Last week, Nanci Dixon wrote about obnoxious outdoor movie projectors and big screens coming to a campground near you (before you continue on here, read that story). Some of these setups are being sold online for as low as $89. The photo she used in her story even showed users at their campsite sitting around a campfire, projecting a movie onto a screen on their van. Yikes!
Commenters on her story had quite a few not-so-great things to say.
Reader experiences with outdoor screens at campgrounds:
Marion wrote, “We suffered through this at a seaside California campground. The show was so violent it was sickening! It was so close to us we had to go inside to avoid seeing it but it was so loud we couldn’t block out the horrific screams! I couldn’t believe that it was allowed to be shown outdoors. Fortunately, we only stayed one night.”
Chris says, “I can’t really figure this one out. The answer might be unpopular with some but easy. Campgrounds should make it a rule: ‘no projectors/movie screens.’ Plenty of RV resort-type places offer movie nights. If that’s what you’re into I think you should go there. I would think those of us who favor the state parks, etc., want quiet more so wouldn’t set up something like this anyway.”
Suru wrote, “A few years ago we stopped for the night at a private RV park to break up the drive. There were a lot of full-time residents. Apparently, it was a resident’s birthday. To celebrate, the camper across from us set up an outdoor screen around 7:00 PM and invited lots of people to watch the movie. I was okay with that; however, the movie was definitely an R-rated movie with lots of language and nudity. They had the volume up so high that you could hear it throughout the campground. Anyone walking by had a 4×6 foot scene of naked people doing ‘the deed.’ The next morning I mentioned this to the park owner as we were leaving about how offensive the movie was. I said there were kids in the campground and asked how could she allow that. She said it was so-and-so’s birthday and although she knew the movie was really bad, that’s the movie he wanted to watch. How could she say ‘No’ on his birthday? Well, I will forever say ‘No’ to that campground from now on.”
Reader sends “proof”
Anyway, all this being said, we received the following image from reader Ron Taylor. Ron wrote, “A blow-up movie outdoor screen with a sound system. One camper had a full-grown pig.” A pig watching a movie, huh? If we saw that we’d think it were a pig-ment of our imagination!
Can you believe that? Not only would a movie on this outdoor screen keep everyone in the campground up at night, but the campground next door, and next door to that one too! Jeesh!
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AMEN, Emily. And it’s not just projectors & screens. Add any outside TV or sound system. Campers don’t walk through others’ campsites. Why should they be allowed to impose their ideas of entertainment on their neighbors???
For the readers proof picture I would like to see and hear what it actually playing and from where they sit outside their RV. Just because it’s obnoxiously big doesn’t mean it will shine in your site or they will have the volume up so high you will hear at your site. And if you can hear you can always ask them politely to turn it down. I don’t know if I’m in the minority on this.
Behavior where I’ve had to intervene as a camphost: alcoholic beverages left untended in campsites, campfires left untended, pets excessively barking or chasing wildlife, campers’ unsecured stuff being blown around the CG, music or TV noise intruding on neighboring sites, campfires during a red flag period, bonfires instead of campfires, vehicles parked inappropriately blocking others or damaging the site, late or extra early noisy activity in a campsite, and more. The list is long and could go on, but it all boils down to this: We all need a refresher course on what it takes to be a good neighbor. When we go to a campground we are joining a temporary community. Like it or not, we have a responsibility to be a responsible member of that community.
Excellent post.
Gotta keep those kids plugged into their electronics. Heaven forbid they have to sit and hear the crickets and have conversations.
You probably won’t see those in Kansas – unless they’re airborne on their way to the next state! Our friendly “breezes” clear out this kind of nonsense very efficiently!
There are only two situations when I use my TV when we are camping.
It is raining. So then we are inside of course.
It is late in the fall and the Packers are playing. We might be outside if the weather is warm enough. But I always walk to the edge of the campsite to make sure the volume level is such that it cannot be heard outside of our campsite. Until the time one guy next to us caught me and asked that I turn it up so he could hear. I invited them over. 🙂
GPG!
News flash; Screens of a certain size to be banned. These new ordinances will be coming shortly, as the millennials embrace of the technology, causes disruption outside their sphere.
Prior to said banned, fist fights may ensure. Stay tuned for more reporting, as this new wave of technology minded generation, with their unique set of self centered values, decends on a quiet campground setting near you.
This year in the Arizona desert the trend is to have music jam sessions on the deck of their toy hauler. Complete with amps and bonfires.
I am old enough to remember the only times the whole family went to the movies was at the Drive-in. They had a big playground for the kids along with benches so parents could keep a eye on their kids and watch the movie. We often brought our supper in a takeout box or got something from the Concession stand. The speakers we had to hang in the car windows were not the greatest. Today, if you find a Drive-in, they us electronic technology so you can tune in the sound on your FM radio. Of course when I got older, the Drive-in was popular dating location. Often their was more action in the cars than on the screen. Most parents today Don’t want there kids to know that part of the Drive-in experence.
I go camping to be in nature, to wind down, to relax. If someone wants to party all night, show movies all night why not rent a venue just for that? Leave my camping alone- I want quiet please.
I disagree with an all encompassing outdoor TV ban, but … your story about the outright callousness shown here is the reason we can’t have nice things. Try to be good neighbors.
I am curious why you would disagree ?
Ran into this last year. They were using a sheet to project onto, volume way up and a noisy crowd. Campground had spacious sites so they were not real close, but the noise and light reflections were bouncing off our camper.
We have a 24″ tv that mounts to outside of our camper. If we are in a spot where the screen won’t bother our neighbors, we will watch a movie outside at night. We use a headphone splitter cord and both wear headphones to listen. We refuse to ever use the tv’s speaker outside.
Our camper also has speakers in the awning that are hooked to the inside radio, we have only used them twice in the three years we have had the camper. The two times were when we were in a state park where we were far away from any other camper, and the sound was kept low.
Common sense and courtesy should be the rule, but too many don’t seem to have either.
Common sense is a flower that doesn’t grow in most peoples garden.
Well, if somebody is “entitled” to watch a movie outside with the volume turned way up, I guess I am “entitled” to play Country Joe and the Fish’s Woodstock version of “Fish Cheer” with the volume just as loud.
LOL.. I often wondered, when I encounter someone playing loud music, what if someone else did the same thing? Would the person with the loudest music win?
Ahh! Those were the days! I love!!! Country Joe and the Fish. I was 16 when I got introduced to their music. I have many of their albums. Their “Section 43” is the best and “Sweet Lorraine”. Iron Butterfly, White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. Could go on.
Ya’ll are so nice. I have wondered about using a projector aimed at the side of my Airstream for the benefit of my noisy, nasty neighbors. No sound. Just awful movies of monsters coming out of the woods or the lake. Give them something to dream about when they finally go to sleep.
People go RVing for many different reasons. Some to party, some to enjoy nature, some to sleep. Read the reviews and rules before you go if you’re not the live and let live type.
Yeah, if only the party crowd read the rules.
Stuff like this is only going to get worse and worse and worse. Very little morality exists anymore. Some just don’t care about others, and some are just oblivious. One person might be complaining about the screen while their three dogs barked all day long, another complaining about the screen had a construction site generator running all day long, another one complaining had their stereo blasting all day long. It’s only going to get worse; people don’t care if they’re disturbing everyone’s peace and quiet at night if their peace and quiet was disturbed all day long. And then there are the tiny few that you don’t even know they are there!
Thank goodness I have a home to get away from all this when I’m sick of it. Nobody’s going to pull into my driveway, fire up a generator and build a campfire.
Wine-drunk glampers near their blasting outdoor stereos/TVs tut-tutting about the movie screens of others.
I just can’t get over the selfishness and entitlement of people who would do this. Camping is supposed to be a time to enjoy nature, not watch porn and violence on a big screen.
Completely agree. Entitlement
And we wonder why some campgrounds have lots of rules? Because it’s happened!
This is one of the core reasons for the divide in America, lack of respect for others. It’s all me, me, me.
Exactly. It’s all about me.