Funny goings on in lay-bys.....

Do you mean meeting up for random sh*gs? There aren't many public toilets in laybys ?

Ive heard of at least one big layby being used for dogging activities and gay cruising

In the middle of the day Zoe?

I think cottaging is fairly common in some minority groups but as FW says, I can't think of many lay-bys with public loos ?

There was a layby near the NEC which was always, always packed with doggers / cruisers, to the extent that the council had to close it as it was causing accidents as people swerved in to park off the dual carriageway. I'd drive past it most days and there would be six, eight cars there at any one time, during daylight hours.

There used to be a lay by near me that was a well known gay shagging lay by. You often saw random blokes wondering out of the woods doing their belts back up. It became so notorious that the police had it filled in but they just use the one further up the road now.

<random aside> why do so many professional footballers seem to enjoy dogging? <random aside>

I always thought Cheltenham was such a refined place before I moved into the area so it came as a surprise to find that a couple of local beauty spots have been well known for dogging in recent years. I am wary of any layby or car park with plenty of cars parked up after dark.

ETA: That reads like Cheltenham became a less refined place after I moved into the area.... which is probably true. ?

AFAIK yes, the one I heard about is shelter from the road so passers by wouldnt notice, only people that stopped.

Drugs deals? Likely place to meet I'd think. <not a drug dealer, honest>

hmmm, I think you ought to tell me where these are so I can investigate avoid them <cough>

Can someone clarify the difference between dogging and cottaging? (I'm so not up with the lingo)

I've heard of dogging - i watched a documentary about it a few years ago on BBC 2 and it was bloody grim. The female volunteer who liked to be shagged on car bonnets with strangers watching / showeing the couple / joining in had pretty much no teeth. I would never use a layby now for fears of accidentally coming across something I shouldn't.

Which actually did happen to me some years ago. When I first started driving my eldest son was about 1. We were looking for all sorts of places to go for picnics etc and found this lovely lake with a nature reserve. We had commented that the car park was always full, but I never gave it much thought.

One day we decided to take the buggy through the nature reserve for a bit of a walk. The first thing that was odd was a male and female older couple walking back from some long grass glaring at us. I looked around and under a weeping willow stood two men with women knelt in front of them. It took me a few loong seconds to twig what was going on. We made a sharp exit and never returned ?

exactly, after dark. But in the middle of the day when families/'normal' people are innocently using them? Euch. Yes, not all laybys have loos but this one happens to.

Cottaging: sex with a random in a public loo (usually gay men)

Dogging: having sex whilst other people watch - often with a regular partner, usually heterosexual. OR going just to watch the sex, not partake.

I think dogging is where you go and shag other people in cars and cottaging is loos? Is cottaging just blokes, and strangers? Dogging you can take your partner along, and maybe swap them for someone else? I'm not sure.

I'm 40 miles from Chelt but I know the beauty spot you mean, everyone's heard about it ?

I sound really dodgy, I'm not honest ?

now that makes me very angry, if you aren't to know that sort of thing goes on in a place that's seemingly quite innocent why would other families out with their children. Some things should be kept indoors. Ick.

You see, I'd probably find it hysterical to come across (excuse the pun) randoms sh*gging in odd locations, but there again I'm not a parent, so experiencing this whilst you're taking your child on an innocent day out I'm sure is very different and not at all welcome.

There's Shag Shab Hill above the Air Balloon and the top car park in the Crickley Hill country park. I think they lock the gates of the latter at sundown now in an effort to stop it. I have serious doubts about the car park on the A46 below Prinknash Abbey too, the one on the woods side of the road. There are always lots of cars parked there late at night.

Hmmm, you seem to be remarkably well informed, young Hoobster ?

I'm going past the Air Balloon on Monday morning. 8.30am might be a bit early for most, though, I think. Shaaaame.

Is the Air Balloon one on the road between Ciren (is it A40?) and Birdlip? I'd heard of that one.

Well, we were lucky in a way because Jonathan was just a baby and doesn't remember it. I was mortified and - yes, I agree, there should have been some way of informing people. However, I am guessing that it must have been well known to the police and they must have turned a blind eye because it was a rural location where it could be discreet (unless you actually went walking innocently through).

It would be a different situation if I went there with J now he's 12, I would be flaming furious. Actually, I would complain to the police and the council.

Yes, it's the road to Birdlip coming from Cheltenham heading towards the M4.

Yep, Shab Hill is at the Birdlip turning.

FW, I told someone at work that I liked to stop off at Shab Hill sometimes on the way home if there was a pretty sunset and they nearly died laughing. That's when I found out about the dodgy (or should that be doggy?) goings on.

I think that would have called for a snooty nose in the air stylee reaction ?

I think you're mistaken, though. Surely no-one in Cheltenham actually has s-e-x. They're too busy polishing their Range Rovers and going to overpriced farm shops.

Ever tried to find a public loo in Belfast? ?

Actually there is one now. But Belfast's cottagers were as militant as all our other 'interest' groups.

I had an early start one morning with a 3 hour drive. So I decided to go fresh faced and put my make up on in a lay-by nearer the destination. I pulled into a little chef and was happily applying the aforesaid make up when I glanced over to the car next to me.. A couple in their mid 40's, her giving him a BJ and him smiling at me.