8 ms·

Don't think of this as dropping your kids in say, the High Sierras or Death Valley ;-) This is actually an extremely safe thing, nothing much can go wrong. So

by tdons 7y ago

Don't think of this as dropping your kids in say, the High Sierras or Death Valley ;-) This is actually an extremely safe thing, nothing much can go wrong. Some supporting facts: Our entire country (The Netherlands) measures roughly 161mi by 93mi and is densely populated. There's always a dwelling nearby. Consequently it's impossible to get really lost. We also have no natural dangers to speak of, no deadly animals, no dangerous terrain, no raging rivers (we don't have mountains).

fouc 7y ago
There's a small 707 acre park in the middle of a small island in Canada (Gabriola island, next to Nanaimo city), you wouldn't believe the number of people that get lost every year and don't get found till the next day or two.
teekert 7y ago
I think it is important to say this indeed. I also did "dropping" as a kid, and later with kids, but the only thing that "spoiled it" was cheaters that find a phone in 1 hour and call a cab. I haven't heard It being done for a while now, is it still a thing in this time of fear and smartphones?
- Scarblac 7y ago
  Yes, their own phones are confiscated (for most of the camp). TBH last time we did one each group just had one adult with them, they'd just stay silent the whole time and follow along. So it was a bit boring. But we did that because we only had a few people and one car, and couldn't keep track of the whereabouts of the groups otherwise.
  - teekert 7y ago
    Well, I can understand that, it depends on the age of the children also.
ddnb 7y ago
>> (we don't have mountains). Woah, you forgot about the Vaalserberg?
- neals 7y ago
  Also, what about that boterberg I used to hear about?
  - labnl 7y ago
    Are you referring to an actual butter surplus or the eastern peak of Storm King Mountain in New York (Butter Hill, but known as Boterberg when the area was a Dutch colony)?
- merijnv 7y ago
  Technically not a mountain, since mountains start at >500m and Vaalserberg is only 322m high... On the other hand, we do (technically) have mountains, as Saba has Mount Scenery (887m) and Sint Eustatius has The Quill ( 601m)...
  - tom_mellior 7y ago
    There is no universally accepted definition of what a mountain is. For whatever it's worth, Wikipedia says things like "official UK government's definition of a mountain, for the purposes of access, is a summit of 600 metres or higher", and "At one time the U.S. Board on Geographic Names defined a mountain as being 1,000 feet (300 m) or taller, but has abandoned the definition since the 1970s".
    - benj111 7y ago
      "is a summit of 600 metres or higher" I didn't think this had been officially metricised (metricated?), I was wrong. Anyway, found an interesting related article. http://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-graig-goch-and-all-that/ http://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-...
benj111 7y ago
"Our entire country (The Netherlands) measures roughly 161mi by 93mi.....Consequently it's impossible to get really lost" You aren't really lost until you aren't in the country you thought you were in. Its possible to lose yourself to Greece say, without crossing a hard border. So the area to get lost in is quite a bit bigger.
- donkeyd 7y ago
  It's really obvious when you cross the NL/BE or NL/DE borders though, signage becomes different, houses look different. So unless you cross the border in a wooded area, you will definitely know.
  - benj111 7y ago
    "houses look different" Really? Just over the border? I would have thought cross pollination over the years would have rendered housing styles identical. Plus aren't there streets where one half is Dutch, the other half Belgian? Edit: Like here for example https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baarle-Hertog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baarle-Hertog
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - Aaargh20318 7y ago
      Yes, just over the border. I live really close to the German border and you instantly notice, everything suddenly looks, well.. German. A lot of things don't cross-pollinate because they are decided on a national level. So things like the style of signage, traffic lights and other 'street furniture' are all different. Germany also still uses a lot of above-ground cabling which is another instantly obvious difference. Building codes are probably different too, which affects how buildings look. It's not just the country, it's the people too. Living in a city near the German border we get a lot of people from Germany shopping on weekends. Often you can spot the Germans simply by how they are dressed, especially older people. I can't really put my finger on what is different (as an IT guy I'm kind of oblivious to fashion) but there must be some subtle differences as even I subconsciously pick it up. > Plus aren't there streets where one half is Dutch, the other half Belgian? It's even easier to spot when you're crossed the border into Belgium, if you suddenly feel like you're driving off-road you're in Belgium.
cr1895 7y ago
>We also have no natural dangers to speak of Except for the eikenprocessierupsen
- cerberusss 7y ago
  For the English speaking folks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_processionary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_processionary This particular caterpillar has seen explosionary growth and when it sheds its copious hairs, they cause extreme irritation.
  - not_a_cop75 7y ago
    Sounds like it needs a sign. Beware of attack caterpillars!
    - dondawest 7y ago
      Drug addicts are known to keep attack caterpillars locked and loaded, protecting their stash. Rumor has it they’re distantly related to attack porcupines
    - pfg 7y ago
      Fun fact: You may find signs warning of the oak processionary moth in some of the woods in Vienna, Austria[1]. [1]: https://www.vienna.at/2018/05/eichen-wien-16-9-017650366-650x366.jpg https://www.vienna.at/2018/05/eichen-wien-16-9-017650366-650...

by tdons 7y ago

fouc 7y ago

There's a small 707 acre park in the middle of a small island in Canada (Gabriola island, next to Nanaimo city), you wouldn't believe the number of people that get lost every year and don't get found till the next day or two.

teekert 7y ago

I think it is important to say this indeed. I also did "dropping" as a kid, and later with kids, but the only thing that "spoiled it" was cheaters that find a phone in 1 hour and call a cab. I haven't heard It being done for a while now, is it still a thing in this time of fear and smartphones?

Scarblac 7y ago
Yes, their own phones are confiscated (for most of the camp). TBH last time we did one each group just had one adult with them, they'd just stay silent the whole time and follow along. So it was a bit boring. But we did that because we only had a few people and one car, and couldn't keep track of the whereabouts of the groups otherwise.
- teekert 7y ago
  Well, I can understand that, it depends on the age of the children also.

ddnb 7y ago

>> (we don't have mountains). Woah, you forgot about the Vaalserberg?

neals 7y ago
Also, what about that boterberg I used to hear about?
- labnl 7y ago
  Are you referring to an actual butter surplus or the eastern peak of Storm King Mountain in New York (Butter Hill, but known as Boterberg when the area was a Dutch colony)?
merijnv 7y ago
Technically not a mountain, since mountains start at >500m and Vaalserberg is only 322m high... On the other hand, we do (technically) have mountains, as Saba has Mount Scenery (887m) and Sint Eustatius has The Quill ( 601m)...
- tom_mellior 7y ago
  There is no universally accepted definition of what a mountain is. For whatever it's worth, Wikipedia says things like "official UK government's definition of a mountain, for the purposes of access, is a summit of 600 metres or higher", and "At one time the U.S. Board on Geographic Names defined a mountain as being 1,000 feet (300 m) or taller, but has abandoned the definition since the 1970s".
  - benj111 7y ago
    "is a summit of 600 metres or higher" I didn't think this had been officially metricised (metricated?), I was wrong. Anyway, found an interesting related article. http://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-graig-goch-and-all-that/ http://metricviews.org.uk/2008/09/what-is-a-mountain-mynydd-...

benj111 7y ago

"Our entire country (The Netherlands) measures roughly 161mi by 93mi.....Consequently it's impossible to get really lost" You aren't really lost until you aren't in the country you thought you were in. Its possible to lose yourself to Greece say, without crossing a hard border. So the area to get lost in is quite a bit bigger.

donkeyd 7y ago
It's really obvious when you cross the NL/BE or NL/DE borders though, signage becomes different, houses look different. So unless you cross the border in a wooded area, you will definitely know.
- benj111 7y ago
  "houses look different" Really? Just over the border? I would have thought cross pollination over the years would have rendered housing styles identical. Plus aren't there streets where one half is Dutch, the other half Belgian? Edit: Like here for example https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baarle-Hertog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baarle-Hertog
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - Aaargh20318 7y ago
    Yes, just over the border. I live really close to the German border and you instantly notice, everything suddenly looks, well.. German. A lot of things don't cross-pollinate because they are decided on a national level. So things like the style of signage, traffic lights and other 'street furniture' are all different. Germany also still uses a lot of above-ground cabling which is another instantly obvious difference. Building codes are probably different too, which affects how buildings look. It's not just the country, it's the people too. Living in a city near the German border we get a lot of people from Germany shopping on weekends. Often you can spot the Germans simply by how they are dressed, especially older people. I can't really put my finger on what is different (as an IT guy I'm kind of oblivious to fashion) but there must be some subtle differences as even I subconsciously pick it up. > Plus aren't there streets where one half is Dutch, the other half Belgian? It's even easier to spot when you're crossed the border into Belgium, if you suddenly feel like you're driving off-road you're in Belgium.

cr1895 7y ago

>We also have no natural dangers to speak of Except for the eikenprocessierupsen

cerberusss 7y ago
For the English speaking folks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_processionary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_processionary This particular caterpillar has seen explosionary growth and when it sheds its copious hairs, they cause extreme irritation.
- not_a_cop75 7y ago
  Sounds like it needs a sign. Beware of attack caterpillars!
  - dondawest 7y ago
    Drug addicts are known to keep attack caterpillars locked and loaded, protecting their stash. Rumor has it they’re distantly related to attack porcupines
  - pfg 7y ago
    Fun fact: You may find signs warning of the oak processionary moth in some of the woods in Vienna, Austria[1]. [1]: https://www.vienna.at/2018/05/eichen-wien-16-9-017650366-650x366.jpg https://www.vienna.at/2018/05/eichen-wien-16-9-017650366-650...