it so only vet emergencies horseboxes are on the roads there would be plenty of room for caravans.

Hope you stop this absurd hating of things you dont like soon and get back to sensible posts
 
SL, people choose to have (or not to have) horses in the first place, whether it be for riding at home, riding competitively, or for racing. People do not have horses out of necessity. Therefore, there is as much choice involved in the transportation of horses as there is in caravanning. Even your example of the police horses can be equalled with caravans - there are countless caravans used as temporary offices, mobile exhibition centres, etc. - police incident rooms are very often caravans. In fact, while we're on the subject of horses, there are numerous motorists who would cite horses as a huge nuisance on the roads. Live and let live ....
 
..and I still disagree with you Ovverbruv. Tell me, did you read my post? Have you rung the Met yet to tell them that in your considered opinion they may not use their horses any more as you don't want them transported?

Are you happy that your little idea would mean that several sports could no longer take place? You've decided that racing/polo/showjumping/eventing/driving/tetrathlon/modern pentathlon/dressage et al are such worthless sports that they don't deserve to exist? I can't stand cricket but it doesn't mean that I'm going to come out with some ridiculous rule which would see it wiped out!

Oh, ho, ho, ho - so you hope I get back to sensible?? Priceless!! Maybe I don't want to fit into the Jones category of what sensible may or may not consist of!
 
The same could be argued about caravans and their owners. There are people who enjoy (and I still cannot see how) towing a lump of metal in heavy traffic to go to for a wet weekend in Wales and they should be allowed to continue their pastime in the same way as the equine community.

However I would like to see anyone towing a trailer that prevents them from seeing out of their rear window to have passed some kind of extra driving test.
 
Whatabout horses in caravans, driven by football supporters, i Football Supporters 'Hogging' the middle Lane at the national speed limit. Pfuh ! Get THEM off the road .

Edited by Ardross
 
Anti caravanners seem to think that towing a metal box and going off somewhere for a wet weekend is just the norm... it isn't. Most people who tow caravans go to socialise, explore, spend money, in fact most of the things that people do when staying at a hotel.
I have been classed as a ' moran ' and a ' bastid ' and that makes my blood boil SL. The fact that so many people caravan and don't stay in hotels isn't a question of money as your snobbish views have screamed. Owning a caravan gives me ' freedom'. I can come and go and do what I like when I want to without having to be tied to a hotel. I have been fortunate to visit many places to do long distance walking and exploring without having to rush back to a hotel or b&b.
Something else which is deluded is that owning a caravan is cheaper that hotels etc, but it isn't. The costs involved are large, owning, servicing, subscriptions etc all cost a lot of money.

I have no problem with people who don't like caravans, no problem at all, I do however have a problem with name calling and abuse.
 
My parents and I lived in separate caravans for many months, thanks to the then Northern Rhodesian (now Zambian) Government not having caught up with its house-building programme for employees. I had a tiny white caravan and they had an American-built Kitty Hawk. I don't recall us suffering as a result, in fact, I adored having my very own 'van. We had no electricity, used Tilley lamps and Primus stoves, had a tin bath, canvas water bags, and a 'meat safe' - a meshed cupboard for storing meat so that the flies couldn't land on it. One cold water tap to a long road of people living similarly and/or in tents. We put on an 'extension' to the main 'van by putting up a huge tarpaulin, which made a nice sundowner/barbecue area. Luxury!

We were later towed to the middle of the bush outside Lusaka, where we were given an all-aluminium house to live in, just in time for the rainy season to reveal hundreds of holes in its roof - so continued to live outside it in our 'vans. Lavatories were 'long drops', dug well aware from the abodes, where I was always a bit worried about snakes lurking under the wooden seating. :eek:

I hope to end my days living in a caravan in someone's field, surrounded by assorted animal life. It'll remind me of a very happy phase of childhood. Julie... ? :brows:
 
Uncle G - Whether ironic or not - words that are used by racists- should not be used on the forum .
 
As soon as I see any toy car ahead of me, I know I'm going to be trapped into driving at 29.5 mph, with the Noddy at the wheel letting it slip to 24.5 on tiny little hills, breaking for every mild turn and jabbing at the brake when an HGV goes past on t'other side of the road. They're the drivers from hell, sadly, many seem to be driven by females of any age, or old blokes, none of whom ever stop yattering to their passengers and pay attention to the nice big '40' sign which they've passed several times in the last five miles. (This really belongs in 'Things Which Annoy You', but, to my annoyance, that's been deleted.)
 
Originally posted by krizon@May 28 2007, 07:12 PM

I hope to end my days living in a caravan in someone's field, surrounded by assorted animal life. It'll remind me of a very happy phase of childhood. Julie... ? :brows:
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norty

I've been thinking for a while now that there might be some mileage ( :P ) in locating a couple of bow front vardos and positioning them up on the hill behind the farm and then hiring them out for long weekends to anyone who wants to really get away from it all. Including modern drainage!

The views are truly stunning up there and it would be pretty simply to include all their (luxury of course) food and drink - the only hitch would be hot water but I expect we could fix up a quiet runing generator to cover a few hour's worth.

Might suit nature lovers (or just lovers...) as we're right next to a SSSI up there and the wildlife is pretty interesting. Could easily get a 4x4 up there too for trips out

Any takers??
 
If only you knew the full irony of my post Ardross .... I dont drive, have never driven and have no intention of ever driving !
 
'Ere! Gerroff! I said it first! Terrific idea, Jools, and then I could be away from it all when I visit the gee-gees, and not endlessly and peevishly demanding to be amused, fed, and watered.

If I could come in, oh, say, once a year for a hot shower, I'll start planning my full retirement now... :)
 
Caravans on busy roads are a menace.

Next time you approach a hill on a busy motorway observe how most caravans have to slow down and the trucks swing out into the middle lane to get round them. This causes those already in the middle lane to stand on their brakes and/or move into the fast lane, in turn causing those already in the fast lane to stand on their brakes and an accordeon effect is started, sometimes reaching miles back. Meanwhile the caravans sail serenely on, unaware of their impact.

And how many times have you seen caravans nearly swaying out of control when going downhill, or when caught by a side wind?

Apart from the safety aspect they also slow down other traffic. Loaded trucks do as well, but at least they have an economic point to them.

I have spent several holidays in caravans and enjoyed them for the reasons others mention here, but towing a great big box wasn't my idea of freedom. Instead I rented a mobile home on the site where I wanted to stay.

Why don't other caravanners do the same, or else stay off the roads at busy times?
 
There are loads of vehicles that slow other vehicles down, up hills, down hills and on the flat. Why single out caravans? There are some twits who drive caravans badly, there are some twits who drive lorries badly, there are some twits who drive horseboxes badly - there are loads and loads of twits who drive cars badly ...
 
I have seen two disintegrate in front of me and leave only the caravan chassis, after starting to crab from one side to the other, obviously the driver going too fast downhill.

So I doubt they would or could recommend caravanning, as all the contents were strewn across the roads, both in Cornwall by the way..................

I seen another, I photographed it too, I had it printed in the Western Mail (morning paper here) it was going east bound on the M4 JCT 32 outside Cardiff and again was going downhill and the car ended up on TOP of the central steel barrier facing west and the caravan still facing east........

No sorry its not my cuppa..............I would rather drive to a static one than tow one, having seen the misfortune and many many more crashes involving them, which I could relate too, .............. :( :rolleyes:
 
Blimey a caravan accident, well I never. You never see or hear of anything else on the roads being involved in accidents do you? Go on continue to single out things to do with caravans.

By the way Grey, if you are aware of what is happening on the uphill stretches why don't you pull out and give your self plenty of time to get around both the caravans and the lorries. If everyone did this it would help, but no that isn't going to happen because everyone is always in such a rush these days.

Caravans often have to overtake clapped out HGV's, so it works both ways.
 
Originally posted by Diminuendo@May 30 2007, 06:12 PM
By the way Grey, if you are aware of what is happening on the uphill stretches why don't you pull out and give your self plenty of time to get around both the caravans and the lorries. If everyone did this it would help, but no that isn't going to happen because everyone is always in such a rush these days.
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I beg to differ - it is precisely everyone pulling out to get around the caravans and lorries that accentuates the problem. What happens then is that on a three lane motorway you have the inside lane taken up by the caravan, the middle lane taken up by the overtaking vehicle (yes, very often that is another caravan, one that is barely going any faster than the vehicle it is overtaking so it takes an age to do so) and the outside lane taken up by the remaining 98% of the traffic, with at least one of those vehicles being a 1.0 litre Nissan Micra driving at 57mph, so beloved of Krizon!
 
If you're on an M'way, chances are you can see at least a half mile to a mile ahead and start manoeuvring appropriately. If people are going too fast or too obliviously to be aware of potential hazards, slow-downs, etc., up front, they shouldn't be driving. I know there are narrow lanes where one is constrained by the speed of the slowest vehicle in front - no surprise there, then - but there's no excuse to be caught napping on a motorway. When I see brake lights going on in the middle and right lanes way ahead, I can pretty much figure out that a slowdown is happening, and prepare for it. It ain't brain surgery.
 
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