I made a Facebook post on the August long weekend about how I couldn’t help but laugh about the way “Vancouverites screamed when their city was destroyed in the riot but all these people who flood into the interior for the long weekend don’t think twice about disrespecting our area, not following laws and just doing what they want.” and then asked people “A little bit of a double standard don’t you think?”
I was surprised at the response that I got. Not one person told me to relax or to just suck it up. No, I got people from all over the province telling me about how the same thing happens in their areas on long weekends. I don’t want to paint everyone from the Lower Mainland with the same brush and I don’t want to say that the same people who are causing the problems in the northern parts of the province are the same people causing problems here, but there is a common theme. A disturbing theme that speaks volumes about the people who are causing the issues that make those of us who dread summer weekend tourists cringe when the weekend comes near. When these “tourists” leave their city for our rural communities, they seem to believe that the laws that they live by don’t exist out here.
So while some scream and yell that their beautiful city was destroyed by trouble makers during the riot when it is our community that is being trashed, it is not the same. For some reason, our parks, campsites, recreation sites, trails and beaches don’t count. The yellow line on our roads are there just for decoration as trucks race side by side down a country road and the one that really makes me mad is that insurance is something that we only need if we live here. I cannot count how many ATV’s I have seen illegally driving up and down various roads in the area. It gets tiresome watching as weekend after weekend our community gets invaded by people who do not respect our area.
It is too bad that these people draw so much attention to themselves because there are so many other summer visitors who are just great people who actually enjoy what we have to offer, but when we think of summer, we think of the other group that leaves bottles and cans behind, that races down our roads weaving back and forth and that tears up our grasslands with ATVs. I sincerely wish that the people who come here to have a good time would just follow the laws and leave things the way they found them. When I go to their community, I respect it. I do not keep them up all night with crazy parties. I do not trespass because my dog needs to do its business, nor do I leave beer bottles in their yard. If you are from some other place and you are reading this, please remember that when you are here. We live here. This is our home. When you leave, we are still here so please respect our home the way you expect others to respect yours.