Sun Awning over the top

[Nesting Zombie]

I agree,
But isn’t it a sad state of society that we feel that we would have to do that to protect ourselves from being sued

 

[wildebus]

The only thing that might stop me is we live in a litigious age now, and the owners might possibly try to sue me for any damage despite it being their fault it was flapping about, so I'd get Liz to video my efforts to help just in case.

I would agree with this point of view. Trying to be helpful can backfire even with the best of intentions (take Robmacs comment about the marina as a good example of that).
I recall a few years go I was at Harewood House in Leeds at a VW Show, and setting up on the Friday morning, it was a very blowy day. There was a woman on her own trying to erect a cheap garden marquee (fact it was a woman is not important, btw. could just as easily been a man) and the wind kept catching the material like a sail.
I offered assistance, and also suggested she leave it until the next day anyway as it was not really strong enough to stand up to the wind. She decided that it must be put up ready for her friend the next morning regardless. Oh well, can only try ....
The next morning, it was laying flat on the ground with bent poles and was just junk, along with a lot of the cheap pop-up marquees and gazebos people like to use. The big dump-bag bins were filled with broken gazebos by the end of the weekend.
If that was flapping around by itself and no one around, I don't know if I would have done anything and risk being accused of breaking it?

 

[mark61]

Good to see there are so many good samaritans.

Next time me awnings flapping about on a rainy windy day, I'll just stay warm and dry in van and wait.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wildebus]

Good to see there are so many good samaritans.

Next time me awnings flapping about on a rainy windy day, I'll just stay warm and dry in van and wait.

Thanks in advance.

no problems. just tell us where you intend to ruin a few hundreds pounds of kit and I will be there to film it (£250 from you've been framed for me) and will HELP you get it under control.
Staying inside to watch? no problems again, just watch me film it and nothing else

 

[Rumour]

We were on the Camping Carpark site at Le Mont Saint Michel in June and two large A class vans parked doors facing. Both had awnings out. The one without the tiedown strap suddenly flew over the roof, taking the awning pod partially off the van and smacking hard down on the roof. Loads of us went over to help, but there were five guys in the group who had it under control. When they took it completely off the van (It was 6 mtrs) you could see the side had been ripped out of the van in places. some of it was completely off and left big holes. The roof was cracked and one of the roof vents was smashed. It was not a new van, but was a rental, so I guess he lost his deposit.

 

[campervanannie]

Sun Awning going over the top. Just happened to be driving by when we spotted the Sun Awning heading skywards. Didn't look like anyone was near the MH. Wind suddenly picked up as you can see by the flag thats flying a little further on. We are near Bexhill the location is on the bottom of the video. Looks like a great spot for a night or two. There are even caravans down here on the beach.

It’s a great spot for fishing but be aware those pebbles move and I sunk last year and got stuck I had to book into a friends garage to have all the pebbles removed from all the nooks and crannies under the van also Charlie had to re spray the protective coating on my underslung gas tank I was chucking shingle out on the roads for weeks after until I had them all removed.
as a side note it’s not really somewhere you should put your awning out so I have little sympathy.

 

[Fazerloz]

A couple of weeks ago we arrived back at our van outside Ilfracombe to find the canopy split and the pole hitting the van 1 pitch away were a youngish couple in a VW sat outside having their mael and just watching it. Net result 1 destroyed canopy and gouges up the sliding door and plastic trim. Only 4 weeks earlier the van had a full respray. They chose not to do anything. They were just wankers in watching it happen and doing nothing. Now I have the sliding door to sort.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

The only thing that might stop me is we live in a litigious age now, and the owners might possibly try to sue me for any damage despite it being their fault it was flapping about, so I'd get Liz to video my efforts to help just in case.

My gut instinct would always be to stop and help, but guess that's just the way I've been brought up.

It also requires a certain amount of empathy and it's amazing how many people seem to live in their own little bubbles. They'd rather get their phones out and start videoing somebody drowning than actually try to do something to help. Insane doesn't even begin to describe it.

Did a short first aid course a few weeks back and the instructors advised us right at the end that the best thing to do was not even try to help, but to phone the emergency services, because of the 'litigious age' you're talking about Kev.

We live in an increasingly hostile world, and no, it's not because we're "old", it is just a matter of fact.

 

[Tonybvi]

We saw a similar issue on the Ballater Community campsite a couple of years back. We took the easy option of running to tell the wardens and then to follow their instructions (ie to help the wardens dismantle the offending structure!). However if there had been no wardens around we would have done what we could to prevent further damage without giving any thought to possible repercussions. I would like to think that others would do the same for us if we had left our awning out and the winds got up, and I certainly wouldn’t have a go at them for trying to do their best.

 

[Fazerloz]

My gut instinct would be to stop and


My gut instinct would always be to stop and help, but guess that's just the way I've been brought up.

It also requires a certain amount of empathy and it's amazing how many people seem to live in their own little bubbles. They'd rather get their phones out and start videoing somebody drowning than actually try to do something to help. Insane doesn't even begin to describe it.

Did a short first aid course a few weeks back and the instructors advised us right at the end that the best thing to do was not even try to help, but to phone the emergency services, because of the 'litigious age' you're talking about Kev.

We live in an increasingly hostile world, and no, it's not because we're "old", it is just a matter of fact.

As the Good Samaritan laws move forward in the |UK not acting will be an offence as it is in other countries.I don't think anyone in UK has been successfully sued for trying to do what they believed to be the right thing first aide wise. If doing nothing is the best advice they can give then why bother with the "first aid" course and not just teach you how to ring 999 and then you can watch the casualty lay in the road for a hour whilst the ambulance turns up. Which certainly does happen nowadays.

 

[caledonia]

A couple of weeks ago we arrived back at our van outside Ilfracombe to find the canopy split and the pole hitting the van 1 pitch away were a youngish couple in a VW sat outside having their mael and just watching it. Net result 1 destroyed canopy and gouges up the sliding door and plastic trim. Only 4 weeks earlier the van had a full respray. They chose not to do anything. They were just wankers in watching it happen and doing nothing. Now I have the sliding door to sort.

In your instance I would certainly not have watched it damage your van but in the video shown I’m afraid I would keep on driving thinking to myself what prick would leave an up and bugger off.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

As the Good Samaritan laws move forward in the |UK not acting will be an offence as it is in other countries.I don't think anyone in UK has been successfully sued for trying to do what they believed to be the right thing first aide wise. If doing nothing is the best advice they can give then why bother with the "first aid" course and not just teach you how to ring 999 and then you can watch the casualty lay in the road for a hour whilst the ambulance turns up. Which certainly does happen nowadays.

No idea what "Good Samaritan" laws you're referring to, Faze (have I missed something big?), but my general impression is the laws seem to be moving in the opposite direction.

I was gobsmacked at the professional(!) First Aiders parting advice, tbh. It's pretty depressing.

But then on a recent pottery course the instructors had to outline various rules and regs to us "students", one of which was to ensure we were all "upholding British Values"! **** !!!

If I was younger (and wealthier) I'd be seriously applying for my Irish passport and buggering off out of here pronto...

 

[Pudsey Bear]

It is shocking what we are becoming as a race.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

It is shocking what we are becoming as a race.

More shocking is just how far we have fallen from (g)race.

 

[campervanannie]

It’s ok to help someone in the security of a campsite or a rally but for anyone to stop on that particular road would be putting themselves at risk firstly morning and evening it’s a fast running road the locals use it as a rat run to cut off a large part of a congested main road from Bexhill-On-Sea On-Sea to Eastbourne and beyond and they take no prisoners also you have to be sure your on a solid part of the shingle as you can sink up to your wheel arches as I well know so driving by was probably a good move on the Qfour who originally posted the video.