CAMPING/TENTING PERMITS.
All campers and tenters MUST prominently display a valid Camping Permit on their trailer door or entrance to their tent so it can be readily seen by our Staff member who accompanies the Fair Association Representative when he makes his count. The Permits have been redesigned as hang tags so please be sure to hang the pass on your windshield?s rear-view mirror or be sure you display it at the front of your trailer or tent,
The DFA Representative does not look to see if the camper/tenter has paid. He is merely counting trailers and tents so as determine how much we owe which we pay without discussion or comment. Our staff member is the one who needs to see the permit. If he does not see one he will attempt to contact the persons who are camping to collect the appropriate fee. If no one is there the fee is not collected but we pay regardless.
At NEAR-Fest XXII a couple of wiseguys at two club sites told our Staff member that their club passes included the camping fee. These people out-and-out lied to him, trying to pull one over on the new guy. It backfired; they got caught by me. These clubs have had their club passes revoked and as a result the entire club pass early entry program is currently under review. I am sufficiently pissed off that I may decide to curtail or even cancel the club early entry program.
Over the years NEAR-Fest has paid more money to the Fair Association than we have collected from those who have chosen to camp or tent overnight. This has amounted to a couple hundred dollars per event which means in the past ten years NEAR-Fest has lost THOUSANDS of dollars because some people didn?t bother to pay for their camping.
Each camper/tenter will be responsible for buying the appropriate pass before 5PM each night and displaying it where we can easily see it on the trailer door or entrance way to the tent. People sleeping in vehicles will be responsible for the $15.00 tenting fee if they plug in to the fairgrounds electrical system, even if it is to charge a phone or tablet. In this case the permit must be displayed on the driver?s side of the windshield. We will check all vehicles at random times overnight.
Here is what may happen if the appropriate permit is not prominently displayed:
1: You risk the very real possibility of being awakened at inconvenient times and asked to pay up now.
2: If #1 does not result in immediate payment your license plate numbers will be recorded. You will receive an invoice for the appropriate amount plus a $10 service fee. You must pay this invoice at the Office trailer before leaving. Failure to do so will result in your vehicle and trailer being banned from the grounds until you have settled your account. PS: We know who you are!
3: Failure to pay is considered as ?theft of service?. Please don?t make us go there.
I am forthwith making all campers and tenters responsible for each other. This means if you see someone camping or renting without the permit prominently displayed you will advise that individual they need to get one right away.
If the above measures do not work I will consider adding a $5.00 surcharge to each permit to cover the shortage. So it will be in the best interests of all campers to make sure that everybody pays their fair share.
NEAR-Fest will no longer pay for those who do not.
Finally I have been very displeased on hearing reports of disrespect been shown by a small number of attendees to our Staff member and friend from the Fair Association. This last time some of us heard the term ?camping Nazis? used on several occasions. I assure you there are no ?Nazis? at Deerfield. We find this term highly offensive and we do not to ever hear it again.
Note to Staff: Maybe we need to check all campers as they are coming in for their Friday night permits.
