NC500 hate - and beyond.

[Eriba]

Some very interesting comments, UA people's are very unaware how unpopular they are it seems.
As to waving and not being well greeted by fellow travellers on Aires that I can confirm.
Taking it a little further, at an Aire not so far from myself, I would walk past and stop to engage fellow Brits. This I no longer do, it's been made quite clear to me that help or friendliness is not welcome.
Perhaps it's me who knows but no more .

 

[Fazerloz]

Whenever we go abroad we always have the easy-lifter bike rack on the back and every aire we pull onto some one either wants to talk about it or photograph it. Have a beer and offer one and the jobs sorted.

 

[Robmac]

I like meeting people, it's one of the joys of travelling. Whenever we go away and I go to the pub my Mrs will guarantee that I have new drinking mates who I will be meeting again the next night.

I've even met people who know my family whilst I've been away and had I not made a point of speaking to them I never would have known.

 

[Nabsim]

I spend a fair bit of time in Scotland, a lot of it in the Highlands. I have never done th full 500 and no interest in doing so but do travel to/through a lot of the places on it. I am always looking for somewhere to let the dogs off, remote places, I only go into villages and towns for supplies.

Never once had a bad word in Scotland and only once in Dublin and that guy immediately got jumped on and rather roughly taken away with much apologies from all the locals.

To an extent I think how you conduct yourself can be what affects how you are treated, I am always respectful of others, (unless they are government or police) and always say hello. Maybe they just like my dogs, ho knows

 

[Alf]

25 plus years back when we first started going up and before the dreaded NC500 had been invented it was fantastic up there.

Very quiet roads, any other vehicles you met all observed the single track etiquette, and they all gave way to large vehicles coming up the hill, all the locals were extremely friendly and helpful and you could almost park anywhere you wanted, within reason.

Now it`s like a different world and the reason we stopped going up when we did.

We travelled the far north Highlands from the mid 60’s when mostly single track roads some just two strips of tarmac with grass in the center where ever we travelled or parked up locals were friendly in fact made several life long friends. Mothers bringing children to look at this wee house on wheels used to go 2 to 3 times a year, it all started to change mid to late 80,s …. 30 to 40 year olds making nasty remarks ignored by same age groups is shops etc always being told we were stealing their oil just the same as what happened in the late 60,s and 70,s in North Wales. The NC500 increased the bad feeling with the volume of traffic the last time we visited in 2010 we found a different place the views are there but overcrowded the feeling of unwelcome or even hatred more pronounced. We were fortunate we travelled here in the good years where parking was welcome and plentiful people friendly and welcoming.

 

[barryd]

Whenever we go abroad we always have the easy-lifter bike rack on the back and every aire we pull onto some one either wants to talk about it or photograph it. Have a beer and offer one and the jobs sorted.

I get the same with our scooter and rack. To be fair it's quite impressive and so quick to get on and off so people are interested. I often get people coming to talk about. Even funnier when they come and inspect it and your in the van and they don't realise.

 

[ProDave]

The tone of this thread does overall sum up how we feel. We are in the twilight years of the "golden age" Being one of the last of the Baby Boom generation, we have had it good. Better than generations before us. But things are changing now. Our freedom is eroding, the world is more populated. politically things are getting unstable The end of the Oil Age is near. I could go on.

That is why we took the choice to retire early and do our travelling by motorhome now while we are fit and able and there is still enough freedom, just, to do this. If we waited longer things might be even worse.

This is one of those situations where I would love to be proven wrong and things start getting better again.

Oh and happy new year I don't mean to depress you, honest.

Back to "do people speak" or not. On campsites, definitely yes, and people are always interested in our demountable motorhome. But wild camps, almost nobody talks In that respect so different to being on a site.

 

[Fazerloz]

It seems to me having a beer with most people sorts things out.

 

[Boris7]

There are exceptions.

Your an exception in many ways

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Relevant part starts at 33:00 minutes.

If you have never watched this family's videos, then just for context: They spend a lot of money in the local shops, visitor attractions, fuel, campsites, honesty boxes, restaurants and cafe's. They are also doing a charity litter pick on the beaches around the UK. For what it's worth, my opinion is that they are responsible vanners and don't deserve the hate they are subjected to.

I had to give up.on them, clickbait disaster titles.

 

[trevskoda]

Back to "do people speak" or not. On campsites, definitely yes, and people are always interested in our demountable motorhome. But wild camps, almost nobody talks In that respect so different to being on a site.

Strange as it may seem i get stopped to ask about my van almost everywhere i land, many politly ask can they see inside which i dont mind.
Then again folk on this island tend to be easy going and some will chater on for hrs, that is when my wife says sorry be we are going somewhere, by by.

 

[runnach]

Strange as it may seem i get stopped to ask about my van almost everywhere i land, many politly ask can they see inside which i dont mind.
Then again folk on this island tend to be easy going and some will chater on for hrs, that is when my wife says sorry be we are going somewhere, by by.

You forgot to mention about the stalking, Trev.

 

[trevskoda]

You forgot to mention about the stalking, Trev.

You were easy to find, my kids sniffed out the biscuits.

 

[runnach]

You were easy to find, my kids sniffed out the biscuits.

A pair of biscuit sniffer hounds

 

[trevskoda]

A pair of biscuit sniffer hounds

Took a bit of training i must add.

 

[runnach]

Took a bit of training i must add.

At least they left the empty biscuit tins, on both stalking visits!!

 

[trevskoda]

At least they left the empty biscuit tins, on both stalking visits!!

Price was down on scrap metal that week.
Next time you are back i will bring bickies.

 

[vindiboy]

 

[Tezza33]

We recieved more hostility from locals in Southern Ireland when doing the Wild Atlantic Way than doing NC500.
With the NC500 it was anti MHers, in S. Ireland it was anti English.
Also received anti MHers dislike in England and Wales, plus anti English dislike in parts of Wales.
In all instances it was and is the minority.

Had to beat a hazy retreat from a country pub in S.Ireland once. Ordered a drink at the bar, barman totally ignored me and served someone else. Walked over in front of him, ordered again and he did the same thing, he turned away and served someone else. I called him out and asked if he had a problem with the English. Turned out that everyone in the bar did, as all went quiet, heads turned our way and some of them got up from their chairs.
We made hasty retreat at this point as I'm rather attached to my knee caps!

We have never had a problem in Scotland but in Ireland we pulled up at a pub in the country, it was 2003 and we had my MIL with us so asked if we could park for the night, no problem said the barman, there is a lovely spot on the river on the other side of the road, we had something to eat and went into the pub for a drink, 5 pints of Guinness later we heard someone talking about the English, then a few rebel songs, other locals told him to behave but we left, I had had too much to drink so it was a very restless night.
One occasion in six weeks though.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Why do people have to be such aresholes, just because you're not the same as them.