4. This final story is one that happens nearly every day at all caravan parks across the country -- and has caused the almost-death of many husbands and wives.
We were set up in a showground, and I was able to sit and watch what happens as vans come and go. For the most part, nearly everyone either packs up or sets up as we all do.
But there is always that one who arrives and is the expert at it all .... slowly rolling down the line of vans eyeing off the spots to find that one place for him, even after they have told him that he can park in either of two spots.
After about 10 minutes of driving back and forth, he believes he as spotted the place for him, only to find an old mate has his car parked slightly into that spot. So he leaps out and asks if old mate could move it so he can get in there,
There seem to be words spoken and I guess the answer was no, as he returns to his car and moves down a further 20ft.
Now it comes time to reverse-park into a spot with at least 25ft clear either side. But he seems to be heading back very close to the van on the right, obviously thinking he is alright but at a very strange angle.
So, he obviously believes he has it right, until the caretaker goes past and tells him, you can’t park that close to the next van and to move it into the area he points at, square to the rest of the vans.
After a stare-down with the caretaker, he jumps in, drives out and over a little bit, and out pops the wife. She is not looking at all happy and walks to the front of the car, where she starts giving him directions.
But he just doesn’t seem to see her, which is getting her angry as he keeps backing into the same place.
Now we have been watching this go on for at least 20 minutes. A bloke from another van jumps up to help and is seen quickly retreating back to his seat, having received a shake of his head.
We're hitting the 30-minute mark now and he has the van in the right place -- all he has to do is back it up, straight, to the fence where his furious wife is, hot and waving her arms about.
He stops, jumps out, leads her to where she is to stand, and gets back in the car. He moves again and she tells him to stop, as he is far enough back.
But he keeps going back, thinking he can see better than her. Next, there is a bang, ever so slight, but he's hit the back fence. All falls silent, then he starts using words that would not be welcome on a mine site, let alone here.
She walks off. He moves the van forward and doesn’t at all look happy. Meanwhile, all those who are just watching and thinking what the hell just happened, try to look away and busy themselves doing something else.
He jumped back in the car and, followed after by the wife, was last seen on the other side of the showgrounds -- attempting a new park in a new spot.
I needed a coffee and a nap after that.
But it does not end there, maybe I will tell you the rest of the story, of how he runs out the water hose to van from the tap and it's 6ft short. No, maybe next time…
I hope we don’t ever come across this guy out on the road, or in a van park, anywhere soon.
4. This final story is one that happens nearly every day at all caravan parks across the country -- and has caused the almost-death of many husbands and wives.
We were set up in a showground, and I was able to sit and watch what happens as vans come and go. For the most part, nearly everyone either packs up or sets up as we all do.
But there is always that one who arrives and is the expert at it all .... slowly rolling down the line of vans eyeing off the spots to find that one place for him, even after they have told him that he can park in either of two spots.
After about 10 minutes of driving back and forth, he believes he as spotted the place for him, only to find an old mate has his car parked slightly into that spot. So he leaps out and asks if old mate could move it so he can get in there,
There seem to be words spoken and I guess the answer was no, as he returns to his car and moves down a further 20ft.
Now it comes time to reverse-park into a spot with at least 25ft clear either side. But he seems to be heading back very close to the van on the right, obviously thinking he is alright but at a very strange angle.
So, he obviously believes he has it right, until the caretaker goes past and tells him, you can’t park that close to the next van and to move it into the area he points at, square to the rest of the vans.
After a stare-down with the caretaker, he jumps in, drives out and over a little bit, and out pops the wife. She is not looking at all happy and walks to the front of the car, where she starts giving him directions.
But he just doesn’t seem to see her, which is getting her angry as he keeps backing into the same place.
Now we have been watching this go on for at least 20 minutes. A bloke from another van jumps up to help and is seen quickly retreating back to his seat, having received a shake of his head.
We're hitting the 30-minute mark now and he has the van in the right place -- all he has to do is back it up, straight, to the fence where his furious wife is, hot and waving her arms about.
He stops, jumps out, leads her to where she is to stand, and gets back in the car. He moves again and she tells him to stop, as he is far enough back.
But he keeps going back, thinking he can see better than her. Next, there is a bang, ever so slight, but he's hit the back fence. All falls silent, then he starts using words that would not be welcome on a mine site, let alone here.
She walks off. He moves the van forward and doesn’t at all look happy. Meanwhile, all those who are just watching and thinking what the hell just happened, try to look away and busy themselves doing something else.
He jumped back in the car and, followed after by the wife, was last seen on the other side of the showgrounds -- attempting a new park in a new spot.
I needed a coffee and a nap after that.
But it does not end there, maybe I will tell you the rest of the story, of how he runs out the water hose to van from the tap and it's 6ft short. No, maybe next time…
I hope we don’t ever come across this guy out on the road, or in a van park, anywhere soon.