Ummm... "bondage camp"??

[Bonny Pearl]

Not being argumentative either.

I camped with Chaos this weekend and like I stated earlier, I didn't witness any spill over nor heard of any.  I am just one person though.  I went back there with some friends that were curious about it and it was pretty well enclosed.  As for camp in general, anyone can very easily stumble into a camp that is doing the same type of activities, they just won't have a sign.  You can see some interesting sights at the drum circle as well.  I walk that particular row every weekend to get to into faire.  I walked it this weekend; didn't see a thing in the morning or in the evening.  With the way people were set up along the row, all I saw was their camps, not the bondage camp.

I didn't say 'no rules' I said 'no more rules.'  If people are taking their kids to faire and camping it is their responsibility to keep them away from what they deem as unsuitable and not for minors and to monitor their camp parameters to be sure the kids are safe, etc.  I am a parent also, know the risks and act accordingly.

I don't want to see us start becoming a 'helicopter community' because then it spills over into what happens inside faire with butt cheeks, fur and chain maille on display or kilt checks, floggings and so on.  Some people will think that is too much for their kids to see, depending on age of course.  It's their call to act accordingly and move on, or not.  There was a big stink last year about the chain maille show.  I'd hate to see camp come into that same kind of situation.

If you set up the Knights & Damsels camp let us know because there will probably be quite a few visitors lol!

[BarbarianQueen]

Not sure what you mean by "helicopter community", but it wasn't your posts that I was actually responding to.

[Bonny Pearl]

Not sure what you mean by "helicopter community", but it wasn't your posts that I was actually responding to.

It's a term used for parents that hover over their kids lol, Helicopter Parents.  No worries.

[PollyPoPo]

Barbarian Queen and Tink, I do not think you are particularly in the minority by way of your thinking, but perhaps in the minority in speaking out.  It has become almost politically incorrect to voice an opinion which is not in favor of everybody pushing the envelope when it comes to behavior.  It swings too far one way and there is anarchy; too far the other and a lady such as Barbarian Queen cannot enter Scarby. 

Absolutely, parents are responsible for shielding their children from activities deemed unfit for younger people, even as people are responsible for avoiding places where activities offensive to them are likely to take place. 

Families with children read the official literature and think that the difference in the campgrounds is based on noise level.  Driving into the campgrounds, the new area looks very inviting, close to entrance, with plenty of trees for coverage.  Campers have no warning that there is a sex camp set up close by; or (darn, I typed it up, thought about it and deleted what I had typed.  Better not put that in print). 

Obviously, from comments in this thread and others through recent years, there are many people who believe that TRF general camping should be a place where just such activities are permitted with few or no limits.   Many have posted lamenting the demise of the free-wheeling, naked Godiva, old days.

The owner/management makes the decision as to what TRF campgrounds are to be in the future.  Perhaps they will one day designate a portion of the campgrounds as suitable for adult-only activities, yet allowing more moderate campers to have a communal bonfire which families could enjoy and where dancers and fire spinners could come to play.

[Sir Martin]

Interesting topic.  I liked Terre's comment:  "we are very tolerant to all our guests and their lifestyles."  I think most of us here understand that there are a lot of people camping and there will be some provocative behavior at times.  Common sense dictates that we all show respect for each other.  It sounds like the Bondage Camp people were trying to alert others who may have been offended.

Barbarian Queen - I appreciate the info you have provided, but I had to remove the link in one of your previous posts because it contained nudity.  It was an interesting image, for sure, but R/F members will need to contact you by PM for a link of that nature.  Now you're not the only one who feels like a party pooper.   

I haven't been in the campgrounds this year because the lanes have been sealed off with dirt mounds and newly-planted trees.  Even when not camping, it was fun to go visit with friends for a couple hours before I headed home (or back to the motel).  Guess I will need to get a tent soon.

[DonaCatalina]

Barbarian Queen and Tink, I do not think you are particularly in the minority by way of your thinking, but perhaps in the minority in speaking out.  It has become almost politically incorrect to voice an opinion which is not in favor.

I don't care what anyone's personal lifestyle is or what their sexual preferences are. I care how they behave towards me. And I care if their behavior affects places that I enjoy.
However, I may be one of the few who understands Barbarian Queen's concerns about the slippery slope. This is a public campground in the sense that TRF is not restricting campers to 21 and over. There is a line at which arrests and lawsuits will happen and A. Camping rules will be like those at a state park, or B. The legal costs will force closure of campgrounds to anyone who is not an employee of the faire. ie. Scarborough.

I pictured to myself how I would have felt if these people had moved in next door while I was camped there with my 11 year old niece.
I do not want to have to explain to her mother how she found out what 'bondage' is, or how she saw the nude men and women camped next to us.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

AHE we had a toy hauler pull in next to McShug... our Clan Matron promptly alerted them that we were a "R" rated camp and that there may be some brief nudity from time to time.  Imagine our shock when they broke out the Naked Jenga...  Great weekend.  The cops even rolled in during the game and were like " HOLY S**T!  What the hell is going on here?!?"  then hung out and watched for a bit... 

[PollyPoPo]

From the original post, it would seem that the families were in the area first.  Then the bondage group came in later. 

For those of you who are part of more adult groups:  since TRF is supposed to be first-come first-camped, how do your groups handle that kind of a situation where there is a smaller family group already camped where you were planning to camp?

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

We move over a bit.  If you REALLY plan on having a certain spot, you need to have Land Grabbers, on site, Thursday morning.  If you don't then its your own fault if "your" piece of camp is taken by someone else.

[KiltedPrivateer]

Martin, though you are not able to drive into the camps, the walkway is not guarded in any way. You can always take a stroll out to the camps and kill some time while waiting for traffic to die down

And I completely agree with Fraser.

Sent via digital carrier Pigeon

[LadyJessica]

AHE we had a toy hauler pull in next to McShug... our Clan Matron promptly alerted them that we were a "R" rated camp and that there may be some brief nudity from time to time.  Imagine our shock when they broke out the Naked Jenga...  Great weekend.  The cops even rolled in during the game and were like " HOLY S**T!  What the hell is going on here?!?"  then hung out and watched for a bit... 

Dude you make me sound old with that matron stuff!?!?    but yes to answer some questions...for McShuggenah AHE has always been a kid free weekend or under 5 or older than 17. It's the one weekend a lot of our group cuts loose and thus the reason we have a land-grabber. When people start to come near us I ask if they have kids and if they are ok with nudity. Just so they are aware of what they may see or hear from our group.

[PollyPoPo]

I agree with Dona Catalina about the slippery slope effect. 

The bonfire is an example of something that started off a little wild, but children could still come watch for a while before heading to bed.  Then eventually, young women were bouncing topless before the fire was even lit.  Add the jello shots wagon and the girls got younger and younger, and drunker and drunker.  Cops made sporadic attempts at control, but too often just ignored the underage drinking and serious drugs.  Eventually someone thought it would be a good idea to toss in a propane tank. 

Is it any wonder that ravers thought they could come in with their equipment and blast the sound so that there were complaints from civilians up to two miles away?  Their websites, F/B and so forth, were hopping with the news that TRF was a place where there were no rules or grownups to tell them they couldn't.  So the reaction had to be a sound level check and no amplified sound after midnight in the general campgrounds.  For everybody.

I agree with Dona Catalina that eventually changes will occur, whether through management limitations on certain behaviors, or the more extreme behavior drive out the moderate, or through legal action, particularly where minors are concerned. 

There is official advertising and then there is the perhaps unintentional internet advertising that occurs in conversation forums and the Facebook pages. 

A business entity can claim everyone is on notice that they enter at their own risk, but that disclaimer does not often hold up in court.  Hopefully TRF has sufficient legal insurance to cover any such legal actions.

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

AHE we had a toy hauler pull in next to McShug... our Clan Matron promptly alerted them that we were a "R" rated camp and that there may be some brief nudity from time to time.  Imagine our shock when they broke out the Naked Jenga...  Great weekend.  The cops even rolled in during the game and were like " HOLY S**T!  What the hell is going on here?!?"  then hung out and watched for a bit... 

Dude you make me sound old with that matron stuff!?!?    but yes to answer some questions...for McShuggenah AHE has always been a kid free weekend or under 5 or older than 17. It's the one weekend a lot of our group cuts loose and thus the reason we have a land-grabber. When people start to come near us I ask if they have kids and if they are ok with nudity. Just so they are aware of what they may see or hear from our group.

Well, you ARE clan mother... 

*got to love me!* 

[SirRichardBear]

repect is the key if the  ravers had respected others they would still be there.  From what I've read here and on my camper forum (we have a TRF camping topic since several of us camp there during the season)  this groups seem to respect other campers around them.   I understand the concern people have specially parents with kids but am willing to give them benefit till the prove they can't repect others.  Not having kids of course factors into that. 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

You took the words out of my mouth, Sir Richard!  Respect is key... act like an a**clown and you may end up superglued inside your tent.

We know what camps are G, PG, R or NC17 and respect their boundries & rules.