From: corun@access.digex.com (Corun MacAnndra)
Subject: Re: Smelly steel wagons at Pennsic
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 17:44:14 GMT


Unto the Gentles of the Rialto does Corun MacAnndra send greetings.

I have been following this thread for some time now and have heard some
good ideas and some bad ones. I have also heard alot of rancor. I have 
not heard any mention of the Town Car parking lot that was set up. This
was done so that camps with 30 or more people could designate one car
for town runs and be able to park reasonably close to the Serengeti. The
designated car was given a blue tag to replace the yellow one received
at Troll upon entry to Pennsic. The tag was transferrable so that one car
did not have to bear the brunt of constant journies to town, and if this
was done then a new yellow tag was issued to the previous car. Very large
signs were set up at the entrances to the areas, roped off with blue
tape, showing that these parking spaces were for Town Cars only. Still
many yellow tagged cars were there. I corrected one woman who was about
to park her van in the Town Car lot, and reported several others to
Security so the owners could be tracked down and their cars moved before
towing.

For those camps that had them I believe this idea worked well. Still, it
does nothing to alleviate the problem of the discourteous person who will
want their car in their campsite all the time. Since the parking lot 
shuttle busses were introduced at PWXX, the problem of getting to and from
a car two miles away from your site has been eased somewhat. Still, there
are those who try to fake handicapped status in order to park there, or
will otherwise abuse the privilege of being allowed to drive their groceries
to their campsite. I've said it before and I will say it again. If you
want all the comforts of home, go home. If you bring hard breads, dried
meats, grains, and fruits, you can add a little water, which is plentiful,
and have a reasonable medeval meal. Or you can eat at any of the various
food stalls. But if you're going to haul ice from the camp store in your
car for four or five people, then maybe you should consider a wagon or
backpack basket. <Side note to those of you with mundane little red wagons;
most folk don't care if you don't disguise it somehow, but at least have
the courtesy to oil the wheels. Some of us have sensitive ears>

I don't hold with parking your car in camp and covering it with something,
especially if it takes up valuable camping space (see all the thread on
the Land Allotment). Perhaps the idea of Town Cars for groups of 30 or
more will cause more single campers to band together and cut down the
number of cars at Pennsic.

Think of the other thousands of people coming to this event a little more
than you think of your own needs. Simple courtesies can breed simple
solutions. Walking from the parking lot to your campsite is no more strenuous
than the woods battle on a hot day. Possibley less so, since I have never
fought the woods battle, but have walked many times around Pennsic, easily
several miles when added up.

In Service,

Corun



-- 
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    Corun MacAnndra     |  The great thing about travel is getting to
  Dark Horde by birth   |   meet new people and see new places.
    Moritu by choice    |                            G. Khan
Organization: Graduate School of Industrial Administr., Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA