Monday, April 22, 2013

Getting an Education!


Princeton, Texas
Clear Lake Park
Weather Condition; High 79 Low 55, Sunny

Everyday it’s something new! Saturday morning bright and early at 6:30 we had a couple of fisherman pull up to the gate house. They were pumped up about getting out on the water early and catching a boat load of fish. They paid their fee and drove down to the boat ramp. The fishermen are all pretty friendly and don’t give us any problems.

We had a few walk up campers looking for camp sites. We got them all checked in and off they went. A short time later one of the campers returned to the gatehouse complaining about the tall grass at the camp sites. We apologized for the tall grass and explained we had no control over the situation.  He became more upset and demanded to talk to whoever was in charge. We gave him the number to headquarters and offered to give him another site.  He first called headquarters and chewed them out and then agreed to be moved to another site that appeared to have been mowed recently. We explained that some campers have brought a mower with them and mowed their sites and that’s why they were mowed. He said he didn’t believe he should have to mow his site. We agreed with him but it was out of our control. He thanked us for moving him to another site.

A short time later, a truck drove through the park entrance and stopped at the gate house. One of the fishermen that had come in earlier got out of the truck and walked up to the window. He told us that he and his buddy had driven the boat around to a cove and started fishing when the boat started filling up with water. He said he was able to get it close to shore before it was completely full of water.

He said he was able to get a ride from a guy fishing from the bank. He was still drenched! Dawn drove him to the boat ramp so he could get his truck and trailer.

We had more campers come in and more fishermen as the day went by.

We are required to drive through the park several times a day to check on things. The complete drive is a little of three miles.  It only takes a few minutes.

I did my second drive through of the day and found a couple had put up a tent beside the boat ramp. As I drove near the tent, a man rose up at the tent window; it only took me a second to realize what this guy and the woman with him were doing in this tent! Its daylight outside! OMG!?! 

I drove on and called Dawn at the gate house to tell her what I just witnessed. She laughed and told me not to approach them.

I decided to talk to our partner gate attendants and ask them if they have had this problem before. They do have 14 years’ experience!

Teddy laughed and said he has seen it all. He got in the truck with me and told me he wanted to see where the tent was located. I drove us to the boat ramp and as I slowed down, Teddy opened his door and proceeded to get out of the truck. Teddy is 82 and there is nothing slow about him! I put the truck in park and rounded the front of the truck and started yelling HELLO, HELLO. Suddenly the man popped his head up in the tent window. When he realized Teddy and I were approaching he started getting dressed and the woman with him was doing the same. Teddy told the man that he needed to take down the tent and leave the area. The man yelled out that he would. Teddy and I got back in the truck and went back to the gate house.
What a day and it was only 2 PM!

Later in the day I made rounds again and found a truck with a boat trailer backed down the ramp and parked. The boat trailer was total submerged. There was no one around.

I left a note on the truck window stating there was NO parking on the boat ramp.

The parks on this lake have a rule that all day use passes must leave the park at sunset. They don’t want people fishing off the bank or staying in the day use areas after dark.

Dawn and I closed the office at 10 PM and drove down to the boat ramp to check things out before going home. Low and behold, there are people bank fishing a distance from the boat ramp. I shined my headlights in the area and the people ignored us.

We just left them and went home.  I don’t understand why people just can’t follow the rules.

Teddy warned us that we would be very educated by the end of this summer.


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