Being a good neighbor [split from another thread]

[maki2]

Stealth is just another word for the viable concept of not attracting a lot of attention to your activities or your vehicle and its contents. Not a bad practice for streets or parking lots where there is a higher potential for car break-ins. No one wants strangers lurking in such areas. Van dwellers themselves do not want strangers lurking nearby looking to breakin. So keeping a low profile in such locations is basic common sense, street smarts. Not all newbies understand what works for achieving that. Stealth=low profile.

 

[LargeMarge]

Stealth is just another word for the viable concept of not attracting a lot of attention to your activities or your vehicle and its contents. Not a bad practice for streets or parking lots where there is a higher potential for car break-ins. No one wants strangers lurking in such areas. Van dwellers themselves do not want strangers lurking nearby looking to breakin. So keeping a low profile in such locations is basic common sense, street smarts. Not all newbies understand what works for achieving that. Stealth=low profile.

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Your post is unedited for brevity because I think it makes a great example... and I...
...Strongly Disagree.
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The worst example of 'stealth' are the Sasquatch searchers on televisionprogramming.
They drive loud vehicles up loud roads..
They loudly bumble around the dark like a herd of bulldozers...
They shine lights every which direction...
Then, they whisper to the camera.
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I guarantee every animal in six counties knows a bunch of city-folk are invading their turf.
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Identical situation with LawEnforcementOfficials.
identical situation with dope-fiends.
Identical situation with joy-riders.
Identical situation with the 'breaking windows for fun' crowd.
Every punk in six square miles knows about the intruder pretending to be 'stealth'.
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I will say this as gently as I am able:
* betting the safety of your home and your life on a fraudulent belief is a terrible way to meet the neighborhood punks.
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You want 'low profile'?
How about:
* no vehicle,
* no backpack,
* crawling around silently an inch at a time in a Ghillie suit.
I guarantee your any movement will be noticed by a half-dozen other folk crawling around in Ghillie suits:

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You seem like a nice person.
You seem like you care about first-time campers, and you want them to enjoy their journey as they reside in their vehicle.
Although I believe they are misdirected, I applaud your efforts.
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Realistically, everybody -- each of us -- on vanliving forum is a target for somebody and/or some group.
We all are living on borrowed time.

 

[bullfrog]

In my opinion our way of living is becoming more and more apparent as more and more people attempt to live unconventionally. The more it becomes apparent the more difficult it becomes to avoid the problems of acceptance. The full time RV and Tiny Home movements are slowly beginning to be accepted in certain areas of the country and hopefully organizations like Homes On Wheels Alliance will grow into a means for people in vans and converted vehicles to be accepted. It is important that we as a community live within the laws and rules of the land until better understanding of the situation brings about changes that make it easier and safer for those who are just starting out or just never figured out how and where to do it. There are lots of bad examples out there, lets hope we can influence and teach people how to be good ones. Trying to live in dangerous or places where our way of living is not accepted and is viewed as a problem isn’t helping. There are still legal and safe places to park in urban areas and methods to keep from causing problems, we just need to use them and avoid questionable areas that require “stealth” which isn’t really stealthy.

 

[LargeMarge]

...our way of living is becoming more and more apparent as more and more people attempt to live unconventionally. The more it becomes apparent the more difficult it becomes to avoid the problems of acceptance. The full time RV and Tiny Home movements are slowly beginning to be accepted in certain areas of the country and hopefully organizations like Homes On Wheels Alliance will grow into a means for people in vans and converted vehicles to be accepted...Trying to live in dangerous or places where our way of living is not accepted...avoid questionable areas that require “stealth” which isn’t really stealthy.

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Agreed.
Agreed.
Agreed.
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I am going to keep flogging this dead petunia because of well-meaning 'Internet advice'... based on hopes and wishes.
And that impacts me, and that impacts you.
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The way to be accepted by the neighbors:
* be open and courteous.
The way to be ostracized by the neighbors:
* pretend as though you have something to hide.
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Real-World:
We occasionally house-sit.
Our ExpeditionVehicle looks like a refugee from a volcanic eruption a few decades past TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It, a popular acronym for life after the conclusion of these current festivities).
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No way, no how, are the straights accepting *That! Thing!* in their community.
Accordingly, we first-strike:
* we knock on doors
* we explain our schedule and service
* we offer to mow or clean gutters
* pointing to our contact information on the flyer, we politely ask old-folks to let us know if they see anybody messing with the place, or unusual amounts of smoke, unscheduled explosions, that sort of thing.
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During our visit in their neighborhood, we prove -- by our words and deeds -- not all vehicle-dwellers are dope-fiends and creeps.
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Am I an ambassador for live-aboards?
Hardly, and yet:
* does anybody remember where I stashed my purple sash...

 

[maki2]

Wow, so glad I do not suffer from feeling like Everyone is out to get me. Must be a horrible feeling to live with.

 

[peteg59]

True "stealth" camping in urban areas is a thing of the past.
Way too many folks, not just law enforcement types, are onto those who live in vehicles and are immediately able to ID a parked vehicle as someone's "home on wheels".

Therefore, those who continue to dwell in urban areas must be able to switch tactics from time to time, to avoid unpleasant encounters from those who oppose the mobile nomad in their midst.

Most urban folks in designated housing really don't care if someone is "camping" in their hood, as long as they don't establish a root system keeping them permanently placed in their sight.
And as long as these nomads don't leave trash/waste/ect., when they move on.

We must step up our game and reduce any negative stigma by doing the right thing, when we occupy real estate in an urban setting...

 

[NctryBen]

I think there are some great examples of good stealth campers out there. There are also some very unrealistic thinking out there. Some folks feel a bit entitled if something isn’t really illegal. But you push that button to much and it will be illegal.
I think Maki2s post here is to encourage good neighbor tactics vs other issues addressed here. Being on the road we see that aspect limits being pushed a lot. Even if it isn’t nomads, it’s easy to blame that group. Most nomads I know are very trustworthy people. I’d like to see better options become available including services.

 

[D'L]

I disagree with the statement that true stealth camping is a thing of the past. It's not at all, it just depends on how you go about it.

If you have an old van that looks as if someone lives in it then you can't really be stealthy anywhere because the vehicle is too obvious.
If you have a newer vehicle, or one that looks really good even if it is nowhere near new, then it is possible. I think vans are a bit harder but if you have a pretty nice looking car or van that is being taken care of and park in a neighborhood that is not too uppity you can do it. I just make sure that I have done all my pre-bedtime things somewhere else. I just park, get in the back without exiting the vehicle. Usually you can find a spot where few windows are facing you directly. In the AM I just drive away. Once I am several streets away or out of the neighborhood entirely and in a more business district I park to let the dogs go out and I go back to the gas station for myself. Get coffee to go and head out, don't stop for longer than a few minutes until out of that town. I prefer to do this in small towns but not so small that everyone knows everyone else's vehicle. Usually if you are seen parked everyone will think you are just visiting someone else.

One of the criteria when I got the vehicle I have now was that it be anonymous. White SUVs are everywhere and at a glance they all look pretty much alike to most people. Just for fun I have been trying to learn how to tell what make a white SUV driving by me is and I get it wrong a lot of the time. I think it might be the most blend-in vehicle these days. But there are probably others that will do as well, depending on the part of the country you are in. No bumper stickers or things hanging from the rear view window, nothing to make it even slightly different unless someone gets up and actually looks in the window, which most people will not do.

Have not done this with the vehicle I just got yet, but I think the concepts I went by in the past still apply.

 

[maki2]

Very funny, I myself did not start this particular thread. A moderator took my message that I posted elsewhere and used it to open this thread. Done without my knowledge or my permission. Ironic as that is not at all a neighborly thing to do.

 

[bullfrog]

Maki2 you are making things and you didn’t even know it! Lol!!!

 

[maki2]

Maki2 you are making things and you didn’t even know it! Lol!!!

Not making anything up, I received a notice saying it had been moved…so there!

 

[RoamerRV428]

first off no one is a damn neighbor if in stealth mode, lol. You are not a neighbor cause we are in creep mode and for us nightly mode and it ain't ever gonna be just that ever.

next is I agree with Maki in that low profile is key. White van, parked in kid neighborhood, yea moms are gonna call police on your azz fast HAHA

I think the post is assuming all of us in stealth mode to live nightly without attention is so sad. Who the hell doesn't live a life out there 'don't quite get that real fast?' when they deal with real life on the stealth level?

Maki, I get your post but I fear ya blew it on this one LOL
come on Never assume all newbies are stupid idiots out there and haven't had life situations that made them very aware but yea, there are some WHO NEED this post I guess. yea we all 'get it' but so darn useless in a small way but great try to help all.

 

[RoamerRV428]

I am going to keep flogging this dead petunia because of well-meaning 'Internet advice'... based on hopes and wishes.
And that impacts me, and that impacts you.

Yea I feel the same on this post. I get ya on it. kinda general useless post that got a few 'big reactions' from some of us

 

[tx2sturgis]

I've removed a few items that were not helpful.

I'm late to this thread, but if it goes off the rails again I will close it.

No one in this thread is a 'target' for others. Please be respectful, even if you disagree with them.

 

[Southbound]

Very funny, I myself did not start this particular thread. A moderator took my message that I posted elsewhere and used it to open this thread. Done without my knowledge or my permission. Ironic as that is not at all a neighborly thing to do.

The removal of some posts that are derailing another thread's topic are used to start a separate topic so that new topic has it's own focus and members interested in it can find easier. It is much easier to just delete off topic posts, but one of the others moved about 5 or 6 posts to create this new topic.

And we do not need permission to use off topics to create a new topic thread. It is being very considerate of the members to give their topic a thread all can find easier.

 

[RoamerRV428]

but one of the others moved about 5 or 6 posts to create this new topic.

And we do not need permission to use off topics to create a new topic thread.

So I called out Maki for nothing other than you guys jerking around her posts? Choosing random lines to make some chat post under her name? Not saying ya need permission but couldn't ya tell the poster? Inform them you are doing it?

I gotta say typing anything now in any post means the mods can move it anywhere, post it any time as a new post you never personally intended it to be? Seems you aren't doing anyone favors here at all!

Sorry Maki!!! Apologies. I thought you were crying wolf one too many times, but here, hmm, there is a big bad wolf lurking, haha.....It is spooky on this forum LOL

 

[tx2sturgis]

I see some useful info in this thread so I'm inclined to leave it as is, and let it stay open.

Lets ALL be a 'good neighbor' here and contribute to the thread in a positive way.

 

[bullfrog]

Just a thought, why doesn’t the moderator open the new created thread with a post stating what they did or use an identifier in the title like “Thread created by mod”

 

[tx2sturgis]

I dont know which thread this one was split from but I added a 'split from' to the title.

 

[rvwandering]

Since I'm the mod who moved the posts to start this thread- an explanation:

As moderators, we do not like to delete your posts. You worked hard to create thoughtful posts that help other members so posts are usually only deleted if they are used to attack other members or disparage individual people or groups of people. Political posts and proselytizing posts are also deleted. Almost everything else is permitted however we do reserve the right to move posts that are too far off-topic. This has been a common practice since the forum was created.

What has changed is the way members are notified. The old software had no way to notify members when their posts were being moved so it was up to the moderator to send a message to each person with a post that was being moved. With long threads that was not a reasonable option so a "Split from.." was added to the title. With the new software all of the members who had a post moved should have been notified. If that is not happening please let us know.

Let us know how you would like this to work from now on. Contact the person who made the post that starts the new thread so that they can choose the topic line? Add a "Split from..." notification in the new thread title?

It's always best to contact a moderator privately than post on the forum if you don't agree with a decision. Most likely we will not delete your post if you object to your post being moved.
I will probably move this post and some of the other posts in this thread because now they are off-topic.