Tom:
"Although I'm surprised that WM would want to alienate local small businesses. "
How does this happen?? CGs I can see being alienated.?
However, the other small businesses at the mall benefit just as WM does.? We not only shop WM, but hit Radio Shack, Best Buy, restaurants, Home Depot, and many others as needed.? None of them have ever shown alienation and we often chat with them about our MH and travels, with the MH in plain sight.? In Ohio, at Ace Hardware, the entire store turned out, both employees and customers, to take tours through our MH while we were buying hardware there the day we left to head west for Ron [edit].
As for carrying a better selection of RV supplies, remember WM is not a Boating World nor do they pretend to be.? They are not an RV store like Camping World.? How many kinds of RV toilet papers are there anyway?? WM simply supplies the emergency basics.? I think they do a better job than most small campgrounds (but not all) on RV supplies.? But I admit they do not carry the broad line of marine stores and RV stores.
As for crime?? Gee whiz.? I have yet to read about crime at the interstate WMs, but I guess it has happened.? With their WM patrol cars, cameras on the light poles, etc, they are exceedingly safe places to be.
This subject ALWAYS makes interesting discussion on more forums than just ours.?
All I can comment is on our own first hand observations.? My Admiral was very opposed to stopping at WMs when we started out.? Now she examines the WM Atlas each day on our long hauls and struggles over which WM would be the most convenient and interesting stop.? We are developing our own list of WMs, that had the best scenery, the most convenient surrounding stores, the easiest access, and the most interesting fellow travelers.
I think maybe one thing that has turned off some of the anti WM people is the DVD published by a Montana Public radio station entitled ?This is nowhere."?
My wife and I love that DVD and play it often.? Just last night we were relating to our RV visitors from McCall Idaho who are visiting here in Kalispell with us about this thread on the forum.? That led to putting on the DVD and we had a hoot watching it once again.
The thing about that show is that the TV producer did a really good job of capturing both the good and the bad about WM overnight stays.? And yes there were a couple etiquette infractions.? The worst was the redneck guy who hated cops and who got out his ATV and ran it all over the WM parking lot and even over the grassed in areas just to show off to the camera.? And there was another couple sitting in their lawn chairs with all kinds of junk set up.? But then also there were the motorhomes with no stuff out, and the people being interviewed either inside their coach or simply standing outside their coach.? The purpose of the DVD was not to preach etiquette or editorialize about it but just simply show an interesting subculture that most people do not even know about.
I fear that the most memorable (and sometimes funniest) parts of the DVD were the bad parts, and I worry that people who never really stay at WMs likely are overly influenced by the only image they have, coming from sources like this DVD.
At any rate, a simply fascinating sub culture of RV life!? ?
? We see nothing to get overly serious about, and like I said before, everyone can make their own decision on these matters and keep on enjoying the good life of RVing.? I sincerely doubt if our enjoyment of a WM stop is every going to affect anyone here on the forum in any way at all.