Re: RC: Re: Those Damn Generators

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Thu, 30 Aug 2001  1:42:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Victoria A Thompson <toriandsteve@juno.com> writes:


> If I misread Howard's original post, I apologize; but a vacation and an
> endurance race are two different things.

Tori, bless you.  I can remember a rather prominent NW rider several years ago who was a hard-core camper, and who looked down her nose at folks who even showed up in 8' overhead pickup campers, let alone the then-just-starting trend toward motor homes or living quarters in trailers.  I remember her putting them down to me at one ride, and I just looked at her and said, "I came to endurance ride, not to camp!"  I, too, enjoy the solitude of the backwoods, and my "bag" (on the few occasions when I have time) is packing back in away from the crowds and the noise with a horse and a pack horse.  Lemme tell you, these days it doesn't take long to leave the generators behind while doing that!  But I don't begrudge folks a bit for a few luxuries when they are focused on doing the best possible job to compete with their horse, so that they don't have to waste time on details such as getting a good night's sleep, building a fire to cook, cooking camp food from scratch, etc.  Yes, I get!
 as disgusted as anyone else whe
n folks are rude with their generators.  Yes, I think that if you have a special need to run one at odd hours, you need to step up to the plate and get something extra-quiet, and/or camp at the perimeter--whatever it takes to be polite to your neighbors.  But in my experience, the generator folks at rides have been really good at shutting down at a reasonable bedtime and not starting up again until camp is pretty well stirring in the morning.  Occasionally there is a rude offender, but usually asking them to move to the perimeter and/or asking them to maintain reasonable hours will do the trick. 

And if you think generators make a lot of noise at rides, try going to dog shows!  You are allotted a parking area about twice the size of a big motor home, and everybody is crammed in on those postage-stamp "lots"--and the VAST majority have generators.  Granted, most are driving big, expensive motor homes with relatively quiet ones--but they start at 5 a.m. for grooming and go until whatever time show management has designated as cut-off (usually 10 or 11 pm).  These folks run vacuum cleaners, blow dryers, and all manner of appliances, most of which also make noise.  Not to mention, it is not uncommon to be parked next to someone who puts their 52 Chihuahuas out in their runs at 5 a.m., and they bark and yap and howl under your window!  (And you think rude stallions are noisy???)  Endurance camps are serene and peaceful by comparison...

Heidi