You couldn't make it up!
Whilst moored at Stony Stratford, another boater heading south attempted to moor on the 14 day moorings, but found that another boater (who had just popped off to the water point with his boat to fill up with water) had 'reserved' his spot by leaving his gang plank and mooring chains to mark his claim.
Gave lots of room
Nothing unusual there I hear you say. Perhaps a little cheeky, but most boaters can read the signals and shuffle along a little further—as did this new arrival. In fact they gave the absentee boater lots of room and pulled onto the 24 hour visitor mooring. Nothing strange there either.
What gobsmacked (don't you just hate that expression—but it's so descriptive) everyone moored close by, was the Long Term Moorer on the opposite bank who popped out onto the bank to berate the rather bemused boater, informing him (with amazing aggression and volume) that he must not moor on that 24hr mooring as it interfered with his television reception!
Sordid incident
The 'offending' boater pulled his boat back along the towpath until the moorer opposite was placated. In fact he was incredibly cool about the whole sordid incident. I'm afraid to say, I would have wacked my stakes in and sat put, out of sheer bloody mindedness.
As I say. You couldn't make it up!