Been asked to move on? Who by and why?

Bazbro

Guest
I'm curious...

Apart from "rowdies" during the night who think it a joke to bang on the side of a van, or the local boy-racers who use your formerly "quiet spot" as their local wheely practice area, what other night disturbances has anyone experienced? I've not suffered the "rowdy" lot fortunately, and as soon as boy-racers show up, irrespective of the time, I move off.

But what I would really like to know is, if anyone has ever been asked to move on, who did the asking and why? What would have resulted if a flat refusal to move had been your reply?

Again, it's not happened to me, but as I settle down, I'm mentally prepared for a confrontation. Depending upon who is doing the asking and in what manner, would depend on my response! I mean, has anyone ever had the police ask them to move on? What was the reason given? Or a Council official?

I've chanced my arm on a few occasions, in the belief that in that particular location the police aren't bothered and how many Council officials are around at gone midnight to try to enforce a possibly illegal "No overnighting" sign?

I'm just curious. It's never happened to me, ever (apart from boy-racers) and I wonder whether it's a big problem or one that we just worry about unnecessarily?

My motorhome is small but clearly a motorhome.

Barry
 
http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/wild-camping-motorhome-chat/49838-been-asked-move

Hi Barry
Where are you in the UK or in Europe
 
http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/wild-camping-motorhome-chat/49838-been-asked-move

If you are referring to Spain, Portugal, Italy or France, then personally no I haven’t, but I try to stick to the law when wild-camping I never use levelling blocks leave my windows or doors fully open or have the awning out and have washing hanging of mirrors or the bike rack, all these items constitutes camping not parking.
But there are some that leave there waste water run every ware empty there potty’s on the side of the road in rain water drains and leave rubbish every ware, and then have the audacity to complain when moved on, I’m sure like me you would be the first to complain if someone was doing this near your home.
I like wild camping but I try to be sympathetic to the surroundings and the people that live there and as yet I’ve never had a problem perhaps I’ve just been lucky.

Regards
Ray
 
Specifically in the UK, Ray, although I have wildcamped as an emergency/convenience measure in various parts of Europe for decades.

But, as you say, I'm always just "parked", never "camped" - a big difference. And the van's always ready to drive away in an instant. Also I cannot believe people that dump waste water, rubbish, etc., and who believe that not only is this acceptable but sustainable for wildcamping's future.

Yes, I do all you say and more. I'm fortunate that I have an "overhead bed" that allows me to leave the blinds open, adding to the impression of merely "parking" and I've done this occasionally when I've been unsure about the status of the car park or whatever.

This really is all about "sensitivity". I believe that, like you, I'm sensitive to the surroundings and my behaviour whereas others are not and can ruin this for all of us. Maybe they are the ones that have the scare stories about being chased off? That's why I like this community - the more of us who band together, form proper guidelines that all of us follow, the more likely we will remain untroubled by "authority".

Your last sentence sums it up nicely, Ray.

Barry
 
d left

I have been asked to move on by the Police in France, I had inadvertently parked in the car park of a childrens nursery, it was 7am and the police were concerned the mums wouldnt be able to park. They were very nice about it and described an alternative spot I could go to. No fines or problems. I moved and that was that.

The second time was in a car park next to a nature reserve in Czech republic. I was frying my breakfast outside and the Police told me I shouldnt be camping. But they let me finish my breakfast and no hassle or fines.

The third time was by the car par attendant in an Italian car park. I was sat in a deck chair reading a book at 11am. Apparently that constituted camping even tho I was 50 yards from a beach full of people sat in chairs. Again no further action, I put my chair away and life went on.

The fourth time was when Sainsburys in Canterbury issued me a parking fine of 100 pounds via their firm Parking Eye. This was at 4pm and I had been shopping in the store and wasnt actually thinking of sleeping there. I wrote to the chief exec of Sainsbury and the fine was dismissed.

Whilst Wild Camping by an outdoor pool in a German Stell Platz car park also near some woods I was settling down when I was surrounded by youths on bikes. I packed up and left, stopping by a Restaurant 50 kms away instead.

Generally though provided you are polite and sensible and prepared to move on there are no consequencies. I was a Wolf Cub and a Boy Scout then later a Soldier for 13 years, camping all over the place. I was always taught to leave no mess, disturb nothing and be discrete - it seems to work.
 
Disturbed Wild Camping

I have been asked to move on by the Police in France, I had inadvertently parked in the car park of a childrens nursery, it was 7am and the police were concerned the mums wouldnt be able to park. They were very nice about it and described an alternative spot I could go to. No fines or problems. I moved and that was that.

The second time was in a car park next to a nature reserve in Czech republic. I was frying my breakfast outside and the Police told me I shouldnt be camping. But they let me finish my breakfast and no hassle or fines.

The third time was by the car par attendant in an Italian car park. I was sat in a deck chair reading a book at 11am. Apparently that constituted camping even tho I was 50 yards from a beach full of people sat in chairs. Again no further action, I put my chair away and life went on.

The fourth time was when Sainsburys in Canterbury issued me a parking fine of 100 pounds via their firm Parking Eye. This was at 4pm and I had been shopping in the store and wasnt actually thinking of sleeping there. I wrote to the chief exec of Sainsbury and the fine was dismissed.

Whilst Wild Camping by an outdoor pool in a German Stell Platz car park also near some woods I was settling down when I was surrounded by youths on bikes. I packed up and left, stopping by a Restaurant 50 kms away instead.

Generally though provided you are polite and sensible and prepared to move on there are no consequencies. I was a Wolf Cub and a Boy Scout then later a Soldier for 13 years, camping all over the place. I was always taught to leave no mess, disturb nothing and be discrete - it seems to work.
 
Can't say I've had any problems in the UK apart from boy racers,the dog usually sits on the front seat and discourages anyone from coming close,and I never block the cab windows,so he can see out,and people can see him.
 
i recall we were spoken to by some sort of warden somewhere in the new forest , we were parked up with a landrover and caravan, upshot was we stayed one night but were warned not to stop longer , I think perhaps we should have bought some sort of permit but can't remember the details cos it was in the late sixties.
 
We have been told to move once by the police in Spain, they drove around the motorhomes just saying '10 mins you go'. 2 other times once in Javea we had a note stuck under our wiper in different languages telling us that we had to use the campsite & not 'camp' anywhere else (we weren't camped but moved on anyway). Another time we had a guy from the port saying politely that we shouldn't be stopping there overnight, we were due to leave anyway.
 
i'm sure this one's been done before ! i've been woken up at 9am in Wales by a woman shouting in a voice like the Queen's, that i was illegally parked and i must therefore leave immediately!
this caused me to break out in hysterical laughter, which made her even angrier. i couldn't speak for laughing and she finally gave up and cleared off,muttering threats and imprecations.
apart from police with machine guns in Portugal and Spain, gendarmes ''allez maintenant!! '' at 2 am, markets being erected around us,trapping us for days, having an illegal rave spring up all round and being bothered by doggers and badger baiters, it's been quite uneventful
 
we have flashing lights

image jeff 2015 nokia292.jpg:mad1: This is illegal yes / no

Would this be camping on the street ?
:dance:
image jeff 2015 nokia339.jpg
 
Got to Edinburgh 2am back in 1996, falling asleep so just parked up, then at 7am I got a nock on the door by a very large Scottish police Sargent, my eyes were still half closed till I saw how big and who he was, we have been watching you and as you got here in the middle of the night we let you have a few hours rest but please can you move on now as you stopped right outside the gate to holyrood and we could do with you moving on now, now he could of been a lot more aggressive but he was not as I can imagine the met police if I was down London outside Ower lizzy s palace, that's the only time I have been asked to move on and I know I was knackered but it was totally my fault :sleep-027::scared::drive:
 
I have only been asked to move once and that was at John O Groats.We arrived late evening and parked up on the campsite overflow car park intending to book into the campsite the following morning.There was a knock on the door at 9pm,it was the campsite owner who quite reasonably explained that I couldn't park there overnight.I told him that I was going on his site the following day anyway and would just move across the road and stop the night in the public car park,which I did.
The sceptical look on his face made me think he didn't believe me,he looked quite surprised when we walked into the site reception and booked in the following day.

He turned out to be a friendly chap and we stopped there for 4 nights.In conversation the site owner told me he tries to deter motorhomes parking outside because of the herding instinct which affects his trade.If people see another van parked up very often they join them thinking it's ok to park there,I think the site owner had a point.
It has happened to us in the past where we have found a lovely remote spot only to be joined by another van which comes and parks right next door blocking the view when there is loads of room.
 
Been asked to move once, we parked up in the early hours, shattered, intending to move first thing, just in the entrance way to a field with a locked gate that looked unused, (we don't make a habit of this), the farmer turned up early and said he wanted to get in, we apologised but he was lovely and said no rush as my hubby had to get up to move. Only other time we had parked in a military viewing area and decided to stay overnight, they came round in the morning to do a security check and find out what we were doing, told them we were moving on in the afternoon if that was okay, they didn't have a problem with that and ended up stopping for a ten minute chat. Think if you're friendly and apologetic it goes a long way.
 
only ever been asked to move twice, once in Devon many years ago whilst stopping in a layby local copper literally escorted us to a safer one a few miles down the road, another time in Cornwall I pulled onto a pay & display car park at about 2 am thought I would get up early if needed and stick some money in the machine ,any way woke up a bit late to a knock on the window by the irate market superintendent to find I was in the middle of the local weekly market, he wasn't pleased and it took some organising to get us off the site.
 
yorkshire lad said:
Got to Edinburgh 2am back in 1996, falling asleep so just parked up, then at 7am I got a nock on the door by a very large Scottish police Sargent, my eyes were still half closed till I saw how big and who he was, we have been watching you and as you got here in the middle of the night we let you have a few hours rest but please can you move on now as you stopped right outside the gate to holyrood and we could do with you moving on now, now he could of been a lot more aggressive but he was not as I can imagine the met police if I was down London outside Ower lizzy s palace, that's the only time I have been asked to move on and I know I was knackered but it was totally my fault :sleep-027::scared::drive:
Click to expand...

Because there was never going to be anyone of importance inside for you to bother mate lol
 
I've never been moved on myself in the 3 years I've been wild camping,
Although I do tend to stay clear of places that I think there's a chance of "being chapped up" or disturbed or places that I know there's been a problem with the locals not wanting wild campers, and the no camping signs in some places may have no legal standing they are warnings signs not a challenge, why bother putting my motorhome at risk from vandalism, or worse my knuckles and somebody's mush from injury when I can just pick my wild camping spots a bit better and conduct my wild camping in a safe, tidy and appropriate manner
 
We where hassled by a man in a free car park said he was the warden, I was polite and answered all his reasons why we should go with why we wouldn't ;) turns out he wasn't the warden anyway just a local busy body !
When he said he would lock us in till the morning he was shocked when I said oh good we will be safe ;)

I ask in a lot of places if possible :)
 
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