Campsite horror stories: Guns, booze and rock ‘n’ roll
So I was reading a thread on an outdoors forum and heard a story about a group that went camping near a lake and had a dangerous situation develop. It wasn’t a bear or a mountain lion, or bad weather. Instead, it was a rowdy group of guys in a pickup loaded down with booze, guns, ammo and loud music.
The truck nearly ran down the campers, with the people in the cab cussing out the people who were already there, basically accusing them of taking the campsite they wanted. They later went down to a nearby campsite and the mayhem really started. Loud music well into the night. Boorish behavior. Guns being fired. The nearby campers were a collection of parents, kids and grandparents, and they were understandably frightened by the ordeal.
Later that night, one of the guys from the truck came into the other campsite, asking for help in fixing a flat tire. An interesting favor to ask of someone you just got through cussing out. The people responded that they didn’t have the proper tool, but also complained to them about their behavior. This led to more cursing and a few threats before the innocent campers decided to bag it and leave. But first, not without getting a vehicle description and tag number.
Obviously, this is a horrible situation. What if someone got careless with a gun and shot one of the nearby campers? Was it wise to confront them? Do peaceful people just need to leave such camping areas and cede control of them to the hooligans? Does this make it to where you would feel the need to be armed?
This story is true, though I’m leaving some details (who was affected, the location) out, mainly because there could be legal action involved and I wouldn’t want to mess up any case that comes out of this. But it is one reason I enjoy backcountry camping over car camping. Hooligans tend to avoid enduring the rigors of finding isolation. But I’m curious what others might think or what they would do in a situation like this. I’d hate to think we have to give up public park areas to idiots. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Bob Doucette
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with concealed carry soon to be allowed in national and state parks;i would be carrying likewise as i always do everywhere else!my friends and family would certainally also be carrying likewise as personal protections and rights extend behond the household;and one never knows where or when the need should arise.