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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mikfoz" data-source="post: 1418104" data-attributes="member: 72221">I've always really appreciated people pointing out stuff I haven't spotted for myself at places like this. I've often returned the favour and I've never had someone so intolerant as to tell me to shut up for it. I don't shout and bellow it, and I have the social skills to see if someone's keeping self to self, but I don't see how a public hide is some sort of crypt.You can't go to a public space and expect people to conform to some self-appointed etiquette that suits your quirks and foibles. They could be just as irritated by you sitting there quietly not sharing your spot of some bird that might have been a lifer to them if they were as good at spotting one as you were.If we were all the same then the world would be a boring place. Tolerance is part of social behaviour. Fair enough, if some berk wanders in to a waterside hide with open windows shouting at the top of his voice and scares everything off a quick "shush, thanks a lot" is in order, but you can't expect people to be totally quiet at some RSPB place. They're not playing the same game as you and can't be reasonably expected to do so. Some of them are just there to see the birdies and the last thing they need is some unfriendly person grumping at them for doing so and scaring them off, thinking birders are grumpy gits.The only time you might have a point would be at an organised event where a set of ground rules have been laid out for all present.</blockquote>

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