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Non-thinking Pilgrims taking Short-cut!

Time of past OR future Camino
cycled from Pamplona Sep 2015;Frances, walked from St Jean May/June 2017. Plans to walk Porto 2020
Today I took the alternate route into Burgos, the one via East side of the airport. As I & my fellow pilgrim arrived at the turn-off I was totally disgusted to see two totally unthinking, totally uncaring pilgrims taking a short-cut across a farmers rice field. I yelled out but they ignored me. When I reached the other side of the field, having walked at most an extra 75 metres I could see this track clearly. It is evidently being used by pilgrims who do not give a stuff about this farmer's income. At present the track is about 750mm (about 2ft,8in), but if 10,000 pilgrims walk through it it will be 5 metres wide. Spanish farmers have a tough enough task earning a living without any uncaring, unthinking pilgrims trashing their fields. Please remember we are guests in Spain, please also respect this farmer's private property. I will post a picture to go with this post, but it's on the iPhone.
 
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Here is a picture of what I am talking about. If this you in the picture you are lucky I did not catch up before I calmed down. A South African pilgrim did get both barrels. Just remember to continue up to the garbage bins, not across the field!
 

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I believe Guard Snakes are in order. Just post a sign that says Guard Snakes in Field in a few languages.
Guard Spiders would work for me, but that's not as believable as Guard Snakes.
If you take a short cut across the field I hope the farmer and his family are waiting on the other side.
Shame on you.
 
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It seems that it would be common sense to not trespass, not damage things along the way, not drop rubbish ...... Unfortunately, it still happens. We need to remember that we are guests in this beautiful country. Please treat the people, and the land, with respect.
 
My mind boggles that someone would think this is ok to do. In the UK there are very clear rules about public paths that cross private land. You most definitely do not go off route and bush bash even if the route is a bit convoluted. The laziness and arrogance of such walkers is astounding.
 
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Argh! I come from a farming family and by God, this makes me so angry. We were walking last year and a group of pilgrims decided to have a picnic in a wheat field on top of wheat that was about 5 inches high. It seems they wanted to be in the shade of the tractor-- but for some reason they didn't understand that they were killing the wheat as they walked on it while making their way to their picnic site, and then sat on it. Sheesh! Isn't there something somewhere in Breirly that says not to stomp on agricultural fields, stay on the path, or not to bash gardens. grrrrr...
 
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Thank you for posting this, Saint Mike
Is not just about private property. If this is wheat, the family is left without bread for a week (may be only symbolically, may be literally). A few minutes walk less .... It is sad when people see only himself and his needs, feel for the other and for nature has disappeared. It will not be surprising if soon there will not be friendly "Buen Camino" when we passed by each locals :(
 
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Why do you call these trespassers pilgrims? For me being a pilgrim means at least that you are not just a walker but that you have "higher" motives. Of cause this does not mean that a "walker" has any right to trespass and ruin the harvest of farmers. (I, being a not religious person or pilgrim would not dream of doing this.
 
I see many signs of disrespect of property, people on camino as well as the alburges and causes me to look close at my actions. These are all I can change. My actions.
 
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@jerbear
I think you're right, but there is still little space - can someone kindly remind to become aware of the importance and consequences of actions (I'm a teacher, I believe in education:pAnd - yes, teach by our own example, when there is no time and / or something stand out - even with a word). Most people doing wrong out of ignorance and narcissism and not because of evil. Some (probably a minority) will understand and follow. This will also be a small change. In one previous post I have already mentioned - It is time that next to credential each pilgrim / hiker / the path "user" gets a list of well-intentioned advice how to behave. Most do not need this and they will seem ridiculous and unnecessary. Some will read and work past this. For some, it is possible that is first such experience and be grateful for the help
 
Sadly I think barbed wire is the only way to stop this kind of selfishness. A lot of people poop in the fields as well, must be quite rank when the poor farmers come to harvest.
 
The trouble is, once a few people have taken these "shortcuts", it starts to appear as if there is a genuine path through the field, and others will follow, some not even realising they are going the wrong way. Sounds like a good place for a yellow arrow to keep people on the right path - sometimes all it takes is one painted on a rock by the side of the track, pointing the correct way where a well-trodden "shortcut" has appeared. But I absolutely agree that tromping across a farmer's crops is thoughtless and stupid, and in fact vandalism.
 
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Why do you call these trespassers pilgrims? For me being a pilgrim means at least that you are not just a walker but that you have "higher" motives. Of cause this does not mean that a "walker" has any right to trespass and ruin the harvest of farmers. (I, being a not religious person or pilgrim would not dream of doing this.
Anton, I would have used stronger language but this after all a family forum. The pity of it is that the South African pilgrim ( I know she is SA as she carried her national flag on her backpack) didn't seem to understand what I considered her crime.
Thanks to all of you for your support. Please if you reading this and you are around Belorado to Atapuerca please bring this request? To the attention of your fellow pilgrims. Hospitaleros I would welcome your assistance in highlighting this situation. Cheers to all. Buen Camino.
 
The trouble is, once a few people have taken these "shortcuts", it starts to appear as if there is a genuine path... Sounds like a good place for a yellow arrow to keep people on the right path - sometimes all it takes is one painted on a rock by the side of the track, pointing the correct way where a well-trodden "shortcut" has appeared. But I absolutely agree that tromping across a farmer's crops is thoughtless and stupid, and in fact vandalism.
Hi G.T. So correct I wanted to come back and put up a barrier of some description. Still hopefully word of mouth will carry some weight.
 
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The trouble is, once a few people have taken these "shortcuts", it starts to appear as if there is a genuine path through the field, and others will follow, some not even realising they are going the wrong way.
This is true (sometimes). The first time I walked that route into Burgos was in November, and the field must have been harvested, because it looked like a valid path. However, I wasn't certain of the route so I wanted to walk up to the building to check for signage. Good thing, or I would be in serious trouble here!

But, but, but . . . isn't "their" Camino and we are not to criticize anyone who does "their" own Camino?
Aren't we over this, yet, even with the sarcasm quotes?
 
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We are farmers, and it is very upsetting when people traipse through our field. We have grown specialty trees, and seen people stealing them and running down the road with them.

To ruin someone's crop like this is unconscionable. The trespassers know exactly what they are doing. They are selfish and wrong.

I would not hesitate to blast someone for doing this. Thanks for calling it to our attention. This is wrong.
 
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But, but, but . . . isn't "their" Camino and we are not to criticize anyone who does "their" own Camino?

[Please notice the sarcasm font]
Hi Robert, sarcasm or not, some lame, non-pilgrim is going to take your post as their "right"! Yes it's "their" Camino, but trashing someone else's property to achieve this goal is TOTALLY (yes the shouting is intentional) unacceptable.
 
Great post. I was also bothered by the number of people who felt that it was okay to help themselves to any fruit/veg/grapes growing alongside the Camino in what were clearly gardens, vineyards, or private property. Such a sense of entitlement! I can't imagine trotting by someone's yard at home and helping myself to whatever is growing there. Some folks truly take the old adage that "The Camino will provide" to extremes. Er, sorry, I may have gotten off track!
 
We need to all remember that on every step of the Camino we are in someone else's home, and they are graciously and unselfishly hosting thousands of us every year. I have also read people's comments about eating "the delicious grapes until we couldn't eat any more" when traversing the Navarre, and similar thoughtless things about camping without permission, etc. Maybe one person walking through a field or one unwelcome tent or one stolen bunch of grapes (yes, stolen. If you didn't grow them and you didn't buy them, you stole them.) isn't a big deal, but a quarter of a million people are going to walk the Frances this year. At all times, we are guests, and should do our best to treat our hosts with courtesy and respect.


Today I took the alternate route into Burgos, the one via East side of the airport. As I & my fellow pilgrim arrived at the turn-off I was totally discussed to see two totally unthinking, totally uncaring pilgrims taking a short-cut across a farmers rice field. I yelled out but they ignored me. When I reached the other side of the field, having walked at most an extra 75 metres I could see this track clearly. It is evidently being used by pilgrims who do not give a stuff about this farmer's income. At present the track is about 750mm (about 2ft,8in), but if 10,000 pilgrims walk through it it will be 5 metres wide. Spanish farmers have a tough enough task earning a living without any uncaring, unthinking pilgrims trashing their fields. Please remember we are guests in Spain, please also respect this farmer's private property. I will post a picture to go with this post, but it's on the iPhone.
elses'
 
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But, but, but . . . isn't "their" Camino and we are not to criticise anyone who does "their" own Camino?
[Please notice the sarcasm font]

you forgot to emphasise that we are rude "judgemental"

Guys - there is a difference between making a pilgrimage in a method that is not in your preferred way and antisocial behaviour / vandalism.

Even with "" the comment is wearing very thin.
 
But, but, but . . . isn't "their" Camino and we are not to criticize anyone who does "their" own Camino?

[Please notice the sarcasm font]

I thought this was pretty funny, actually, and I'm sure it was intended sarcastically. But then again, I love humor, sarcastic and non-. I can't help but hearken back to the state where I grew up, where not a few farm owners will literally shoot trespassers on sight. The trespassing pilgrims @Saint Mike II mentions should perhaps be glad they're not in a country with a high percentage of gun ownership. (and I'm certainly not advocating such a violent reaction). All that being said, I plan to note the area he talked about so that I can politely tell peregrinos in the area to avoid that field. My father grew up on a farm and as others have commented, trampling on someone's crops is not only thoughtless, but destructive.
 
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Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It seems that it would be common sense to not trespass, not damage things along the way, not drop rubbish ...... Unfortunately, it still happens. We need to remember that we are guests in this beautiful country. Please treat the people, and the land, with respect.
Get Respect & Give Respect!!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hi Stephen, we did not see any farmer, mores the pity as I too would have liked to give him my support. Cheers
 
I have been dismayed, embarrassed and a bit angry with pilgrims who toilet in vineyards against vines
And the flagrant disregard when pilgrims enter sunflower fields and pluck seeds to create happy faces and peace signs.
 
Sadly I think barbed wire is the only way to stop this kind of selfishness. A lot of people poop in the fields as well, must be quite rank when the poor farmers come to harvest.
You do NOT want to stop in any of the laybys where the big trucks camp up for the night then! (UK) We have to send out cleansing crews before our construction teams can do any work. Sheer thoughtlessness!
 
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A long time ago I stayed at San Bol on the French way, and it was quite the crazy little place then (looks lovely now btw). The compost toilet had 'malfunctioned' (how is that even possible?) and everyone had to 'go' in a field out the back. It was just horrendous.
 
I have been by here in September. It looks like this, a very definite track!
 

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Unfortunately it is a sad commentary on the times (and persons) that vandalism of all types is seen along all the Camino routes. Clearly, not everyone approaches this pilgrimage task in the correct state of mind.
 
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A true peregrino would not cross a field or eat grapes from the vine or any other agriculture based trespass. It does not make it right at any time but some do evolve along the Camino to become more considerate, respectful.

I pray these folks evolve sooner than later.
 
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