We've experienced the cringe worthy camping experiences, but have never thought to stop our lifestyle because of others.
The long story:
We were staying at a state park recently and were enjoying ourselves. We struck up a conversation on our walk with a guy, I'll call Joe, who was very friendly. As we were talking he starting getting too friendly and asking specific questions about us like, what city are you from, what kind of coach do you own, where do you work... I stopped at that one. We remained friendly and went on our way.
Later that evening Joe stopped by our campsite while we were enjoying the campfire. He seemed very handsy in his fast-paced speech. He began to unload all his life... all of it. We are genuine people (or try to be), but we let him talk and the more he said the less it connected. We are not sure it was all BS or if he really was hurting. Several facts did not agree with statements, not did his statement agree as the length of time passed. His story kept changing, and we both knew it. The wife could not take it any longer and left the conversation as soon as he started asking for money. Yes, the sob story (real or not) culminated in begging. Mind you, his speech and body motions reflected someone who was not balanced and calm.
We were both uneasy at the encounter, but gave Joe $5 for the morning coffee he said he'd be happy to receive. We thought his pleasure at $5 odd as he bragged at making $250k the year before.
I should also mention that there was only one other motorhome in the campground, and it wasn't Joe's. Joe was tent camping, and he said that's where he was living at the time. It could be true, but wasn't adding up because there is a strict 30-day limit on camping, and Joe said he's been there for 45 days.
We did not like the exposure or intrusion of our camping experience. Judge me a a snob, but we were both uncomfortable staying at that empty campground. We made reservations to complete our week camping 100+ miles away, and pulled camp the next morning. We traveled to the next campground, paid extra (still holding the original site), and put an awkward situation behind us.
Joe's behavior and body language were major red flags. I won't speculate, but we did not feel that $5 was enough to keep Joe from coming back for more. I like talking with other campers and hearing their story, but I had to draw the line and take action to separate from the opportunity we presented.
We are looking forward to camping in a couple weeks. We are not going to change our lifestyle because of negative interactions. We will adjust and plan accordingly. Be flexible and maintain safety.
tldr;
We moved when we felt uncomfortable with other campers. We still camp.
Blessings
