Story from Dad again - No poking involved!

[ApolloSZ]

Yup my dad, that y'all want to adopt ya, is back from another tour, and had another gem for me.

He has been driving this group around the south island, going to amazing scenic walks and the like. Y'know - Conservation land, general public access, not private.

Apparently they got to one, and the "leader" of the group, she decided Dad needed to stand at the entrance and bar anyone else from coming in.
Dad let her know he wasn't going to do such a thing, because A)He has no right B) He didn't share her views on having the track all to themselves.

So she "Tasked" one of the passengers to stay there and keep people out. Yep. She made them miss out on the PUBLIC walk, to keep other people out.

That didn't work either.


This wasn't a random occurence either. Apparently "she felt a bad vibe in Haast pass" ((Ed - Area in South Island)) so Dad was no longer allowed to mention it, and they were forgetting they'd been there. And other times, she'd decide they weren't stopping at a particular site, and so the group wasn't allowed to stop there.

Note - She was the group leader, so could make those calls, but still, just because she doesn't like something, everyone had to miss out.

[Squeaksmyalias]

*poke* Now the title is a lie.

[Pagan]

If I had been in that group, I would have led a mutiny. I've got a sword and everything.

[ApolloSZ]

Ah! But, do you have an eye patch!

And a hat. A really big one.

[aurelemsrealm]

Was this "group leader" really the leader of the tour group, or did she just appoint herself the "group leader"?

In my mind, there are only four circumstances under which she would have legitimate authority to decide what the group was doing:

1. she was an actual tour guide hired or otherwise selected by the tour provider to conduct the tour
2. she was chaperoning a group of minors
3. she was footing the bill out of her own pocket on behalf of the group
4. she was elected to be the group leader by the members of the group

If none of those four conditions apply, then I would think she is really in no position to dictate terms to the entire tour group.

[LillFilly]

Sounds like some of the women who ran the trips my mom went on with her senior group; they thought they could do anything!

Arggh, Mutiny! I have the hat!

[Kogarashi]

Arggh, Mutiny! I have the hat!

I'm sure I have an eyepatch around here somewhere. Mutiny time, yarr!

[mharbourgirl]

Could get my hands on really big, silly-looking hats. My MIL likes big silly hats. Well, she doesn't think they're silly, she thinks they're the height of fashion. Sure, at Ascot. Or a garden party in the 50's.

But anyway, hats I can do. Not the eyepatch, I'd end up putting it over the eye that can see up close and stumble around because the other eye only sees things far away.

Dude, your dad has met some... hrm.. INTERESTING folks, hasn't he? Love hearing the stories, but kinda glad I wasn't there at the time. If I'd been in that group I would have given that control-freak of a female a good big piece of my mind. Missing out on the good stuff because SHE doesn't want to see it? Staying behind to 'guard' the access and miss out on more good stuff? Not bloody likely.

I have been known to share large pieces of my mind with people, it's a wonder I've got any left.