Relevant topic this. Have to admit, I'm more talkative here on the forum than out on the road.

We own a vintage looking car with home made van that people find really interesting. So it attracts the visitors. I don't mind that with some people that are genuinely interested, its the small talk I have little patience for. That's just how I am. Why? Well at 21yo I began a career as a prison officer and - well frankly, it put me off people. But also I have other personal issues relating to other issues. I don't like arrogant people, selfish people, self centred people that want to tell you all about their exploits, nasty people etc so it rules out a lot of people lol. And I don't trust a lot of people.

I'm more than willing to help out a stranded drive though etc. So this post can be misunderstood.

We stopped at the "end of the world" free camp near Burra Burra SA 3 years ago. Looking forward to rest and tranquility. Along came a couple that parked close by say 5 metres, that's ok but we wondered as there was no other people there with 5 acres of space around. I'd lit a campfire and they went off for a walk. They returned with a load of wood and threw it on our fire, brought out their snags, chairs and beer and began talking.

This sounds really friendly but how do they know without asking that we were wanting such company? Some people don't want other people's company and that might sound rude but there are often reasons.

The next day the same, they sat there talking for hours. Finally my wife and I have an arvo nap so we told them that was our ritual. "Well that's not very friendly" one piped up. Twenty minutes later they'd left. Now that's going over the line imo.

Another time we camped at the scout camp on the outskirts of Bundaberg. Nice spot. Camped 150 metres from anyone else. Walked past a camper that had wife and 3 kids, boisterous boys. Had a friendly chat for couple of minutes about his solar mat. 30 minutes later they'd moved...5 metres from us! Asked them why "oh, we're going on a tour around the area so thought you wouldn't mind watching our van while we are gone". I thought that was ok (but they didn't ask)- then for the next 2 days we had that family in our lives totally and with footballs banging up against our van, yelling crying and screaming...We fled eventually.

I had our house built in 2009 in a town of 200 people. The town is such that unless your get out of your house and actively pursue people, they leave you alone. Not on the road. We also find people are judgmental and have one eye on you and the other eye on themselves. They watch eagerly to see if you leave your donation in the box, judge whether you should have a 4WD vehicle and why haven't you? "you cant go anywhere with that thing" and question your sanity if you haven't visited every tourist attraction known to man on your journey. When we tell them we did a "lap" in 13 weeks we get "what did you see? nothing? but we decided we'd need to be back home for a medically challenged relative and what we don't see we'll see next time. Some say to visit national parks but we mention we have a dog "why did you bring it along" we get.  See the judgment? Some people stay only 2-3 days at one place like us, others weeks in one place, each their own.

It's not to say I'm not friendly, I just find some people are intrusive and don't ask. Judgmental when others just like to do their own thing in their own way.

Some I welcome others I want to yell f#$%^& off.

TonyWK

Trouble when your retired . You have all the time in the world!! To a point
. No actual appointments to keep to . I have to be careful Im not too much have a chat ! But yes its nice to get away . Funny how SOME change when they want something ? Like flat battery etc Hey MATE !! When the day before didnt want to know you ! Most are great ., Try not to let the 2%g.o.c out there stuff things . G O C ., Grumpy old Chap

., 

-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Sunday 18th of August 2019 02:56:22 PM

I spent most of my working life in my own business, it was in my interest to be a good comunicater.
These days I enjoy my own company, tolerate others but not the bull****, dont like people playing the joke and tom foolery, Happy to sit aeound a fire and have a night cap with others but also dont tolerate drunks at all, mreans you have no respecct for yourself or any one else.
3 of the best days of my life were spent 10km east off the birdsville track, just drove across the gibbers until I found a tree, only a small tree, it had a hard life, you could just tell. Sat under that tree for 3 days before return to the track. There was a peace there that I have found no where else. People ask me often what did I do and I tell them, I just sat.
cheers
blaze

deverall11 wrote:

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Maybe it's the deodorant you use.

Seriously though, in winter perhaps people socialise less.

Larry

-- Edited by deverall11 on Sunday 18th of August 2019 01:49:26 PM

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 Hi deverall11, i thought that but no, i smell ok. It might be the winter weather. 

-- Edited by the rocket on Sunday 18th of August 2019 05:27:38 PM

We go to our block of land in QLD a lot, and stay there up to four weeks, just busying ourselves around the block, and visiting Miles and surrounds occasionally, but we like our own company. We also visit a very quiet section of a dam not far from home, for the same reason, it is very quiet off the water zone, and nobody bothers us. We do tour a bit, but are not drinkers and rarely if ever do happy hour, found too many obnoxious drunks attending.

-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Sunday 18th of August 2019 05:42:19 PM

the rocket wrote:

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had a caravan  now for over 10 years. It seems people are less talkative now. Staying in their own vans. What do others think

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An optical fibre cable was cut & all communication was out in the north west for about 20 hours & as reported by ABC local businesses said everyone was talking to each other!

Eaglemax: U never can tell what tomorrow brings. Now move back your getting to close.

Is the car one you built yourself? Very interesting to see it towing a van. I have an english Westfield that I compete in some motorsport events with but not suitable for towing a van.

This topic is quite interesting, I hit the road about 20 yrs ago to get out of suburbia, it was great, though I have found that the highway has finally become one long extended suburb or mobile suburbia as I see it, I enjoy chatting to people I run in to, helping and being helped with much appreciation but the mystique and enjoyment of being a traveller had slowly died until I started doing mid to long term farm sits in some beautiful places over the last few years, the company of the animals and meeting the down to earth farming groups has been revitalising and I hope I can keep at it until physically unable, then who knows.

I have also met Mr and Mrs Rocket, and they are nice people

It is a funny situation, I can talk enough to bore everyone at times

At other times, I can get my nose into a good book, and hibernate

I seem to talk to the ones who are parked close by, therefore people who are parked further away, probably think that I am anti social

We became bored with happy hours because we were tired of listening to other peoples life stories.

We even got sick of our own stories.

We enjoy meeting others and chatting but prefer to do it in small numbers. Our nicest experiences have been whenever we've encountered, say, one other couple, or a single camper, having a drink and chat discovering we get on well with no forced small talk being needed. Made quite a few friends that way. Not so keen on larger groups most of which seem to have a couple or more dominant voices competing to be either the funniest, loudest, most 'experienced', whatever. Just boring.

We have a motorhome. NR licence . We dont really care whats best . But the amount of people start the conversation about going to town etc ? I park in loading bays . Its like its a competition . Some say silly things . Mrs walked into shop. The people who were camped beside us walked out said , you cant afgord anything in there ! I knew what she meant . But it was phrased wrong . Same with mentioning Pension . Some tell you all about age pension . Then when you tell them we are lucky to have a super scheme from 70s . !! Sheesh cant please anyone . We get offended so easy these days . I heard a guy talking to others that I released black water onto grounds . This was an area where they allowed grey water to empty under trees . See where things get twisted . . Yet one codger on Nullarbor who asked why I parked so close ? Yet it was him who stopped late that night beside us . Lol . Any way we ended up repairing his slipping clutch ! Soaked in coke for a few hours . Expanded linings . Anyway shows how judgemental we all can be !! Lol

These is always a dominant one in most groups, lucky I,m a good listener, hear all about their rig, trips, how everything should be done blah, blah blah, they don,t seem to realise the group they are talking to are usually pretty a experienced bunch, sometimes I,ve just arrived & some people want to start up a convo. straight away! gimme a break! Joda