Cultural Differences

[Anand]

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Personally i would never buy a tent/tarp in bright colors due to the high chance of getting busted with illegal wild camping trips

[clunk]

Personally i would never buy a tent/tarp in bright colors due to the high chance of getting busted with illegal wild camping trips
me neither mate , we are doing the dales way next year so we are hoping our green vaude tarus ultralight's arn't gonna be spotted :rolleyes:
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clunk

[MariaD]

"Busted"???

You know, there aren't mountain police who go around looking for conspicuous wild campers so they can arrest them. In England & Wales, you'll be fine as long as you're high up & far from roads / habitations. In Scotland, wild camping is legal.

I have never heard of anyone getting "busted" for wild camping in the UK!

[Anand]

I normally go wild camping in a forest in The Netherlands, fines range from 50 to 3000 quid (50 is for just wild camping, 3000 is for camping with a open fire during the summer)

typically 1 in 20 times you get busted, but still is cheaper then going to the normal camp grounds for every time also single male travelers aren't welcome at most camping grounds since they seem to think that you might be a rapist or a paedophile.

[MariaD]

Sounds like Switzerland - they're very strict about it there too.

I wouldn't worry about it in the UK though - as long as you camp high, don't disturb anyone and respect the environment, wild camping is generally accepted (although theoretically illegal in England and Wales).

Are single men really not welcome at campsites in the Netherlands? How ridiculous! Is it okay if you're in a group of men?

[Marmot]

they are pretty strict about alot of things

[Anand]

Sounds like Switzerland - they're very strict about it there too.

I wouldn't worry about it in the UK though - as long as you camp high, don't disturb anyone and respect the environment, wild camping is generally accepted (although theoretically illegal in England and Wales).

Are single men really not welcome at campsites in the Netherlands? How ridiculous! Is it okay if you're in a group of men?

Same as for swimming pools, with a group its fine but not if your alone.

Switzerland is strict with everything, its one of the only country's in Europe that would give you a jail sentence for driving without a licence (10 years), simple littering can get you 6 months like for tossing a cig bud out the car window.

I have wild camped on a mountain there years ago, at 2800 meters, it was the best time ever :)

[MariaD]

Er, I think it's quite right that driving without a license is punishable by imprisonment! Depending on the circumstances, it can mean jail in the UK as well.

Littering shouldn't be an imprisonable offence, but should certainly warrant a large fine.

Neither of those are really in the same league as responsible wild camping, are they?

[David]

or going to the swimming pool! what if you just like swimming!?!?

[Anand]

then your limited to opening hours when there are no children, and thats mostly 1 day of the week for just a few hours..... :(

[MariaD]

That's rough. I deliberately only go to the pool during adults only sessions because it's hard to do lengths when there are kids jumping all over the place and getting in your way (my pool doesn't have a separate area for serious swimming). However, the adults only sessions are 5pm - 9pm, Monday - Thursday, which is perfect for me.

Do they actually turn you away, or do they just give you funny looks? If it was just funny looks I'd go anyway and swim when I want to. If they turn you away - what do they give as justification?

In all seriousness, I don't believe that all swimming pools do that. Not only would they be consistently turning away half their custom, but how on earth would the Dutch male swimmers train?

[Anand]

Not all but most of them do it, in the daytime most pools are used for school swimming and in the evening there is moonlight swimming (adults only and where kissing and more is allowed, the downside of the moonlight swimming is that you would have to swim around the cuddling couples (sometimes even gay couples)

the hardcore swimmers normally swim in clubs that rent the pool.

they normally say: sorry but we are a family pool and we can't allow single man enterance.

[David]

wow, it sounds like a really different culture; the pools I've been to here aren't like that at all, it's really interesting.

[clunk]

:) when you going then maria :rolleyes:
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clunk

[MariaD]

moonlight swimming (adults only and where kissing and more is allowed, the downside of the moonlight swimming is that you would have to swim around the cuddling couples (sometimes even gay couples)

WTF?!? My swimming pool seems very tame by comparison! I usually just do my 2km and go home.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd even want to swim somewhere like that! I think I'd have to be a 'hardcore swimmer' and join a club.

[Special_K]

WTF?!? My swimming pool seems very tame by comparison! I usually just do my 2km and go home.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'd even want to swim somewhere like that! I think I'd have to be a 'hardcore swimmer' and join a club.

Lol

And I thought Europe were supposed to be the liberal ones and we were the ones with the stiff upper lip. What-ho... :p

[Marmot]

liberal?!
in switzerland you cant even mow the grass on a sunday!

[MariaD]

Or flush the toilet after 10pm!

[MariaD]

Although I must admit that I have done when I was in Swizterland (flush the toilet, that is, not mow a lawn). I'm a hardened criminal, me!

[Anand]

liberal?!
in switzerland you cant even mow the grass on a sunday!

In the dutch Bible belt area my mom lives in its about the same with mowing the lawn, same as stores that are not open, not even petrol stations, but times are changing, due to commercial interests.

[Anand]

since the topic has split, :)

hitch-hiking with your thumb up can get you a jail term in some countrys in africa (there it means: I want to have sexual intercourse with you, and in some cases death is the punishment for unmarried sex)

[David]

Good thread split, by the way; and it's a good new thread to have :D

Are most of the countries with the death penalties under Islamic courts jurisdictions? I think I saw a program about stuff like that. (Don't worry, I'm not going to get controversial!!)

[Anand]

But other things that i have seen in the UK since i was here that are different:

i was a bit puzzled with the fuses on the power plug when i first seen them, thats rare on mainland Europe

Opening hour are in the UK alot longer then in the Netherlands for supermarkets, most close in NL at 8 pm and are closed on sundays, but on the other hand in NL the pubs are open until 5 am and in some towns even 24/7

everything costs alot more here, like a 500ml can of beer(5%) in the supermarket would cost me like 31 euro cents, thats about 20 pence, in the UK thats alot more....

[Marmot]

well, alot of the pubs now have the option to be open for longer
in india you never eat with your left hand, or shake hands for that matter - i ownder how the scouts do there thing over there thinking about it?

[ollyhol]

In the dutch Bible belt area my mom lives in its about the same with mowing the lawn, same as stores that are not open, not even petrol stations, but times are changing, due to commercial interests.

yea i have heard that outside of amsterdam the dutch are quite "protestant",