Lavon,
Texas
Weather
Conditions; Sunny, 98 degrees
As
gate attendants at Lavon Lake we work 4 days on and 4 days off. Our hours are
6:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M.
The
gate house we spend our days in is 14 feet by 18 feet. A very small building!
There
are parks on this lake that have even smaller gate houses.
We
deal with a lot of different people on a daily basis. We have many different
ethnicities visit the park.
I’m
not a prejudice person. But I do have a problem with one class of people and
find I’m having a harder time dealing with them. My patience is growing very
thin!
These
people are known as RUDE people. That’s right, RUDE people.
Here’s
a fine example; last weekend this park was very busy with people coming in for
the day. Many families coming in to use the Day Use Area. They were here to
picnic, swim and play outdoors.
In
between these people coming in to enjoy that area, we would have a camper
checking-in.
The
checking-in process doesn’t take but a few minutes when advance reservations
are made.
There
were several cars in line waiting to pay the fee and enter the park, a truck
pulling a fifth wheel and a couple of cars behind that.
As
each car pulled up to the window, we took their money and gave them a pass to
enter the park. Because some of the park is off limits to visitors due to
flooding, we must inform each visitor of those areas before allowing them to
enter.
The
process takes about thirty seconds per car. No Biggy!
The
fifth wheel pulls up to the window and gives us his reservation paperwork. It
only takes a minute to check him in. While checking him in, a woman from the
car behind him, get out and walks up to the window and asked the man how long he
would be.
The
man looked at her and said, I don’t know I have reservations and I’m just
trying to get checked in.
I
told the woman it would be just a minute and if she would get back into her car
we would be with her when we finished.
The
camper, Dawn and I all had a look of disbelief on our faces. She had only been
in line a few minutes.
We
finished checking in the camper and the woman pulled forward to the window. She
had her arm out her window with money in hand.
Dawn
took her money, handed her the pass and began instructing her of the flood area
information when the woman began driving forward and telling Dawn she has been
coming to this park for years and was trying not to be rude and didn’t need to
hear Dawn give her any information.
With
that she drove off into the park.
This
woman looked to be in her late forties, early fifties. She had several
teenagers in the car with her.
People
want to know why young people act so entitled. This is a prime example.
This
park normally has 38 camp sites but with the flooding damage, only 11 are
usable at the current time.
On
weekends hordes of people pull up to the gate house and ask to drive through
and look at the park.
On
weekends and holidays we don’t allow people to drive through the park.
This
afternoon a car pulls up to the gate house and the male driver said he was
going to drive through the park and look around. We get that a lot. People tell
us their going to drive through the park.
I
explained to this man that we don’t allow people to drive through on holidays
and weekends. I suggested he come back during the week for a free drive
through.
He
said he would pay the fee and drive around the park. I explained to him that if
he paid the fee he would be limited to the area he could drive through.
He
said he understood and would stay out of the posted camping areas.
I
sold him the Day Use Pass and opened the gate.
Half
an hour later the man is driving through the posted camping area like he owned
the place!
People
get very upset when we tell them to stay out of the camping areas. We explain
that if they were camping here they wouldn’t want hordes of people driving by
looking at them.
Besides
the fact the roads are not able to accommodate that kind of traffic.
STUPID
people are on my very last nerve!
Now
I’m really ranting!
We
have people drive up to the gate house and just stare at us. We ask how we can
help and as they look at the pricing sign posted on the building, they ask how
much is it.
Are
you kidding me?! You are looking at the sign!
While
the lake was flooded by 12 feet of water all the boat ramps and most of the
parks were closed.
People
would pull up to the gate house and ask when the parks and boat ramps were
going to be open.
Our
response was when the water recedes. Then the question was when is that going
to happen.
Do
people really think we can predict how long it will take for 12 foot of flood
water to recede?
People
would stop at the gate house with boats in tow. We would have to break the news
to them that ALL the boat ramps on the lake were closed due to flooding.
They
would then say, does that mean there aren’t any boat ramps open?
Why
yes, All boat ramps are closed means there aren’t any open!!!!!!!!!
This
was on a daily basis, many times a day.
The park has five different restrooms throughout the park.
But some people would rather wait and take a leak at the park entrance before they leave.
This picture was taken from inside the gate house. We see this all the time. Sometimes they just stop in the street to take a leak.
We’re
amazed at how many people don’t know their left from their right.
We
issue the Day Use Area passes and tell the visitor to turn to the left. Almost
half of those people will turn to the right!
This
park is equipped with tire spikes at the exit. You can exit but not enter.
The
sign says warning, Do Not Back Up, Severe Tire Damage.
We
watch people pull up to the exit, everyone gets out of the car and walk over
the tire spikes. They will step on them and make sure they go down.
Everyone
gets back in the car and they drive over the spikes to exit the park.
Parking in the Day Use Area is spars. But some people think they need to take several spaces!
This
is just the sample of what these gate attendants deal on a regular days
business.
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