Sun lounger etiquette
Discussion
I'm on holiday this week with my wife and three year old son. Nice hotel, very clean and we are one of very few English families.
This morning we went down to the pool for a relaxing couple of hours. It was clear that despite the signs stating "It is not permitted to reserve loungers or cabanas" a lot of people had left towels in an attempt to reserve a cabana before disappearing off for breakfast or whatever.
After spending ten minutes on a nearby lounger I decided this was not on and removed the towel from one of the cabanas and got my family settled.
Twenty minutes later I was confronted by a grumpy man with his wife and child in a pram. I don't speak much German and he didn't speak any English but I stood my ground whilst pointing my rolled up Daily Mail at the warning sign.
He eventually retreated but said that I was "Egoismus" which I understand to mean selfish.
I fully expect to be branded an English thug but what do you lot think? Did I do right?
We are off to Trotters Bar now.
This morning we went down to the pool for a relaxing couple of hours. It was clear that despite the signs stating "It is not permitted to reserve loungers or cabanas" a lot of people had left towels in an attempt to reserve a cabana before disappearing off for breakfast or whatever.
After spending ten minutes on a nearby lounger I decided this was not on and removed the towel from one of the cabanas and got my family settled.
Twenty minutes later I was confronted by a grumpy man with his wife and child in a pram. I don't speak much German and he didn't speak any English but I stood my ground whilst pointing my rolled up Daily Mail at the warning sign.
He eventually retreated but said that I was "Egoismus" which I understand to mean selfish.
I fully expect to be branded an English thug but what do you lot think? Did I do right?
We are off to Trotters Bar now.
ArsE92 said:
I'm on holiday this week with my wife and three year old son. Nice hotel, very clean and we are one of very few English families.
This morning we went down to the pool for a relaxing couple of hours. It was clear that despite the signs stating "It is not permitted to reserve loungers or cabanas" a lot of people had left towels in an attempt to reserve a cabana before disappearing off for breakfast or whatever.
After spending ten minutes on a nearby lounger I decided this was not on and removed the towel from one of the cabanas and got my family settled.
Twenty minutes later I was confronted by a grumpy man with his wife and child in a pram. I don't speak much German and he didn't speak any English but I stood my ground whilst pointing my rolled up Daily Mail at the warning sign.
He eventually retreated but said that I was "Egoismus" which I understand to mean selfish.
I fully expect to be branded an English thug but what do you lot think? Did I do right?
We are off to Trotters Bar now.
You were presumably quite happy to give up your cabana for the remainder of the day when you went for lunch though, right?This morning we went down to the pool for a relaxing couple of hours. It was clear that despite the signs stating "It is not permitted to reserve loungers or cabanas" a lot of people had left towels in an attempt to reserve a cabana before disappearing off for breakfast or whatever.
After spending ten minutes on a nearby lounger I decided this was not on and removed the towel from one of the cabanas and got my family settled.
Twenty minutes later I was confronted by a grumpy man with his wife and child in a pram. I don't speak much German and he didn't speak any English but I stood my ground whilst pointing my rolled up Daily Mail at the warning sign.
He eventually retreated but said that I was "Egoismus" which I understand to mean selfish.
I fully expect to be branded an English thug but what do you lot think? Did I do right?
We are off to Trotters Bar now.
13m said:
You were presumably quite happy to give up your cabana for the remainder of the day when you went for lunch though, right?
It's an interesting point and I did wonder what to do at lunch.I came to the conclusion that placing a solitary towel down way before you intended to use the cabana, then buggering off until you wanted to use it was 'reserving'.
Using a cabana for three hours then leaving all your stuff there whilst you pop for lunch isn't really reserving.
Meine Freund.
otherman said:
In my experience the English are easily the worst offenders, and it annoys the hell out of me. I've seen poeple put towels down and go out for the day, collecting them in when they get back without ever spending any pool time. "just in case they need them".
A couple had done this at the Hilton in Abu Dhabi when we were there, and gathered three parasols for themselves. They left as the Air racing started and headed over the bridge towards the shopping centre. There was a lack of parasols and three hours later they still hadn't returned. Took the piss I thought.ArsE92 said:
13m said:
You were presumably quite happy to give up your cabana for the remainder of the day when you went for lunch though, right?
It's an interesting point and I did wonder what to do at lunch.I came to the conclusion that placing a solitary towel down way before you intended to use the cabana, then buggering off until you wanted to use it was 'reserving'.
Using a cabana for three hours then leaving all your stuff there whilst you pop for lunch isn't really reserving.
Meine Freund.
I would agree, though, that a single towel is a little provocative.
It is, in fairness, a tricky topic. We generally do actually use the loungers before going for breakfast and leave more than just a towel. But equally we don't go out our way to start WWIII by being confrontational with other holidaymakers. However much the Germans might have been breaking the rules we'd probably just get up earlier the next day rather than create a bad atmosphere.
Try not to stay at a Holiday Village if you don't fancy partaking in sunbed wars - we stayed at the one in Lanzarote (am I at risk of joining the council thread here?) at the start of the school holidays, and 7:00am in the morning was about the latest you could go out with your towel if you wanted a couple of sunbeds around the main pool. There were signs up saying towels would be removed - but nobody seemed to bother. I didn't mind, because I was up to go for a walk or run along the beach at dawn every morning, but there plenty of people b
hing about it 
All British clientele at these places in the summer season, so not the Germans' fault.
hing about it All British clientele at these places in the summer season, so not the Germans' fault. Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff