Comments on: More Thoughts On Dealing With Hostile Behavior http://gildartphoto.com/weblog/2009/05/30/more-thoughts-on-dealing-with-hostile-behavior Glimpses From Bert & Jane Gildart's Travel Adventures Tue, 22 May 2012 00:20:47 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: tom palesch http://gildartphoto.com/weblog/2009/05/30/more-thoughts-on-dealing-with-hostile-behavior/comment-page-1#comment-34386 tom palesch Sat, 30 May 2009 18:13:52 +0000 http://gildartphoto.com/weblog/?p=3046#comment-34386 Good series Bert and Janie. Bill and Larry tell quite a story and I think their flag raising offers an excellent "ice-breaker" when moving into the neighborhood. It's a reminder to us all, that we are all equal. The anti-social seem to not want attention called to themselves AS they practice their dysfunction. They may like attention from their peer group, but not from others. As fire helped primitive man keep creatures away so too could light. The panic-button on your tow vehicle pointed towards your trailer sounds like one way to divert their attention from you. It could get other campers to rally to you need. Another idea for people concerned about carrying a firearm would be to investigate carrying a tazer. I once talked to a police officer about it and he said it was "great" as it gave him another option. A tazer could help him keep from being injured if somebody was aggressive towards him whereas a firearm raises the level of the game to lethal warfare. He said "if a gun is pulled on me I shoot. I could only assume the same from others if I pull a gun on them and they had one." It's rare we hear of fatal violence in campgrounds. I guess most of us are law abiding, but sometimes noisy. What to do about the off-balanced person that picks us out of the crowd, I don't know other than be alert, be ready to move and don't worry about your material things..... get away! Good series Bert and Janie. Bill and Larry tell quite a story and I think their flag raising offers an excellent “ice-breaker” when moving into the neighborhood. It’s a reminder to us all, that we are all equal.

The anti-social seem to not want attention called to themselves AS they practice their dysfunction. They may like attention from their peer group, but not from others. As fire helped primitive man keep creatures away so too could light. The panic-button on your tow vehicle pointed towards your trailer sounds like one way to divert their attention from you. It could get other campers to rally to you need.

Another idea for people concerned about carrying a firearm would be to investigate carrying a tazer. I once talked to a police officer about it and he said it was “great” as it gave him another option. A tazer could help him keep from being injured if somebody was aggressive towards him whereas a firearm raises the level of the game to lethal warfare. He said “if a gun is pulled on me I shoot. I could only assume the same from others if I pull a gun on them and they had one.”

It’s rare we hear of fatal violence in campgrounds. I guess most of us are law abiding, but sometimes noisy. What to do about the off-balanced person that picks us out of the crowd, I don’t know other than be alert, be ready to move and don’t worry about your material things….. get away!

]]> By: Caryl Purdue http://gildartphoto.com/weblog/2009/05/30/more-thoughts-on-dealing-with-hostile-behavior/comment-page-1#comment-34379 Caryl Purdue Sat, 30 May 2009 13:57:49 +0000 http://gildartphoto.com/weblog/?p=3046#comment-34379 Bert, thanks so much for this series. I am just beginning to venture out on my own in my Airstream because my husband is still working and can't get away as much as I can. I do the drive to the campsite and he joins me later, sometimes flying in to a near by airport. that means that I may be staying alone overnight. As a single, older female, I do feel vulnerable. Your articles and Bill's contribution have been enlightening and got me thinking. Back in the day as a fresh-out-of-college 20 year old, I went on a tent camping trip into Arkansas with several friends. We pitched our tents on a creek and were not a rowdy crew, just having good food, conversations, guitars and banjos. A young man on a motorcycle came to camp next to us and joined our campfire. He was recently divorced and down as he could be. The group eventually broke up after good talk and listening to the young man's sad marital tale and went to our respective tents. One of those awful Midwest lightening storms erupted with sheets of rain. The thunder exploded and the creek rose. My tent mates and I grabbed our instruments and headed to the car to spend the night. The sky was lit up and I had never experienced such loud thunder. As day broke we learned that during the storm that one of our tents was too close to the rising stream and those occupants had a great adventure moving in the middle of the nights without harm. The young man fueled by Jack Daniels had covered his motorcycle and his belongings with gas and set everything on fire. Much of the "thunder" we heard was his motorcycle exploding. He had decided to get rid of everything he owned to reach total rock bottom. In the process, he was badly burned on his arms. And we had motorcycle shrapnel around our campsite. We were so lucky that none of the tents were hit. The rain had masked everything. Rangers were summoned and the young man got the medical help he needed. Ever since that adventure, I have been more alert to carelessness and individuals who seem depressed, disturbed or aggressive. I have never carried a gun and don't know how to use one. My husband talks about getting one and getting us both lessons. I am reluctant for several reasons. One reason is that I am a klutz with arthritic hands and don't want to shoot myself! I am interested in the bear spray but worry that in an emergency, I might spray myself. Any thoughts on pepper spray and gun safety for novices like myself? All the best, Caryl Bert, thanks so much for this series. I am just beginning to venture out on my own in my Airstream because my husband is still working and can’t get away as much as I can. I do the drive to the campsite and he joins me later, sometimes flying in to a near by airport. that means that I may be staying alone overnight. As a single, older female, I do feel vulnerable. Your articles and Bill’s contribution have been enlightening and got me thinking.

Back in the day as a fresh-out-of-college 20 year old, I went on a tent camping trip into Arkansas with several friends. We pitched our tents on a creek and were not a rowdy crew, just having good food, conversations, guitars and banjos. A young man on a motorcycle came to camp next to us and joined our campfire. He was recently divorced and down as he could be.

The group eventually broke up after good talk and listening to the young man’s sad marital tale and went to our respective tents. One of those awful Midwest lightening storms erupted with sheets of rain. The thunder exploded and the creek rose. My tent mates and I grabbed our instruments and headed to the car to spend the night. The sky was lit up and I had never experienced such loud thunder. As day broke we learned that during the storm that one of our tents was too close to the rising stream and those occupants had a great adventure moving in the middle of the nights without harm. The young man fueled by Jack Daniels had covered his motorcycle and his belongings with gas and set everything on fire. Much of the “thunder” we heard was his motorcycle exploding.
He had decided to get rid of everything he owned to reach total rock bottom. In the process, he was badly burned on his arms. And we had motorcycle shrapnel around our campsite. We were so lucky that none of the tents were hit. The rain had masked everything. Rangers were summoned and the young man got the medical help he needed.

Ever since that adventure, I have been more alert to carelessness and individuals who seem depressed, disturbed or aggressive. I have never carried a gun and don’t know how to use one. My husband talks about getting one and getting us both lessons. I am reluctant for several reasons. One reason is that I am a klutz with arthritic hands and don’t want to shoot myself! I am interested in the bear spray but worry that in an emergency, I might spray myself. Any thoughts on pepper spray and gun safety for novices like myself?

All the best,
Caryl

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