Pecking Order

[rommel]

Just come back from France where we followed the Lot ,Garrone and Canal Midi and met some nice friendly people on the way except British boaters,whether they were owners or renters they were the most snotty people I have come across, we parked up in Segala just yards away from three British crewed boats and we could not even get a hellow from them unlike the Aussy crewed boats that came past. I was wondering where Motorhomers come in the pecking order, are we higher than tenters but lower than caravaners.It brought to mind that John Cleese, Ronny Barker ,Ronny Corbett sketch from the sixties.

 

[zipnolan]

once went to say hello to a fellow Brit motorhome owner in France I tapped on the window raised my hand to say hello he then turned away in his captains chair and closed the curtain........ what should one say in this situation ?
keep it clean.

 

[tresrikay]

Probably David Cameron and the Bullingdon club, hoorays,

 

[lescombes]

Probably David Cameron and the Bullingdon club, hoorays,

well the Chums do have their exclusive club

 

[maingate]

Secret clubs are springing up all over. The one on this forum has secret passwords and eccentric clothing must be worn. Its rather snobbish about whisky, apparently.

 

[ajs]

once went to say hello to a fellow Brit motorhome owner in France I tapped on the window raised my hand to say hello he then turned away in his captains chair and closed the curtain........ what should one say in this situation ?
keep it clean.

yer must be a reeet fuglyfekker piplowpan

regards
aj

 

[Billy big bus]

It sounds like the same cold shoulder I get from some motorhomers when I arrive in my self build, but do I care, not a jot. Talk to anyone me.

 

[barryd]

I have been a boaty for most of my life. I just sold my cruiser this year and can honestly say I bet these people were renting. Did they have captains hats on by any chance? Most proper boaties are friendly and there is no class system. I remember once in Greece pottering around in a crappy day boat and being waved at and invited on board a 100ft Yardy Yacht worth well over £1M. Took part in races at Cowes years ago at Cowes week and it was always a right mixture. Working class and lots of hooray Henries. Nobody judged you and to be honest the main idea was just to get as P..sed as possible!

I think a lot of brits are just plain ignorant and there is snobery in some circles but I never experienced it in the boating world.

 

[Nosha]

They're not called snotty yachties for nothing!!!

We've had a few boats over the years, and just like cars you get good & bad owners; size isn't everything. We've had a tow from a very large cruiser and have had helpful hire craft. But generally the bigger the boat... the bigger the ego amd as someone said if they're wearing a captains hat... the bigger the a**shole!!

 

[Belgian]

This reminds me a situation on one of these magnificient 'Stelplätze' in the Moselvalley. Early evening a woman comes to collect the overnight-fee (6€) on the receipt is the lock combination of the small service compound.
The lady left and minutes later one of these never ending RV's came up. Out came one of these round characters without neck ; opens the garage of his battleship to get a Smart out. Puts his cassette in the Smart and drove to the services (a full 300 m). Couldn't get in: no combination of course. I was inside and saw him coming. 'Bitte, aufmachen ! ???, AUFMACHEN !!! ' I got the creeps and showed him a finger. The man went red and started yelling all the neighborhood together. (he only needed SS-boots and a helmet to make it real Sorry: I know only a very few Germans are like that; I apologize to all the others ).
I cannot get the mentality to drive around in a 200.000 € machine, and being a niggard for 6€ !.

 

[zeezee16]

Secret clubs are springing up all over. The one on this forum has secret passwords and eccentric clothing must be worn. Its rather snobbish about whisky, apparently.

Big White Dog.
And its MALT if you dont mind.
But we are all very polite.
Thank you very much and a good evening to you.
Pete.

 

[urbtaf]

This snob thing exists, used to find it when we worked the fairs and pulled onto nearby camp sites, a 7 year old but very tidy Avondale caravan pulled by a Renault Master market van, with many market dings on it! Very few would even make eye contact.
But when on holiday with the same caravan but pulling it with our newish mondeo estate, the differance was amassing. We were respectable again.

 

[barryd]

I reckon the snob factor is worse when there is less of a difference in class and the value of your house, motorhome, car or boat. For example. the last marina I had my boat on. There were loads of different boats ranging in value from around £10K to well in excess of £1M. A vast difference and we all drank in the bar together. The very rich and the poorest owners seemed the less interested in being snobby.

When I lived in a town on an estate one side of the culdesac had slightly better houses than the other side although neither side were particularly wonderful. There was definately a keep up with the joneses attitude and "oh I have mondeo GL wheras yours is just an L. Pathetic.

When I moved to the country where there are around 35 houses in our village, they range in value at current prices of between £150000 to £1M. Again like the marina, a big difference. Everyone gets on and there is no real snobbery. We all drink in the pub together and buy a round and there is no resentment or keeping up with the joneses.

Personally I couldnt give a Sh.t if you were driving a clapped out ford escort van with a mattress in the back or a 100ft RV as long as your willing to sit down and have a beer and listen to me spout Boll.cks then we will get on just fine.