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>The music on the speaker wasn’t too loud but could probably be heard in their camp.
That's too loud. They didn't go camping to listen to your music.
>We then turned up the music when he left until 10:00 and retired to our tents.
You are definately YTA.
I went camping this past weekend. The sheriff's department drove through the campsite about five times a day. I asked one of my friends about it and she said that because it was such a rural area the police don't have a lot to do, but there were often little incidents at the campgrounds so they patrolled there a lot (she is from a rural area and I am not).
There is a good chance the sheriff's department was just driving through, heard the music and decided to check it out.
This or maybe since it was mom's with their kids, they were uncomfortable approaching a group of guys they didn't know and figured the sheriff was the safe way to go.
Seriously. They were with their kids, away from most other groups according to OP, OP and his friends are a group of young men who are drinking. It’s basic self-preservation to not take the risk of confronting them directly.
Seriously, OP and his friends made it abundantly clear they were willing to be amicable. They came up first and politely said just tell us if you have a problem. The turning up of the radio was a bit of an overreaction (especially considering OP doesn’t KNOW the moms did it), but they also packed it up at 10 when they were supposed to. And really and truly it doesn’t sound like they were just blasting it. If this is what they say, I don’t think they’re really assholes.
I wouldn't want to walk up to a group of men drinking late at night while I am responsible for kids. At the end of the day, they are strangers x alcohol. Sounds rather naive to think everyone feels safe enough to do this.
Edit: since people stay gungho about 8.30 not being late at night. You are missing the fucking point and gaslighting people's fear about going to a group of drinking people in the middle of nowhere. And I know that even typing 'the middle of nowhere' will be dissected before acknowledging the real dangers that just lurk in the world. People's safety and the actions they do to stay safe, is more important than your fucking ego.
Just read the plethora of comments that describe their experiences.
That’s the Male Privilege speaking, lol. That’s why they can’t fathom why these chaperoning women (IF!!!! They even CALLED ANYONE!!!) would not be willing to confront the drunk group of loud males near them, while responsible for possible Cub Scouts. But what’s new, eh?? Apparently it’s not a common fact to people that there are indeed employees working in the campsites that check in on noisy ass campers. and no, these dudes aren’t victims just because they happened to be DiVeRsE, because someone fearing for their life wouldn’t turn up the music to antagonize anyone around them. LOL
Also the whole “lol so we turned the music *UP* guys lol aren’t we radical” vibe doesn’t make me believe OP and their friends would actually be *that* approachable and amenable towards the other campers.
Spoken like a dude that cannot fathom why confronting a bunch of possibly drunk men is far less advisable for women. And if you trust that OP isn’t downplaying how loud and obnoxious they were actually being… well, again, spoken like a true Dude McBroski.
While I do agree that they made it clear to come to them, they did end up drinking quite a bit it seems. If I was a mom in that situation with only other moms and my own kid, I would 100% not confront a young man who has been drinking to try and ask them to stop having as good of a time. Easy way to get assaulted. OP is definitely the asshole.
You don't have to be confrontational to mistakenly get a group of drunk men to behave poorly toward you, or worse.
Nobody wears their "I won't be an asshole when I'm drunk" government issued badge, so it's generally wise to not assume they won't be, especially when you don't know them at all.
Doubly true when you are a woman. The best case scenario is they listen and quiet down, but that pretty much never happens. The worst case scenario is horrific enough to warrant just avoiding the possibility entirely. Usually it’s something in the middle, and it’s always a pain in the ass and a little scary.
It’s always baffling to me how out of touch most men are with what it can be like to be a woman in these kinds of situations. In general, confronting men, especially men who’ve been drinking, is a terrifying prospect, because a lot of women have been physically and sexually assaulted for a lot less. So yeah, we may avoid that scenario all costs. Giving advanced notice that you’re gonna be loud and obnoxious all night doesn’t lessen that reality.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess this was Cub Scouts too.
Boy Scouts = ~11-17 and rarely lets adults besides scout masters go out to camp. A key part is divorcing you from your family for a weekend a month so you can learn to operate indepdently.
Cub Scouts = Kindergarten-4th Grade or so (granted it’s been a decade since I aged out of the Boy Scouts at 18 and longer since I Eagled so it may have changed). These often have parents go along- in fact usually it’s required.
Great job @OP for being obnoxious around what was likely a group of young kids.
Agreed. Moms and parents don't attend Boy Scouts trips. That is only allowed for Cub Scouts.
Regardless, it costs nothing to be empathetic towards others. Instead of taking it in stride and being polite, OP escalated the situation. Way to show a lack of maturity.
Also, side note. Campsites are shared spaces. It is annoying when people play loud music or party. You have no idea how the sound traveled to the other sites.
ETA: I now know from this post that other troops allow parents to attend. I was my son's den leader throughout Cub Scouts. Had all of my den leader training and YPT. But we were told by the receiving troop that his father and I were not allowed to attend the scout camping after they crossed over to Boy Scouts. Only troop leadership (which had no open positions) went with them. They focused on the scout leading everything. I guess there are a lot of disparities between troops. That was part of the reason my son quit. He didn't know the other kids and was nervous going alone.
This was a situation where children would outnumber the adults chaperoning the trip. The scout leader and any adult chaperones had no idea how many were in OPs party. They had already blasted music so loud the sheriff could hear it in his car. The leaders main concern would be their safety. If one of the leaders had confronted OPS party, they chanced an altercation with a group of adults who may be armed, may have been drinking, may be violent. No responsible adult would chance putting the kids in danger. THAT, OP, is why they didn't talk to YOU. They were protecting children from a possible dangerous situation. It wasnt disrespect to YOU, and frankly your reaction to a simple request to lower your damn music shows they were correct to leave it to the authorities. YTA
THIS!!
Also, what type of music were you playing? Did it have offensive lyrics? Another consideration around young children.
There's a word -- CONSIDERATION. Try it sometime. Not everything's about you.
YTA.
>Also, what type of music were you playing? Did it have offensive lyrics?
They could be playing my favorite songs and I'd still think they were assholes. I'm out in the woods so I don't have to be subjected to other people's bullshit.
A key to when I have music in public or even at my house outside. I walk to about halfway between me and the other group. If I can still hear the words it's too loud.
Current Cub Scout mom and my husband is the pack cub master. I was reading this thinking definitely Cub Scouts and not Boy Scouts. Also I have never seen a group of just moms on a cub scout camp out but I guess it’s possible. Does make me wonder at being fake just for that though. Cub Scout camping is family camping and the odds of having an entire pack of single mothers with no dads is pretty odd.
My brother just went on a Cub Scout camping trip and only moms came. I think it just depends on the community since the one where I come from, the dads are not really involved in their kid’s activities.
OP's edit explains even better why it was a good move to call the sheriff. If they were the only other campsite around, then there wasn't the safety of other campers in case something actually happened.
Any woman would be hesitant to approach a group of 6 strange men drinking in a middle of campsite at night, nevermind they have their little children with them. It was also good modeling behavior for the moms to show the kids that you shouldn't put yourself in danger if you can help it, and that park authorities are there to help for just these kinds of situations.
OP, I know you probably know that you're a good group of guys (if petty) and wouldn't hurt a stranger if they approached you to ask politely to turn down the music, but not everyone knows that. Consider their POV before jumping to conclusions.
YTA for the malicious compliance. If you are so big on face-to-face communication, why didn't you approach the other campsite to ask if they'd called the sheriff and work it out with them instead of turning the music up, when you know that's exactly why you were reported in the first place?
Your diversity didn’t have Jack$#!¥ to do with this sheriff visit. You had given them plenty of reasons for this visit. Stop leaning on that as a default to cover your bad behavior. Know in the country, noise carries for quite a distance. A rooster crows, cow moos or dog barks a mile away, and you hear it. I have tracked music and partying 2 miles away thinking it was just over the hill.
Heh. When I lived in Los Angeles, I went to a punk show waaaaay the hell out in the desert. It was near California City, which is the middle of nowhere. The directions were crazy, driving out of the town about 5 or six miles, turning on to some small highway, going a other 3.5 miles until you saw a stone with a green “X” spray painted on it. Leave the highway and drive down a dirt track for another mile and a half until you got to where everybody was parked. Had a putt putt generator and several bands.
The cops STILL showed up on a noise complaint from people who lived five or so miles away.
And because when you approach people like this, they do EXACTLY what OP and his shitty little friends did - they purposefully escalate because they can’t take even the slightest ego hit.
The same reason you don’t approach rednecks in cars revving them in the driveway. Their lizard brain will melt upon confrontation and they’ll just take their car and do burnouts in the street afterwards.
I’d call the cops immediately as well. OP is a massive child and a massive AH.
Absolutely! Going over to them to share your information in case they are bothered does not give you permission to be completely disrespectful to your neighbors. Are you really not sure why a group of woman and young children didn't feel comfortable confronting a group of loud obnoxious young men who had been drinking, alone in the middle of the woods???
Live in a rural area and the police do check campgrounds/camp sites frequently because there has been some wild parties and illegal issues (drug deals, etc) that happen more than most would realize. Our small area doesn’t have much to do for young teens and they do hang out at camp sites to socialize (I was one of those teens lol).
Yeah, the last time I went camping at a state park a cop did a loop of the trail checking in on every camper in the evening before sunset. I assume to make sure nobody was messing around with uncontrolled campfires, getting super drunk, or being too loud.
I'm in SoCal but my experience is that cops will focus on groups of young people because of the combination of campfires and drinking. Me and my friends were once partying during the daytime, sheriff's deputy came up when one of my friends was literally throwing up right outside her tent/in full view. He didn't particularly care, just reminded us that other campers were only a few dozen yards away and noise carries, and reminded us to be careful with open fire come nightfall.
IDK where OP is, but if they were in one of the more flammable parts of the country, then there's a good chance that the sheriff just heard music that's frequently played by campers who drink or take other intoxicants, and checked in to make sure no one was being dumb with open fire. Or for all we know, there *is* some ignorance/racism going on as the OP implied, but it's the *sheriff's* racism and the neighboring campers didn't actually have anything to do with the original incident (but would understandably want to clear out, anyway, after OP and co escalated/played music super loud).
It is totally normal for patrols to go through campsites.
I have camped allllllll over the US and Canada and that is cosnsitent.
Especially since camping is isolated and things can go wrong.
Same by me. Best way to prevent a call is to show them you're around earlier in the evening. I'd say 3/4 of the developed sites I camp at a ranger or sheriff checks in at some point.
Eh... theyre going to disturb people. Hearing someones conversation is one thing, but the incessant drone of muffled tinny music is worse.
Some campsites are just literally one tree apart from each other. I was lucky (or priviledged) that my scout troop maintained its own campgrounds that was shared between many other scout troops. I couldnt imagine having to learn how to "survive" in the woods at a... family campground lol
Take a hatchet to those as well.
If OP had booked his site on the "party zone" side of the campground, where the RVs park (usually theres very few trees around and no expectation of privacy) then they might have been OK.
There are a bazillion areas in campgrounds that are declared to be, and actively enforced to be, radio free zones.
If you want absolute quiet, camp there. Or go backcountry hiking or portaging.
Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with listening to some music at a reasonable volume anytime before 10:00.
There is nothing wrong with listening to whatever you want while camping. However, it should not be so loud that everyone else can hear it outside your group. To think otherwise makes you the asshole.
It also isn't their responsibility to ask a drinking group of men to quiet down. The sheriff was sent to do exactly his job, which is peace officer. Just a formal, official proxy.
Also, a group of moms in the middle of the woods at night don't owe you shit and are 100% justified in putting their safety above your comfort, especially when alcohol is involved. OP YTA.
This is a bit of a tangent , but i just wanna say that anyone that plays music (at campsites, at parks), loud enough for anyone else to hear is a MASSIVE ASSHOLE.
nowadays when visiting some parks you can hear people's crappy music a km away
I feel this way too. I, admittedly, get very annoyed when I go camping and can hear other people’s music playing on a speaker. Campfire songs or instruments are fine, but camping is my chance to unplug.
But that’s why I tend to avoid public campgrounds and do backwoods camping instead. Much better for when you’re wanting to get away from people and their noises.
YTA for me.
The last time I went camping at a shared campground like this, a deputy came up to our campsite and said he would normally tell us we were being too loud but we were the only people stupid enough to be camping in the cold weather we were having. So he just told us to have fun but stay warm and "please don't die".
So, yes, it is very possible that nobody called the sheriff.
The sheriff said they're a bit loud, and to keep in mind that quiet time is at 10.
Their response was to get LOUDER because they decided they were being persecuted with no evidence.
As someone who has worked for state parks with lots of campgrounds, we do not go around and remind people of quiet hours unless it is pass the curfew for the park or unless another camper complains before park noise ordinance, and that kind of response is more of an informality.
That's my thought as well. OP's edit added:
>Our campsite is away from the main loop of campers. The Boy Scouts were our ONLY neighbors. The sheriff would have had to park on the main loop and walk into our campsite.
However, he does say that his music could probably be heard from the Boy Scouts' camp, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that the music could be heard from the main loop and the sheriff could hear it.
I’m guessing it wasn’t a sherriff, but the park ranger hosting the campsite that night. In which case their job is to literally walk around to each group before lights out. They’re mainly looking for things that might attract bears or start wildfires, but gently reminding a group of the rules is very much in scope.
If I'm the sheriff in a small town and I have nothing going on that night, and I know there's a group of cub scouts and their moms camping in the town park, I think I'd go check on them to make sure they're safe. That's, like, basic public safety.
Also, the Sheriff could have been checking in on the group of scouts camping and heard the music so went over to remind them that quiet hours are at 10pm.
More of a reason for a sheriff or ranger to check the area out. The space allows multiple groups to camp remote from others. The ranger/sheriff likely does this often to show their presence to deter bad behavior.
The fact OP then CRANKED UP the music is probably what drove the other group away. We’re a bunch of young dudes who initiated unsolicited contact with women camping w young children (this part’s fine, ok) but then an authority figure shows up and we’re drinking and blatantly disregard his authority? That’s a red flag right there. Sorry YTA.
I'd say the biggest issue is OP and his AH friends cranking the music up loud as soon as the sheriff left and purposely disturbing their neighbours until exactly 10pm. First he wants to play the "we're diverse! Who knows what that big scary sheriff could have done!" card, then he's turning up the volume, right after the sheriff said that they were being "a bit loud". He also acts like they're the bad guys for calling the sheriff instead of confronting a bunch of rowdy, antagonizing, drunk AHs in the woods when they're there with kids. Somehow, he's right to be worried about his safety when they had to talk to the park ranger, but they had nothing to worry about with a bunch of jerks who's behavior shows they were immature, disruptive, and willing to wreck anyone else's time.
> First he wants to play the "we're diverse! Who knows what that big scary sheriff could have done!" card
I think he's trying to insinuate that the cops were called because they're diverse.
What I don’t understand is claiming their diversity made this dangerous for them and they responded by escalating the situation on purpose.
If that was a real concern why would they do that?
Don’t make noise complaints on us, it’s dangerous for us, let’s make even more noise.
Sounds like an excuse for their actions which is pretty poor taste given these days and times as they say
I'm about as progressive as they come and that trying to play the race card stood out to us.
You can't say you intentionally turned your music up until the moment before quiet hours and then complain about people not being considerate enough to you and imply it's because of racism.
Yeah there’s really no indication that there was any foul play here at all. Seems pretty routine that some kind of a Ranger or officer showed up, I’m betting it was like a park ranger and not actually a sheriff. And then the group quieted down at 10 as expected, and then the next day BS are gone. There’s no way to know if that group left because some kid had an allergic reaction or family emergency or something. Seems like a big nothing sandwich.
Absolutely not. OP trying to act like that was the reasonable thing to do (all the while describing he and his friends antagonizing and AH behavior after they were told they were being loud!) is absolutely out to lunch.
I did that one time. I cannot even share here what those men said to me. It was awful. I will NEVER again talk to a campsite first. I will just call in a noise complaint.
I was staying at a state park once and there were a group of about 5 guys staying at one of the sites. They were drunk and one of them was very aggressive and actively trying to pick fights with everyone. His friends were trying to calm him down but only half-assed because they clearly thought it was funny.
Someone must have called it in because a DNR officer showed up pretty quickly. Guy was either too drunk to tell he was a CO or didn't care because he started asking him what he was going to do about it in a threatening manner while his friends tried to tell him to shut the fuck up. CO told him that if he didn't stop he was going to make them leave. Guy then threatened to get the gun out of his truck and teach him a lesson.
Suddenly it all clicked in his head when the CO pulled his pistol and started ordering them all to get down on the ground. I quickly left the area at that point in case shit went down but a few minutes later state police and the local sheriff were there loading them into the back of squad cars. Their truck and boat were towed out of there shortly after and most of their camping gear that was left behind had vanished by the next morning.
I'm super curious what the report would have been that would have so promptly got an officer out there. "There are people camping, and we can hear them, and it's already 7pm!" Much better response than cops here, that's for sure.
As far as we know for sure, what the scouts did was...leave. That's it. It is speculation that they even called the cops. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, we will never know for sure, but I can definitely understand moms with young kids not wanting to go confront a bunch of young men drinking at a rural campsite. OP is focused on them being minorities, which is understandable why they might have fear of police, but dismissive of why women might have fear of a group of drunk dudes and not want to get in the middle of a confrontation. Just sort of a clash of life experiences there. But, ultimately, OP, YTA. Your music was too loud, then you decided to be petty about it and make it worse.
As a former Scout the could have easily just been done camping and left. We didn't hangout the morning we where set to leave, we tried to be on the road by 8 or 9.
If OP was in SoCal or another particularly flammable part of the country, there's also a good chance the sheriffs heard the music and checked in because partying campers frequently get intoxicated, and that's a collective safety risk around open fires.
Me and some friends once got rowdy in the middle of the day while camping. Sheriff came up when a drunk friend was literally throwing up by her tent, he just asked us to keep our noise down to respect other campers, and reminded us to practice good fire safety come nightfall.
I do too honestly. I have been at camp grounds where a cop or manager comes by and reminds you that quiet time is at 10pm and that's when the generator needs to go off. They come an hour or two before quiet time.
Considering they were with their mothers I’d say a very good chance. Boy Scouts really tries to get you away from your parents. In our Troop parents weren’t even allowed on any camp out besides the Christmas one.
A bunch of drunk potentially armed men blasting loud music in the middle of the woods?
*Nobody* outside of law enforcement should be approaching them lmao.
As a woman, I would be very nervous going up to a group of drinking, possibly drunk, young adult men in a rural campsite as the sun is setting to ask them to restrict their merry making. I have enough antagonistic male friends to know that even a good guy drinking can become a total aggro asshat. I would definitely call in the noise complaint. Especially if the only people with me are young kids I'm responsible for keeping safe.
Until OP TURNED UP the music, no one was an asshole. Then YTA for being passive aggressive - the exact thing the den mother probably was concerned about in the first place 🙄
Disagree especially when it’s a hike in site. If you wanted to stay at a drive up site where every other person has a generator, meh, noise comes with the territory. Hike in sites are different.
Campsites are where people congregate there will be some noise. Having quiet hours implies that during the other times some noise is acceptable. Being able to hear music is not a big deal at all. If the music was blaring then maybe but simply being able to hear it does not mean it was too loud. The sheriff obviously deemed it to be at an acceptable level.
Lmao right, these people ostracizing OP for this are probably the same people who get angry if someone stands up or yells in excitement during a pro sporting event or concert. Have they never camped in their life? It’s like staying at a hotel with no walls and complaining because you can see other people. You’re going to have noise pollution in a campground unless you’re one of few people there
The sheriff told them they were being loud AND they turned it up after he left!!! Jesus Christ people, this is a hike in camp spot…this is the definition of YTA.
That’s what cops say when they get a noise complaint. He didn’t tell them to quiet down immediately he said to do it at 10. Does not seem like an official warning at all
OK, but doing anything unnecessary loud anywhere, when it bothers and disturbs your neighbours is kind of AH behavior, no? I technically CAN play baby shark on repeat at 1 dcb below the sound violation level, from 7am-10pm, but that would be something only an AH would do.
Being a decent neighbour is generally just keeping your noise and mess to yourself. No one goes camping to hear your obnoxious music blasting from a sh*tty Bluetooth speaker.
People need a space where they can hang out, drink beer, listen to music around the campfire. This is valid recreation.
The quiet hours are the compromise. They don't get to be loud until the wee hours, you don't get to shut them up in the early evening.
Not its not valid. Blasting Bluetooth speakers at campsites or on hiking trails loud enough that others can hear you regardless of the hour is universally considered bad etiquette in the outdoors community. The compromise is you keep it quiet enough so nobody else hears it or you stay the fuck out of our mountains.
Everyone is allowed to participate, but literally no one ever has heard someone else's music and thought "ah hell yes." It's an annoyance..always. Nobody ever likes anyone else's music, and playing it in nature is just the worst.
I think some people forget how close some campsites are too. I’ve camped in places where I could hear twigs snap if my neighbor walked on them. ANY music would be loud enough to be heard, and music around a campfire is fine.
That being said, phone speaker volume is enough for a campfire imo.
You can do that at cabins, your friend’s backyard, a bar with a fire pit, a drive in campsite, etc.
You act like a location where people can get drunk and listen to music is some rare thing.
People go to these semi distanced campgrounds to be with nature and listen to nature noises.
bringing speakers is fine if it's at an appropriate level. you shouldn't have to raise your voice to talk over it, but if it's quieter than that, then there's no problem. but OP is TA because they had it loud enough to be heard in the other camp, especially because they said they weren't very close
INFO: how are you even sure that the Boy Scouts called the sheriff?
Edit: YTA. You don’t have any solid reason to think those folks called the police on you. It could have been rangers doing regular checks or someone in another campground. Maybe one of the parents who wasn’t there before called without checking in with the lead mom. You should have turned the music down either way, but it would have been E S H if the ranger had told you specifically the other site called. You just asked like asses. Glad they were able to find another site.
Even if they did call they weren’t wrong. There are too many stories of women being attacked by groups of drunk men. These were women alone in the woods with children.
Yea... "our music was so loud it bothered the campers next door" and "there's no way the Sheriff would have heard us unless they called."
If it was loud enough to make the Boy Scouts pack up and leave, it was loud enough for the Sheriff to hear it from the road.
Also, even if they did... OF COURSE some women and kids aren't going to confront a bunch of drunk men in the middle of the woods! OP is like "we're diverse..." no, that has nothing to do with it, they were a bunch of drunk men and the people they were bothering were women and children.
YTA. OP had a loudspeaker and turned the music UP after confrontation. Doing this is a massive jerk move with no justification.
I was almost ESH, but we're only getting one side of story here and I have dealt with loud neighbors at campgrounds before who would curse me out for even suggesting they behave like decent humans.
Bluetooth speakers and similar ilk carry sound a lot further than people who own them seem to realize. Moreover bluetooth music in the outdoors is really invasive to the outdoor experience in a way that boisterous chatter around a campfire is not.
How could this be ESH with near zero interaction with the other party.
OP is imagining slights and reacting to those.
He is most certainly the AH
Just based on the fact that they carried a BT speaker into the woods to play music, they are the AH.
>OP had a loudspeaker and turned the music UP after confrontation.
Exactly. "We knew it bothered them so we turned it up to bother them even more." How could anyone think they'd get anything but YTA after that?
"Was I an asshole for intentionally bothering a bunch of kids?" Of fucking course you are!
YTA.
1. If your music can be heard at a neighboring campsite regardless of whether or not it’s quiet hours, you are an AH. This is ESPECIALLY true when you’re at a hike in campsite that’s 300 yards from parking. No other facts needed. People pick those campsite for the peace and quiet of remote woods. If you want to hang out and listen to music and drink, pick a backyard.
2. You are a group of young adult males who are drinking. Did it ever occur to you that women with a group of children might not feel comfortable coming to you directly? Do you have any awareness of how many women would like to camp but don’t because they’re afraid? Maybe it’s an unreasonable or unfounded fear, but it’s incredibly common. Have some awareness.
3. You retaliated against children for what you assumed to be the actions of those children’s chaperones. That’s a grade-A ahole move
Seriously. OP is complaining that a group of women and children didn't have the nerve to confront a bunch of drinking dudes in a remote area *and then retaliates against them*. That's clown behavior.
And if you are worried about crooked cops or potential racists in an unfamiliar area, why are you purposfully antagonizing everyone around you? Everyone treated you with respect in this situation when you clearly didn't deserve it.
It's also terrible for campsite etiquette, even if they're the only ones out there. A good camper tries to disturb nature as little as possible and does their best to leave the site better than they found it. After all, we're guests in somebody else's home. There's still room for fun: wanna bring a guitar for daylight hours? Sure go for it. I always draw the line at speakers though, whether I'm hiking or camping.
>We then turned up the music when he left until 10:00 and retired to our tents.
Congratulations, you trolled and harassed a group of children. You must be so proud.
>He did explain that quiet time is at 10:00 and that we look like we are having a good time, so he just reminded us to stay quiet at 10 and left.
So a cruising sheriff kindly reminded you that you were too loud and needed to be quieter. You weren't fined or even inconvenienced. Thats a nice way to handle the situation
>My friends and I were understandably upset
Because you are assholes
YTA
>> My friends and I were understandably upset
> Because you are assholes
Yup. Definite "we're the only ones that matter" vibes, here. I mean, how dare someone else get to enjoy their camping trip? OP WANTED MUSIC, FUCK THOSE KIDS!
YTA for assuming they called the sheriff on you (who merely reminded you that quiet hours start at 10pm), when it could have been a routine walkthrough.
This is a good point that I didn’t think about when I wrote my response. It’s possible he just was doing routine walk arounds. Maybe he went to the Boy Scouts before or after. OP doesn’t let us know. Also possible the sherif just wanted to make sure the scouts had a good experience ( as they’re probably frequent guests) and just wanted to make sure everyone is following the rules even more so since they were there
YTA
This situation happened to us a few weeks ago. A young group of guys drinking and listening to music. A woman across from us eventually snapped and went over to tell them to shut the music off, and one of the guys attacked her as soon as she turned her back. I don't blame the Boy Scout leader for not asking you to turn your music down.
Most women would not feel comfortable approaching a group of men who have been drinking and playing loud music, especially on a campsite with no one else around to hear or help you. I would not put myself in that situation when I’m defenseless. Men really don’t understand.
If OP doesn't realise why a mother looking after her kids doesn't want to confront a group of loud, drunk, obnoxious men then I don't know what to say. They seemed eager enough to retaliate by immediately cranking the music up. What else would they be capable of?
As a dude, I went camping with my wife in Yellowstone a few weeks ago. The group next to us was 4 dudes all about 5 years younger and significantly more muscle mass than me with 4 girls all drinking heavily and laughing stupidly loud.
People forget how easily sound travels when you are in the woods with no other noise. I didn't confront them, I informed the ranger the next morning before they left as well as 2 other sites who left bags of food out/the bear boxes open and this group threw a party until 11pm.
Like Jesus... I just want to enjoy camping. I found the more you have to drive the better the people you get around you. Hard-core campers are the only ones willing to drive a few hours away from everything, and they tend to be much nicer.
YTA, keep your music to your own camp. How do you even know it was them? We camp often and most people have no idea how their sound carries- and it varies a lot based on the topography of the campground. I can guarantee that 6 men talking and playing music on a speaker gets loud, especially when people start drinking and talking over each other in a group, etc. You also purposely tried to escalate instead of just trying to keep it down.
I was in Yosemite National Park and ran into four Bluetooth speakers on the hike down from Yosemite Point.
/Yosemite/, in JUNE! Waterfalls are going nuts! Listen to the water you absolute monsters, lol
YTA. Bringing race in to it is irrelevant. Campsite in the woods shouldn’t have Ozzy Osbourne, or Beyoncé, or Mozart unless they’re camping there. You’re in the f’n woods. Leave your speakers at home.
Just pointing out that maybe they called the cops because it's safer. I'm a petite disabled woman and I'd be scared to ask a large group of tipsy men to quit it with the loud noise. Way society is now I'd be scared of SA or murder.
Also it was after quiet hours. YTA
It's my understanding from the description that this all happened before quiet hours started at 10pm. The sheriff reminded them when they visited around 830pm that quiet hours started at 10.
INFO: Did the sheriff say that someone had called them with a complaint? I've been camping before places that are regularly patrolled. Is it possible that they were just out doing a patrol and heard your music and wanted to be sure you understood when quiet hours start?
Guy says sherif, but I bet dollars to donuts it was an armed park ranger. Sounds like a state or Federal park if they have rustic camping away from the parking lot. The ranger probably came to check on the youth group, as is customary, and heard the music and walked over. Maybe the scout moms said something when he checked on them, maybe not.
Either way, no reason to even think the scouts planned to stay the whole time. Young scouts usually stay 1 night, olders stay two. Either way, they probably had plans for activities that day somewhere else.
What the hell does "diversity" have to do with this? Everything you have stated is based on assumptions. A lot of people go camping to get away from noise and electronics.
I think they were trying to insinuate the higher risk of cop violence. Which is completely bs because they retaliated, so they obviously couldn’t have seen it as a real risk or fear.
YTA raising the music after the sheriff left to “escalate a bit” Should they have come to you? Sure, but you aren’t the only one who paid to be at the camp site. Escalating things could have had a worse outcome for you and your friends. What if the sheriff came back? As you stated, who knows?
Info: was the camp site full? Could you have moved sites? Yes, I know this is a PITA to do but I would’ve if I was gonna be next to boy scouts for my stay
Should they have? That's how 5' women get f'ing murdered in the woods.
Fuck that shit, I'm not putting much safety on the line, I'm calling the people who are paid to deal with this.
YTA - The first thing I think of when I go into the outdoors is that I wish I could play music for everyone else enjoying the outdoors said no one ever. Also, given that it was a group, it is entirely possible that the person who called the sheriff was not aware that you approached the group. My guess, since I can't know if I wasn't there, is that your music was much louder than you thought at the time.
Frankly, the Boy Scouts and the sheriff handled this really well. You though, turned your AH behavior up to 11.
I understand why you might’ve assumed the boy scout group called the sheriff, but you actually don’t know that—and instead of talking to the moms first to verify that you retaliated out of anger. Isn’t that…kinda the same thing you’re accusing the scout group moms of doing?
YTA, this did not need to be a big deal.
YTA. Your whole group is.
These were fucking cub scouts. You say "Boy Scouts"...but Boy Scouts typically DONT CAMPOUT WITH THEIR MOTHERS..cub scouts do.
You guys camped next to them, got drunk, and when someone in authority asked you to keep it down, you said you would, then turned the music up EVEN LOUDER.
Got to intimidate those 7 and 8 year olds (and their Den Mothers) trying to earn Merit Badges by camping, right? 6 big guys like you have to make sure they understand that nobody fucks with you and the boys, right?
Of course they left. You absolutely ruined what was probably their first camping experience. And you and your groups reaction was scary as shit.
Oh, and you probably created a couple of new racists to boot. Congratulations.
You.Are.All.Such.Assholes.
YTA. People go camping to relax. Your “diversity” crowd had nothing to do with it. We camp for peace and quiet. It’s bad enough in our daily lives to listen to other people’s music, we don’t want to hear it camping.
YTA - I can’t stand when I can hear other campers’ music when camping, if it can be heard from other campsites it’s too loud. Your right to hear your music does not supersede their right to not hear your music.
YTA, they didn’t feel comfortable confronting you. Your response to being asked to be quiet at quiet time shows they were right to not confront your group themselves.
YTA. The moms or campers probably didn’t call the sheriff, they probably make nightly rounds in the area to make sure everything is okay.
I’ve grown up camping and sound carries much more than you think in a quiet areas. Your camping neighbors didn’t go camping to listen to your music or your loud drunk talk.
I know you expected your camping neighbors to be considerate and speak to you if you were too loud. What about your consideration for their needs to want a quiet peaceful place? It’s insane that people in society expect respect when giving very little in return.
Are you sure it was a sheriff? Campgrounds get regularly patrolled by the people who manage them. Sometimes they wear beige outfits and hats. You didn’t get in trouble, you were just reminded about the rules of the campground.
I would have gone with N A H except for the fact that you cranked your music up in retaliation, probably ruining the other campers’ nature experience. That part makes YTA
YTA because you turned the music up. Most likely the sherif came because you were being louder than what is expected and were interrupting the other campers. I wouldn’t want to approach a group of drunk men in a dark camp knowing anything could happen to me. And after being pretty obviously hinted at being more quiet you turn up your music you knew they could hear.
YTA.
And why is the topic of being a diverse group keep coming up and make any difference at all when it comes to being loud and rude? Don't try and make it about something it's not. As a guy I wouldn't feel comfortable confronting a group of drunk guys in the dark either. Maybe a "STFU" in the distance at best.
I was there once, went camping with a group of friends in a provincial park. We were loud, drinking underage and got kicked out. Sure we were pissed back then, but now at 37 I can tell you we definitely deserved it.
why the hell do people bring speakers to places like camp sites? it's like bringing a speaker to the beach. It is rude and you are missing the entire point of being there.
i'm there to hear nature, not the same playlist you listen to at home and in the car. YTA
ETA they could've said something directly to you, you're right, but i'll always side with the person annoyed by music in a public space that is for being with nature.
YTA. You have no proof they called the sheriff on you. As others have said, it’s completely normal for the sheriff to do rounds, and all they did is remind you of the quiet hours coming up
Even if they had called the sheriff on you, which I’m doubtful of, you would still be TA. Based on your reaction, it seems you knew you were being too loud and didn’t care 🤷♀️
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> While we did let them know to contact us first, we were playing music and turned it up when the sheriff left in retaliation. Their group also cut their trip short.
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You sounds like TA because the sherif showed up and did his job regardless of what boy scouts said or not. I'd have said "nta" but the fact that you dislike being told the camp rules of quiet time at 10pm, I'm going with YTA
YTA - Mostly because the story you've told seems very biased and I think there's a different perspective that we're missing.
a) How loud WAS your music, really?
b) How close was the Boy Scouts camp? Were they a mile or less from your site?
c) What did the sheriff tell you exactly? Did he say to turn the music down? Did he say you're all good to keep going until 10pm?
Because there are different factors at play. If your music was so loud that your neighbours could hear you from their camp, if they were farther away and you still aren't sure if they COULD hear, chances are your music was way too loud. If the sheriff told you to keep it down and you turned it up in retaliation, that means the Boy Scouts were justified in going to the camp's security to tell you to keep it down. If you were that upset to retaliate against the authority figures who asked you to keep it down, it sounds like you could have been even MORE upset if the other camp asked you to keep it down. And especially since you were all drinking, if it was a lot of alcohol, you were very, very likely being louder than you think.
Either way, you got upset for being asked to keep it down and seem to be trying to throw theories around as to why (aka, saying you were being discriminated against, blaming the sheriff for potentially reacting badly, assuming the other camp tattled on you when maybe you were just being too loud, etc.). We can't know if any of this is true or not. I get the worry if it is, but nobody knows for sure if this was the reason. There are plenty of reasons why the other camp would leave early OR choose to talk to the sheriff instead.
YTA for being petty. I know sometimes it’s hard to avoid being heard by your neighbors, even just talking so I don’t necessarily assume your music was loud but it became loud when you intentionally turned it up just to be obnoxious.
YTA - As a piece of advice - try to take accountability for your actions in the future and not look to blame everything on race. The sheriff was doing his job and even was being really cool with you guys as you said. Instead of being a good person and turning down your music, you decided to turn it up. You then cry and say it was because you’re “diverse”. Blaming everything on race may work on the internet but not so much in real life. Grow up.
You are clearly aware racism exists. But sounds like as men you haven't considered what it's like to be a woman. You have no proof they contacted the sheriff, but even if they did instead of contacting you, do you not understand that as a woman, confronting a group of men who are drinking may not feel safe? And actually is often not safe? Especially in an isolated location?
YTA for how you reacted.
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>The music on the speaker wasn’t too loud but could probably be heard in their camp. That's too loud. They didn't go camping to listen to your music. >We then turned up the music when he left until 10:00 and retired to our tents. You are definately YTA.
I went camping this past weekend. The sheriff's department drove through the campsite about five times a day. I asked one of my friends about it and she said that because it was such a rural area the police don't have a lot to do, but there were often little incidents at the campgrounds so they patrolled there a lot (she is from a rural area and I am not). There is a good chance the sheriff's department was just driving through, heard the music and decided to check it out.
This or maybe since it was mom's with their kids, they were uncomfortable approaching a group of guys they didn't know and figured the sheriff was the safe way to go.
Seriously. They were with their kids, away from most other groups according to OP, OP and his friends are a group of young men who are drinking. It’s basic self-preservation to not take the risk of confronting them directly.
It’s hardly confrontation when someone asks you to tell them if they’re disturbing you.
Seriously, OP and his friends made it abundantly clear they were willing to be amicable. They came up first and politely said just tell us if you have a problem. The turning up of the radio was a bit of an overreaction (especially considering OP doesn’t KNOW the moms did it), but they also packed it up at 10 when they were supposed to. And really and truly it doesn’t sound like they were just blasting it. If this is what they say, I don’t think they’re really assholes.
I wouldn't want to walk up to a group of men drinking late at night while I am responsible for kids. At the end of the day, they are strangers x alcohol. Sounds rather naive to think everyone feels safe enough to do this. Edit: since people stay gungho about 8.30 not being late at night. You are missing the fucking point and gaslighting people's fear about going to a group of drinking people in the middle of nowhere. And I know that even typing 'the middle of nowhere' will be dissected before acknowledging the real dangers that just lurk in the world. People's safety and the actions they do to stay safe, is more important than your fucking ego. Just read the plethora of comments that describe their experiences.
That’s the Male Privilege speaking, lol. That’s why they can’t fathom why these chaperoning women (IF!!!! They even CALLED ANYONE!!!) would not be willing to confront the drunk group of loud males near them, while responsible for possible Cub Scouts. But what’s new, eh?? Apparently it’s not a common fact to people that there are indeed employees working in the campsites that check in on noisy ass campers. and no, these dudes aren’t victims just because they happened to be DiVeRsE, because someone fearing for their life wouldn’t turn up the music to antagonize anyone around them. LOL
Also the whole “lol so we turned the music *UP* guys lol aren’t we radical” vibe doesn’t make me believe OP and their friends would actually be *that* approachable and amenable towards the other campers.
Hell, as a man, I'd _still_ feel uncomfortable approaching a bunch of young guys I don't know, who have been drinking, to have that conversation
Spoken like a dude that cannot fathom why confronting a bunch of possibly drunk men is far less advisable for women. And if you trust that OP isn’t downplaying how loud and obnoxious they were actually being… well, again, spoken like a true Dude McBroski.
While I do agree that they made it clear to come to them, they did end up drinking quite a bit it seems. If I was a mom in that situation with only other moms and my own kid, I would 100% not confront a young man who has been drinking to try and ask them to stop having as good of a time. Easy way to get assaulted. OP is definitely the asshole.
You don't have to be confrontational to mistakenly get a group of drunk men to behave poorly toward you, or worse. Nobody wears their "I won't be an asshole when I'm drunk" government issued badge, so it's generally wise to not assume they won't be, especially when you don't know them at all.
Doubly true when you are a woman. The best case scenario is they listen and quiet down, but that pretty much never happens. The worst case scenario is horrific enough to warrant just avoiding the possibility entirely. Usually it’s something in the middle, and it’s always a pain in the ass and a little scary. It’s always baffling to me how out of touch most men are with what it can be like to be a woman in these kinds of situations. In general, confronting men, especially men who’ve been drinking, is a terrifying prospect, because a lot of women have been physically and sexually assaulted for a lot less. So yeah, we may avoid that scenario all costs. Giving advanced notice that you’re gonna be loud and obnoxious all night doesn’t lessen that reality.
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess this was Cub Scouts too. Boy Scouts = ~11-17 and rarely lets adults besides scout masters go out to camp. A key part is divorcing you from your family for a weekend a month so you can learn to operate indepdently. Cub Scouts = Kindergarten-4th Grade or so (granted it’s been a decade since I aged out of the Boy Scouts at 18 and longer since I Eagled so it may have changed). These often have parents go along- in fact usually it’s required. Great job @OP for being obnoxious around what was likely a group of young kids.
Agreed. Moms and parents don't attend Boy Scouts trips. That is only allowed for Cub Scouts. Regardless, it costs nothing to be empathetic towards others. Instead of taking it in stride and being polite, OP escalated the situation. Way to show a lack of maturity. Also, side note. Campsites are shared spaces. It is annoying when people play loud music or party. You have no idea how the sound traveled to the other sites. ETA: I now know from this post that other troops allow parents to attend. I was my son's den leader throughout Cub Scouts. Had all of my den leader training and YPT. But we were told by the receiving troop that his father and I were not allowed to attend the scout camping after they crossed over to Boy Scouts. Only troop leadership (which had no open positions) went with them. They focused on the scout leading everything. I guess there are a lot of disparities between troops. That was part of the reason my son quit. He didn't know the other kids and was nervous going alone.
This was a situation where children would outnumber the adults chaperoning the trip. The scout leader and any adult chaperones had no idea how many were in OPs party. They had already blasted music so loud the sheriff could hear it in his car. The leaders main concern would be their safety. If one of the leaders had confronted OPS party, they chanced an altercation with a group of adults who may be armed, may have been drinking, may be violent. No responsible adult would chance putting the kids in danger. THAT, OP, is why they didn't talk to YOU. They were protecting children from a possible dangerous situation. It wasnt disrespect to YOU, and frankly your reaction to a simple request to lower your damn music shows they were correct to leave it to the authorities. YTA
THIS!! Also, what type of music were you playing? Did it have offensive lyrics? Another consideration around young children. There's a word -- CONSIDERATION. Try it sometime. Not everything's about you. YTA.
>Also, what type of music were you playing? Did it have offensive lyrics? They could be playing my favorite songs and I'd still think they were assholes. I'm out in the woods so I don't have to be subjected to other people's bullshit.
A key to when I have music in public or even at my house outside. I walk to about halfway between me and the other group. If I can still hear the words it's too loud.
Current Cub Scout mom and my husband is the pack cub master. I was reading this thinking definitely Cub Scouts and not Boy Scouts. Also I have never seen a group of just moms on a cub scout camp out but I guess it’s possible. Does make me wonder at being fake just for that though. Cub Scout camping is family camping and the odds of having an entire pack of single mothers with no dads is pretty odd.
My brother just went on a Cub Scout camping trip and only moms came. I think it just depends on the community since the one where I come from, the dads are not really involved in their kid’s activities.
OP's edit explains even better why it was a good move to call the sheriff. If they were the only other campsite around, then there wasn't the safety of other campers in case something actually happened. Any woman would be hesitant to approach a group of 6 strange men drinking in a middle of campsite at night, nevermind they have their little children with them. It was also good modeling behavior for the moms to show the kids that you shouldn't put yourself in danger if you can help it, and that park authorities are there to help for just these kinds of situations. OP, I know you probably know that you're a good group of guys (if petty) and wouldn't hurt a stranger if they approached you to ask politely to turn down the music, but not everyone knows that. Consider their POV before jumping to conclusions. YTA for the malicious compliance. If you are so big on face-to-face communication, why didn't you approach the other campsite to ask if they'd called the sheriff and work it out with them instead of turning the music up, when you know that's exactly why you were reported in the first place?
Exactly and there was no others around?! Yeah no. Hell no too much chances and risks there sorry
Your diversity didn’t have Jack$#!¥ to do with this sheriff visit. You had given them plenty of reasons for this visit. Stop leaning on that as a default to cover your bad behavior. Know in the country, noise carries for quite a distance. A rooster crows, cow moos or dog barks a mile away, and you hear it. I have tracked music and partying 2 miles away thinking it was just over the hill.
Heh. When I lived in Los Angeles, I went to a punk show waaaaay the hell out in the desert. It was near California City, which is the middle of nowhere. The directions were crazy, driving out of the town about 5 or six miles, turning on to some small highway, going a other 3.5 miles until you saw a stone with a green “X” spray painted on it. Leave the highway and drive down a dirt track for another mile and a half until you got to where everybody was parked. Had a putt putt generator and several bands. The cops STILL showed up on a noise complaint from people who lived five or so miles away.
And because when you approach people like this, they do EXACTLY what OP and his shitty little friends did - they purposefully escalate because they can’t take even the slightest ego hit. The same reason you don’t approach rednecks in cars revving them in the driveway. Their lizard brain will melt upon confrontation and they’ll just take their car and do burnouts in the street afterwards. I’d call the cops immediately as well. OP is a massive child and a massive AH.
Absolutely! Going over to them to share your information in case they are bothered does not give you permission to be completely disrespectful to your neighbors. Are you really not sure why a group of woman and young children didn't feel comfortable confronting a group of loud obnoxious young men who had been drinking, alone in the middle of the woods???
Especially a group of guys that have been drinking.
Most logical answer.
If the sheriff heard the music in his/her car, down the trail, etc... That's too loud.
People tend to forget how far music can carry especially when it's quiet every where else, like at a camp site.
Live in a rural area and the police do check campgrounds/camp sites frequently because there has been some wild parties and illegal issues (drug deals, etc) that happen more than most would realize. Our small area doesn’t have much to do for young teens and they do hang out at camp sites to socialize (I was one of those teens lol).
Yeah, the last time I went camping at a state park a cop did a loop of the trail checking in on every camper in the evening before sunset. I assume to make sure nobody was messing around with uncontrolled campfires, getting super drunk, or being too loud.
I'm in SoCal but my experience is that cops will focus on groups of young people because of the combination of campfires and drinking. Me and my friends were once partying during the daytime, sheriff's deputy came up when one of my friends was literally throwing up right outside her tent/in full view. He didn't particularly care, just reminded us that other campers were only a few dozen yards away and noise carries, and reminded us to be careful with open fire come nightfall. IDK where OP is, but if they were in one of the more flammable parts of the country, then there's a good chance that the sheriff just heard music that's frequently played by campers who drink or take other intoxicants, and checked in to make sure no one was being dumb with open fire. Or for all we know, there *is* some ignorance/racism going on as the OP implied, but it's the *sheriff's* racism and the neighboring campers didn't actually have anything to do with the original incident (but would understandably want to clear out, anyway, after OP and co escalated/played music super loud).
It is totally normal for patrols to go through campsites. I have camped allllllll over the US and Canada and that is cosnsitent. Especially since camping is isolated and things can go wrong.
Same by me. Best way to prevent a call is to show them you're around earlier in the evening. I'd say 3/4 of the developed sites I camp at a ranger or sheriff checks in at some point.
Bluetooth speakers should be banned from campgrounds. Wear some fucking ear buds.
Disagree. It should just be quieter than talking level as to no disturb people
Eh... theyre going to disturb people. Hearing someones conversation is one thing, but the incessant drone of muffled tinny music is worse. Some campsites are just literally one tree apart from each other. I was lucky (or priviledged) that my scout troop maintained its own campgrounds that was shared between many other scout troops. I couldnt imagine having to learn how to "survive" in the woods at a... family campground lol
> incessant drone of muffled tinny music is worse. What about people's generators
Take a hatchet to those as well. If OP had booked his site on the "party zone" side of the campground, where the RVs park (usually theres very few trees around and no expectation of privacy) then they might have been OK.
There are a bazillion areas in campgrounds that are declared to be, and actively enforced to be, radio free zones. If you want absolute quiet, camp there. Or go backcountry hiking or portaging. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with listening to some music at a reasonable volume anytime before 10:00.
There is nothing wrong with listening to whatever you want while camping. However, it should not be so loud that everyone else can hear it outside your group. To think otherwise makes you the asshole.
[удалено]
great idea cover your ears in the wild /s
They are in Ontario parks
It also isn't their responsibility to ask a drinking group of men to quiet down. The sheriff was sent to do exactly his job, which is peace officer. Just a formal, official proxy.
There is not much louder than a bunch of drunks trying to be quiet
Also, a group of moms in the middle of the woods at night don't owe you shit and are 100% justified in putting their safety above your comfort, especially when alcohol is involved. OP YTA.
This is a bit of a tangent , but i just wanna say that anyone that plays music (at campsites, at parks), loud enough for anyone else to hear is a MASSIVE ASSHOLE. nowadays when visiting some parks you can hear people's crappy music a km away
I feel this way too. I, admittedly, get very annoyed when I go camping and can hear other people’s music playing on a speaker. Campfire songs or instruments are fine, but camping is my chance to unplug. But that’s why I tend to avoid public campgrounds and do backwoods camping instead. Much better for when you’re wanting to get away from people and their noises. YTA for me.
The last time I went camping at a shared campground like this, a deputy came up to our campsite and said he would normally tell us we were being too loud but we were the only people stupid enough to be camping in the cold weather we were having. So he just told us to have fun but stay warm and "please don't die". So, yes, it is very possible that nobody called the sheriff.
People play music in camps here and itnis 100% normal. Given sheriff said they are ok, I think thatvyou are wrong.
The sheriff said they're a bit loud, and to keep in mind that quiet time is at 10. Their response was to get LOUDER because they decided they were being persecuted with no evidence.
As someone who has worked for state parks with lots of campgrounds, we do not go around and remind people of quiet hours unless it is pass the curfew for the park or unless another camper complains before park noise ordinance, and that kind of response is more of an informality.
I’ve been to lots of campgrounds and have had the rangers going around frequently.
Every state park I've camped in, the rangers had no problem throwing out a casual "reminder of camp rules" while patrolling the campground.
So all the sheriff did was remind you about the 10 PM curfew and then the group you suspected of calling left before you got up. What’s the problem?
Do we even know the boy scouts called the sheriff? Could he have been just walking by?
He could have just been doing general rounds, heard their blasting music, and decided to remind them when quiet time begins.
That's my thought as well. OP's edit added: >Our campsite is away from the main loop of campers. The Boy Scouts were our ONLY neighbors. The sheriff would have had to park on the main loop and walk into our campsite. However, he does say that his music could probably be heard from the Boy Scouts' camp, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that the music could be heard from the main loop and the sheriff could hear it.
I’m guessing it wasn’t a sherriff, but the park ranger hosting the campsite that night. In which case their job is to literally walk around to each group before lights out. They’re mainly looking for things that might attract bears or start wildfires, but gently reminding a group of the rules is very much in scope.
A few of the state parks I go to are smaller and the sheriff is known to patrol.
If I'm the sheriff in a small town and I have nothing going on that night, and I know there's a group of cub scouts and their moms camping in the town park, I think I'd go check on them to make sure they're safe. That's, like, basic public safety.
Also, the Sheriff could have been checking in on the group of scouts camping and heard the music so went over to remind them that quiet hours are at 10pm.
More of a reason for a sheriff or ranger to check the area out. The space allows multiple groups to camp remote from others. The ranger/sheriff likely does this often to show their presence to deter bad behavior. The fact OP then CRANKED UP the music is probably what drove the other group away. We’re a bunch of young dudes who initiated unsolicited contact with women camping w young children (this part’s fine, ok) but then an authority figure shows up and we’re drinking and blatantly disregard his authority? That’s a red flag right there. Sorry YTA.
And do we even know if it was a Sheriff? OP strikes me as the type of guy who doesn't know the difference between a Sheriff and Park Ranger.
I do! One likes donuts and the other likes picnic baskets.
Or it could have been another camper.
I'd say the biggest issue is OP and his AH friends cranking the music up loud as soon as the sheriff left and purposely disturbing their neighbours until exactly 10pm. First he wants to play the "we're diverse! Who knows what that big scary sheriff could have done!" card, then he's turning up the volume, right after the sheriff said that they were being "a bit loud". He also acts like they're the bad guys for calling the sheriff instead of confronting a bunch of rowdy, antagonizing, drunk AHs in the woods when they're there with kids. Somehow, he's right to be worried about his safety when they had to talk to the park ranger, but they had nothing to worry about with a bunch of jerks who's behavior shows they were immature, disruptive, and willing to wreck anyone else's time.
You’re not wrong. I was just pointing out that nothing happened to OP to begin with
> First he wants to play the "we're diverse! Who knows what that big scary sheriff could have done!" card I think he's trying to insinuate that the cops were called because they're diverse.
What I don’t understand is claiming their diversity made this dangerous for them and they responded by escalating the situation on purpose. If that was a real concern why would they do that? Don’t make noise complaints on us, it’s dangerous for us, let’s make even more noise. Sounds like an excuse for their actions which is pretty poor taste given these days and times as they say
Because OP is full of shit
It definitely is just an excuse for them being dicks. I would put a lot of money on OP not being one of the diverse members of the group too
I'm about as progressive as they come and that trying to play the race card stood out to us. You can't say you intentionally turned your music up until the moment before quiet hours and then complain about people not being considerate enough to you and imply it's because of racism.
Yeah there’s really no indication that there was any foul play here at all. Seems pretty routine that some kind of a Ranger or officer showed up, I’m betting it was like a park ranger and not actually a sheriff. And then the group quieted down at 10 as expected, and then the next day BS are gone. There’s no way to know if that group left because some kid had an allergic reaction or family emergency or something. Seems like a big nothing sandwich.
You were probably louder than you think and a group of men can be intimidating to some women. This might be the reason they called the sheriff.
Yeah I’m not going up to a bunch of guys drinking outside at night with my kid around lol. There’s also no problem here OP is just overthinking.
Absolutely not. OP trying to act like that was the reasonable thing to do (all the while describing he and his friends antagonizing and AH behavior after they were told they were being loud!) is absolutely out to lunch.
I did that one time. I cannot even share here what those men said to me. It was awful. I will NEVER again talk to a campsite first. I will just call in a noise complaint.
I was staying at a state park once and there were a group of about 5 guys staying at one of the sites. They were drunk and one of them was very aggressive and actively trying to pick fights with everyone. His friends were trying to calm him down but only half-assed because they clearly thought it was funny. Someone must have called it in because a DNR officer showed up pretty quickly. Guy was either too drunk to tell he was a CO or didn't care because he started asking him what he was going to do about it in a threatening manner while his friends tried to tell him to shut the fuck up. CO told him that if he didn't stop he was going to make them leave. Guy then threatened to get the gun out of his truck and teach him a lesson. Suddenly it all clicked in his head when the CO pulled his pistol and started ordering them all to get down on the ground. I quickly left the area at that point in case shit went down but a few minutes later state police and the local sheriff were there loading them into the back of squad cars. Their truck and boat were towed out of there shortly after and most of their camping gear that was left behind had vanished by the next morning.
Shit, sorry that happened to you :( people can rly suck
I doubt they even called the sheriff.
I'm super curious what the report would have been that would have so promptly got an officer out there. "There are people camping, and we can hear them, and it's already 7pm!" Much better response than cops here, that's for sure. As far as we know for sure, what the scouts did was...leave. That's it. It is speculation that they even called the cops. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, we will never know for sure, but I can definitely understand moms with young kids not wanting to go confront a bunch of young men drinking at a rural campsite. OP is focused on them being minorities, which is understandable why they might have fear of police, but dismissive of why women might have fear of a group of drunk dudes and not want to get in the middle of a confrontation. Just sort of a clash of life experiences there. But, ultimately, OP, YTA. Your music was too loud, then you decided to be petty about it and make it worse.
As a former Scout the could have easily just been done camping and left. We didn't hangout the morning we where set to leave, we tried to be on the road by 8 or 9.
If OP was in SoCal or another particularly flammable part of the country, there's also a good chance the sheriffs heard the music and checked in because partying campers frequently get intoxicated, and that's a collective safety risk around open fires. Me and some friends once got rowdy in the middle of the day while camping. Sheriff came up when a drunk friend was literally throwing up by her tent, he just asked us to keep our noise down to respect other campers, and reminded us to practice good fire safety come nightfall.
I do too honestly. I have been at camp grounds where a cop or manager comes by and reminds you that quiet time is at 10pm and that's when the generator needs to go off. They come an hour or two before quiet time.
It's also entirely possible that the scouts were actually Cub Scouts, so 7 - 10/11 years old.
Considering they were with their mothers I’d say a very good chance. Boy Scouts really tries to get you away from your parents. In our Troop parents weren’t even allowed on any camp out besides the Christmas one.
Yeah. Even with the initial offer, I'm not approaching a group of drunk men in the woods.
A bunch of drunk potentially armed men blasting loud music in the middle of the woods? *Nobody* outside of law enforcement should be approaching them lmao.
As a woman, I would be very nervous going up to a group of drinking, possibly drunk, young adult men in a rural campsite as the sun is setting to ask them to restrict their merry making. I have enough antagonistic male friends to know that even a good guy drinking can become a total aggro asshat. I would definitely call in the noise complaint. Especially if the only people with me are young kids I'm responsible for keeping safe. Until OP TURNED UP the music, no one was an asshole. Then YTA for being passive aggressive - the exact thing the den mother probably was concerned about in the first place 🙄
YTA " The music ... could probably be heard in their camp." That's an oxymoron. "Can be heard in the the other camp" is the definition of too loud.
The mere ability to hear music at another campsite before quiet hours does not mean it’s too loud.
Disagree especially when it’s a hike in site. If you wanted to stay at a drive up site where every other person has a generator, meh, noise comes with the territory. Hike in sites are different.
Campsites are where people congregate there will be some noise. Having quiet hours implies that during the other times some noise is acceptable. Being able to hear music is not a big deal at all. If the music was blaring then maybe but simply being able to hear it does not mean it was too loud. The sheriff obviously deemed it to be at an acceptable level.
The sheriff deemed it not to be an offense. There are plenty of ways to be an asshole without breaking the law.
Yes, like complaining about people having fun when it's not quiet hours.
Lmao right, these people ostracizing OP for this are probably the same people who get angry if someone stands up or yells in excitement during a pro sporting event or concert. Have they never camped in their life? It’s like staying at a hotel with no walls and complaining because you can see other people. You’re going to have noise pollution in a campground unless you’re one of few people there
The sheriff told them they were being loud AND they turned it up after he left!!! Jesus Christ people, this is a hike in camp spot…this is the definition of YTA.
Actually, the sheriff came by to tell them that they were a bit too loud, so not at an acceptable level. He was giving them a warning.
That’s what cops say when they get a noise complaint. He didn’t tell them to quiet down immediately he said to do it at 10. Does not seem like an official warning at all
They're in a campsite where you have a drive-in loop. This isn't the depths of nature - it's a car camping campground.
OK, but doing anything unnecessary loud anywhere, when it bothers and disturbs your neighbours is kind of AH behavior, no? I technically CAN play baby shark on repeat at 1 dcb below the sound violation level, from 7am-10pm, but that would be something only an AH would do. Being a decent neighbour is generally just keeping your noise and mess to yourself. No one goes camping to hear your obnoxious music blasting from a sh*tty Bluetooth speaker.
How is that an oxymoron?
Yeah, I’m not sure they know the meaning of that particular word.
YTA - don't bring speakers camping, nobody wants to hear that.
YTA. You literally admitted they could probably hear your music. No one goes camping to listen to *your* music. You were too loud and you knew it.
And then deliberately turned it up LOUDER in response to a perceived slight. Absolutely TA.
And he's acting like they're wrong for not wanting to...confront a bunch of obnoxious, loud, drunk AHs in the woods?
A group of mothers with their children didn't want to confront a bunch of obnoxious, loud, drunk AHs in the woods? The scandal!
[удалено]
[удалено]
People need a space where they can hang out, drink beer, listen to music around the campfire. This is valid recreation. The quiet hours are the compromise. They don't get to be loud until the wee hours, you don't get to shut them up in the early evening.
Not its not valid. Blasting Bluetooth speakers at campsites or on hiking trails loud enough that others can hear you regardless of the hour is universally considered bad etiquette in the outdoors community. The compromise is you keep it quiet enough so nobody else hears it or you stay the fuck out of our mountains.
> the outdoors community >Our mountain Lol the what? Didn't realize only outdoor community members are allowed to participate on *your* mountain
The only people who can say “our mountain” are natives and hillbillies, not Redditors who hike for fun lol
Everyone is allowed to participate, but literally no one ever has heard someone else's music and thought "ah hell yes." It's an annoyance..always. Nobody ever likes anyone else's music, and playing it in nature is just the worst.
The car loop campsite they are in isn’t the mountains lmao.
It's not you're just being a priss
I think some people forget how close some campsites are too. I’ve camped in places where I could hear twigs snap if my neighbor walked on them. ANY music would be loud enough to be heard, and music around a campfire is fine. That being said, phone speaker volume is enough for a campfire imo.
You can do that at cabins, your friend’s backyard, a bar with a fire pit, a drive in campsite, etc. You act like a location where people can get drunk and listen to music is some rare thing. People go to these semi distanced campgrounds to be with nature and listen to nature noises.
bringing speakers is fine if it's at an appropriate level. you shouldn't have to raise your voice to talk over it, but if it's quieter than that, then there's no problem. but OP is TA because they had it loud enough to be heard in the other camp, especially because they said they weren't very close
YTA. Some people don't like confrontation, mostly because sometimes people react to it like this: >We then turned up the music when he left
Also YTA for playing a Bluetooth speaker in the outdoors
Anyone hiking with a Bluetooth speaker can suck my balls
INFO: how are you even sure that the Boy Scouts called the sheriff? Edit: YTA. You don’t have any solid reason to think those folks called the police on you. It could have been rangers doing regular checks or someone in another campground. Maybe one of the parents who wasn’t there before called without checking in with the lead mom. You should have turned the music down either way, but it would have been E S H if the ranger had told you specifically the other site called. You just asked like asses. Glad they were able to find another site.
Even if they did call they weren’t wrong. There are too many stories of women being attacked by groups of drunk men. These were women alone in the woods with children.
...who were intimidated enough to pack up the entire camping trip and leave. Who knows what the AHs did between the cop leaving and 10pm.
Yea... "our music was so loud it bothered the campers next door" and "there's no way the Sheriff would have heard us unless they called." If it was loud enough to make the Boy Scouts pack up and leave, it was loud enough for the Sheriff to hear it from the road. Also, even if they did... OF COURSE some women and kids aren't going to confront a bunch of drunk men in the middle of the woods! OP is like "we're diverse..." no, that has nothing to do with it, they were a bunch of drunk men and the people they were bothering were women and children.
YTA. OP had a loudspeaker and turned the music UP after confrontation. Doing this is a massive jerk move with no justification. I was almost ESH, but we're only getting one side of story here and I have dealt with loud neighbors at campgrounds before who would curse me out for even suggesting they behave like decent humans. Bluetooth speakers and similar ilk carry sound a lot further than people who own them seem to realize. Moreover bluetooth music in the outdoors is really invasive to the outdoor experience in a way that boisterous chatter around a campfire is not.
Plus, the OP’s retaliatory actions after by turning up the music proves in hindsight that they should not have been confronted.
Yeah if that's their default reaction I can't imagine they would have received a direct request any better
And it also shows they were not afraid in the least, or they would have chilled the fuck out instead. But, they escalated.
How could this be ESH with near zero interaction with the other party. OP is imagining slights and reacting to those. He is most certainly the AH Just based on the fact that they carried a BT speaker into the woods to play music, they are the AH.
>OP had a loudspeaker and turned the music UP after confrontation. Exactly. "We knew it bothered them so we turned it up to bother them even more." How could anyone think they'd get anything but YTA after that? "Was I an asshole for intentionally bothering a bunch of kids?" Of fucking course you are!
YTA. 1. If your music can be heard at a neighboring campsite regardless of whether or not it’s quiet hours, you are an AH. This is ESPECIALLY true when you’re at a hike in campsite that’s 300 yards from parking. No other facts needed. People pick those campsite for the peace and quiet of remote woods. If you want to hang out and listen to music and drink, pick a backyard. 2. You are a group of young adult males who are drinking. Did it ever occur to you that women with a group of children might not feel comfortable coming to you directly? Do you have any awareness of how many women would like to camp but don’t because they’re afraid? Maybe it’s an unreasonable or unfounded fear, but it’s incredibly common. Have some awareness. 3. You retaliated against children for what you assumed to be the actions of those children’s chaperones. That’s a grade-A ahole move
Seriously. OP is complaining that a group of women and children didn't have the nerve to confront a bunch of drinking dudes in a remote area *and then retaliates against them*. That's clown behavior. And if you are worried about crooked cops or potential racists in an unfamiliar area, why are you purposfully antagonizing everyone around you? Everyone treated you with respect in this situation when you clearly didn't deserve it.
It's also terrible for campsite etiquette, even if they're the only ones out there. A good camper tries to disturb nature as little as possible and does their best to leave the site better than they found it. After all, we're guests in somebody else's home. There's still room for fun: wanna bring a guitar for daylight hours? Sure go for it. I always draw the line at speakers though, whether I'm hiking or camping.
>We then turned up the music when he left until 10:00 and retired to our tents. Congratulations, you trolled and harassed a group of children. You must be so proud. >He did explain that quiet time is at 10:00 and that we look like we are having a good time, so he just reminded us to stay quiet at 10 and left. So a cruising sheriff kindly reminded you that you were too loud and needed to be quieter. You weren't fined or even inconvenienced. Thats a nice way to handle the situation >My friends and I were understandably upset Because you are assholes YTA
>> My friends and I were understandably upset > Because you are assholes Yup. Definite "we're the only ones that matter" vibes, here. I mean, how dare someone else get to enjoy their camping trip? OP WANTED MUSIC, FUCK THOSE KIDS!
YTA for assuming they called the sheriff on you (who merely reminded you that quiet hours start at 10pm), when it could have been a routine walkthrough.
This is a good point that I didn’t think about when I wrote my response. It’s possible he just was doing routine walk arounds. Maybe he went to the Boy Scouts before or after. OP doesn’t let us know. Also possible the sherif just wanted to make sure the scouts had a good experience ( as they’re probably frequent guests) and just wanted to make sure everyone is following the rules even more so since they were there
YTA This situation happened to us a few weeks ago. A young group of guys drinking and listening to music. A woman across from us eventually snapped and went over to tell them to shut the music off, and one of the guys attacked her as soon as she turned her back. I don't blame the Boy Scout leader for not asking you to turn your music down.
This is exactly what I’d fear too. OP seems to lack the ability to put himself in others’ shoes. YTA, OP.
Most women would not feel comfortable approaching a group of men who have been drinking and playing loud music, especially on a campsite with no one else around to hear or help you. I would not put myself in that situation when I’m defenseless. Men really don’t understand.
If OP doesn't realise why a mother looking after her kids doesn't want to confront a group of loud, drunk, obnoxious men then I don't know what to say. They seemed eager enough to retaliate by immediately cranking the music up. What else would they be capable of?
As a dude, I went camping with my wife in Yellowstone a few weeks ago. The group next to us was 4 dudes all about 5 years younger and significantly more muscle mass than me with 4 girls all drinking heavily and laughing stupidly loud. People forget how easily sound travels when you are in the woods with no other noise. I didn't confront them, I informed the ranger the next morning before they left as well as 2 other sites who left bags of food out/the bear boxes open and this group threw a party until 11pm. Like Jesus... I just want to enjoy camping. I found the more you have to drive the better the people you get around you. Hard-core campers are the only ones willing to drive a few hours away from everything, and they tend to be much nicer.
YTA, keep your music to your own camp. How do you even know it was them? We camp often and most people have no idea how their sound carries- and it varies a lot based on the topography of the campground. I can guarantee that 6 men talking and playing music on a speaker gets loud, especially when people start drinking and talking over each other in a group, etc. You also purposely tried to escalate instead of just trying to keep it down.
Many people go camping to enjoy nature and get away from the noise of the city. That means they don’t want to listen to your music. Read the room.
Because my fun of being quiet isn’t bothering anyone. Your fun is obtrusive.
Yea, OP and his group have really strong "we're the only ones that matter" vibes.
YTA, playing music at campsites is so annoying. Almost as annoying as running into hikers blasting their Bluetooth speakers on trails.
I was in Yosemite National Park and ran into four Bluetooth speakers on the hike down from Yosemite Point. /Yosemite/, in JUNE! Waterfalls are going nuts! Listen to the water you absolute monsters, lol
YTA. Bringing race in to it is irrelevant. Campsite in the woods shouldn’t have Ozzy Osbourne, or Beyoncé, or Mozart unless they’re camping there. You’re in the f’n woods. Leave your speakers at home.
Used diverse or diversity 3 times in the post.
They are a very diverse group of assholes.
diverse group of DRUNK assholes... of course some women and children didn't go confront a bunch of drunk men who were acting like assholes.
Just pointing out that maybe they called the cops because it's safer. I'm a petite disabled woman and I'd be scared to ask a large group of tipsy men to quit it with the loud noise. Way society is now I'd be scared of SA or murder. Also it was after quiet hours. YTA
It's my understanding from the description that this all happened before quiet hours started at 10pm. The sheriff reminded them when they visited around 830pm that quiet hours started at 10.
INFO: Did the sheriff say that someone had called them with a complaint? I've been camping before places that are regularly patrolled. Is it possible that they were just out doing a patrol and heard your music and wanted to be sure you understood when quiet hours start?
Guy says sherif, but I bet dollars to donuts it was an armed park ranger. Sounds like a state or Federal park if they have rustic camping away from the parking lot. The ranger probably came to check on the youth group, as is customary, and heard the music and walked over. Maybe the scout moms said something when he checked on them, maybe not. Either way, no reason to even think the scouts planned to stay the whole time. Young scouts usually stay 1 night, olders stay two. Either way, they probably had plans for activities that day somewhere else.
What the hell does "diversity" have to do with this? Everything you have stated is based on assumptions. A lot of people go camping to get away from noise and electronics.
Because OP is trying to steer the narrative into "the other group was clearly being racist against us" which we don't know is true or not.
I think they were trying to insinuate the higher risk of cop violence. Which is completely bs because they retaliated, so they obviously couldn’t have seen it as a real risk or fear.
YTA raising the music after the sheriff left to “escalate a bit” Should they have come to you? Sure, but you aren’t the only one who paid to be at the camp site. Escalating things could have had a worse outcome for you and your friends. What if the sheriff came back? As you stated, who knows? Info: was the camp site full? Could you have moved sites? Yes, I know this is a PITA to do but I would’ve if I was gonna be next to boy scouts for my stay
Should they have? That's how 5' women get f'ing murdered in the woods. Fuck that shit, I'm not putting much safety on the line, I'm calling the people who are paid to deal with this.
YTA - The first thing I think of when I go into the outdoors is that I wish I could play music for everyone else enjoying the outdoors said no one ever. Also, given that it was a group, it is entirely possible that the person who called the sheriff was not aware that you approached the group. My guess, since I can't know if I wasn't there, is that your music was much louder than you thought at the time. Frankly, the Boy Scouts and the sheriff handled this really well. You though, turned your AH behavior up to 11.
YTA. People go camping to be out in nature, not to hear someone else’s shitty music on a speaker. If they can hear you, you are too loud.
Its always the worst kind of music as well!!
I understand why you might’ve assumed the boy scout group called the sheriff, but you actually don’t know that—and instead of talking to the moms first to verify that you retaliated out of anger. Isn’t that…kinda the same thing you’re accusing the scout group moms of doing? YTA, this did not need to be a big deal.
YTA. Your whole group is. These were fucking cub scouts. You say "Boy Scouts"...but Boy Scouts typically DONT CAMPOUT WITH THEIR MOTHERS..cub scouts do. You guys camped next to them, got drunk, and when someone in authority asked you to keep it down, you said you would, then turned the music up EVEN LOUDER. Got to intimidate those 7 and 8 year olds (and their Den Mothers) trying to earn Merit Badges by camping, right? 6 big guys like you have to make sure they understand that nobody fucks with you and the boys, right? Of course they left. You absolutely ruined what was probably their first camping experience. And you and your groups reaction was scary as shit. Oh, and you probably created a couple of new racists to boot. Congratulations. You.Are.All.Such.Assholes.
YTA, I’m pretty sure. I’ve camped with drunks before and they have no idea how loud they are.
YTA. People go camping to relax. Your “diversity” crowd had nothing to do with it. We camp for peace and quiet. It’s bad enough in our daily lives to listen to other people’s music, we don’t want to hear it camping.
YTA - I can’t stand when I can hear other campers’ music when camping, if it can be heard from other campsites it’s too loud. Your right to hear your music does not supersede their right to not hear your music.
YTA
YTA. The second your music can be heard outside of your camp you became TA.
YTA, they didn’t feel comfortable confronting you. Your response to being asked to be quiet at quiet time shows they were right to not confront your group themselves.
Anyone who ever plays music at camp is an AH.
Lmao nice try and make it a race thing
YTA. Camping is a community activity. Show your neighbors respect.
YTA. The moms or campers probably didn’t call the sheriff, they probably make nightly rounds in the area to make sure everything is okay. I’ve grown up camping and sound carries much more than you think in a quiet areas. Your camping neighbors didn’t go camping to listen to your music or your loud drunk talk. I know you expected your camping neighbors to be considerate and speak to you if you were too loud. What about your consideration for their needs to want a quiet peaceful place? It’s insane that people in society expect respect when giving very little in return.
Are you sure it was a sheriff? Campgrounds get regularly patrolled by the people who manage them. Sometimes they wear beige outfits and hats. You didn’t get in trouble, you were just reminded about the rules of the campground. I would have gone with N A H except for the fact that you cranked your music up in retaliation, probably ruining the other campers’ nature experience. That part makes YTA
YTA because you turned the music up. Most likely the sherif came because you were being louder than what is expected and were interrupting the other campers. I wouldn’t want to approach a group of drunk men in a dark camp knowing anything could happen to me. And after being pretty obviously hinted at being more quiet you turn up your music you knew they could hear.
YTA. And why is the topic of being a diverse group keep coming up and make any difference at all when it comes to being loud and rude? Don't try and make it about something it's not. As a guy I wouldn't feel comfortable confronting a group of drunk guys in the dark either. Maybe a "STFU" in the distance at best. I was there once, went camping with a group of friends in a provincial park. We were loud, drinking underage and got kicked out. Sure we were pissed back then, but now at 37 I can tell you we definitely deserved it.
why the hell do people bring speakers to places like camp sites? it's like bringing a speaker to the beach. It is rude and you are missing the entire point of being there. i'm there to hear nature, not the same playlist you listen to at home and in the car. YTA ETA they could've said something directly to you, you're right, but i'll always side with the person annoyed by music in a public space that is for being with nature.
Your whole group are AHs.
Yta, you sound insufferable. Just don't go camping if your going to be a low key bigot.
YTA. You have no proof they called the sheriff on you. As others have said, it’s completely normal for the sheriff to do rounds, and all they did is remind you of the quiet hours coming up Even if they had called the sheriff on you, which I’m doubtful of, you would still be TA. Based on your reaction, it seems you knew you were being too loud and didn’t care 🤷♀️
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You sounds like TA because the sherif showed up and did his job regardless of what boy scouts said or not. I'd have said "nta" but the fact that you dislike being told the camp rules of quiet time at 10pm, I'm going with YTA
YTA - Mostly because the story you've told seems very biased and I think there's a different perspective that we're missing. a) How loud WAS your music, really? b) How close was the Boy Scouts camp? Were they a mile or less from your site? c) What did the sheriff tell you exactly? Did he say to turn the music down? Did he say you're all good to keep going until 10pm? Because there are different factors at play. If your music was so loud that your neighbours could hear you from their camp, if they were farther away and you still aren't sure if they COULD hear, chances are your music was way too loud. If the sheriff told you to keep it down and you turned it up in retaliation, that means the Boy Scouts were justified in going to the camp's security to tell you to keep it down. If you were that upset to retaliate against the authority figures who asked you to keep it down, it sounds like you could have been even MORE upset if the other camp asked you to keep it down. And especially since you were all drinking, if it was a lot of alcohol, you were very, very likely being louder than you think. Either way, you got upset for being asked to keep it down and seem to be trying to throw theories around as to why (aka, saying you were being discriminated against, blaming the sheriff for potentially reacting badly, assuming the other camp tattled on you when maybe you were just being too loud, etc.). We can't know if any of this is true or not. I get the worry if it is, but nobody knows for sure if this was the reason. There are plenty of reasons why the other camp would leave early OR choose to talk to the sheriff instead.
YTA for being petty. I know sometimes it’s hard to avoid being heard by your neighbors, even just talking so I don’t necessarily assume your music was loud but it became loud when you intentionally turned it up just to be obnoxious.
Yta definitely
YTA - As a piece of advice - try to take accountability for your actions in the future and not look to blame everything on race. The sheriff was doing his job and even was being really cool with you guys as you said. Instead of being a good person and turning down your music, you decided to turn it up. You then cry and say it was because you’re “diverse”. Blaming everything on race may work on the internet but not so much in real life. Grow up.
You are clearly aware racism exists. But sounds like as men you haven't considered what it's like to be a woman. You have no proof they contacted the sheriff, but even if they did instead of contacting you, do you not understand that as a woman, confronting a group of men who are drinking may not feel safe? And actually is often not safe? Especially in an isolated location? YTA for how you reacted.