friends and foes?

[troopersworld]

I joined here recently as I am considering this way of life... I go in trips in my minivan now. 

I have been seeing a lot of youtube videos recently that have been claiming that full time rv/van life isn't the safe, cheap option that it seems. A lot of women talking about harassment and worse... then I discover that this forum has a thread discussing a sexual assault and the outcome was... nothing. Well, there were folks chiming in on how it was a witch hunt etc... I found that thread disturbing more for the way people just failed to act like a community... rather worry about someone's reputation than safety... I do not believe that women cannot travel alone or... one youtuber actually claims that women who aren't harassed must look like men!   I know that isn't true... but the volume of people claiming scary stuff is higher than my comfort level... and I am supposed to head out on the road today.

I am asking because recently this has been popping up in my path. I am not in the US so I am not as worried about some of the same issues -like gun violence isn't a top worry here, and we don't have as big a population so there are just lower odds of meeting up with bad people... but... I am seeing more videos etc by women talking about their real experiences on the road. There were women talking about being in the middle of relatively nowhere and having people attempt to break in... women who say they have been stalked after meeting people at various gatherings... and whole lot of people talking about being unable to find groups to connect with generally.

This worries me. I am disabled, not un-abled. I have physical limitations but I find work-arounds.. I generally prefer to be off by myself but unless you head into some deep interior somewhere, you rarely are actually as in the middle of nowhere as it seems on a map. There seem to be people in the most remote of places. If there is a road, you aren't alone on it. As a single woman... with limitations... I wasn't worried before but now I am wondering if I have an accurate image of the way it is... and whether it is as safe as it sounds.

I enjoy being around groups sometimes and the intent for me would be to find people here and there to connect with... not all the time, but certainly to gather at times to have some social time and exchange know how etc. I don't want to be in a group all the time. And not being in the US means that there just aren't caravans of RVers anyway, not really and definitely not many ppl doing so all year. I am not FT yet bc my rig just would not suffice in Canadian winter... not with my physical limits. 

So... am I safe out there?

 

[Van-Tramp]

Look at any stats and you will find that you are MANY more times safe outside any city limits.

You have to sort through the hysteria of the few individuals and come to an educated decision yourself. My recommendation - dont seek out advice from anyone on Youtube. Look up the facts

 

[cyndi]

No response for my thoughts.

I don't stay somewhere that I don't feel safe. I prefer more remote places. But that's not always possible, especially when I'm on the move.
If my gut says no, I listen.

 

[lenny flank]

I don't know why people worry so much about this--it is a non-problem.

It reminds me of all the newbie backpackers who pee their pants about getting bitten by a snake.

On the list of "things to worry about", getting attacked by a stranger is near the bottom of the list.

 

[Perseverance]

I go remote but not to far from someone. I'm a Senior lady and have never felt fear. I don't have much to set outside so I am always prepared to get behind the wheel and go if needed. I do scope out my areas to see what type of people are in the vicinity and stay away from high crime areas before I park.

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[ChezCheese:-)]

I'm not necessarily disbelieving the reports of dangers for women (or any other human) while out on the road, but first, let's remember that people on YouTube are there to make money. Not all, but many. Fear sells. "If it bleeds, it leads" has always been a truism about the press. Eyeballs go to the lurid and the shocking, to the victimization of women.

I think you are far more endangered by a road accident. Traffic, bad driving, DUI, and weather are probably more likely to cause you injury than 2-legged predators and scumbags. That's why I want to paint my van a bright colour to minimize the chance of someone accidentally not seeing me and running into me.

 

[Roaming_Raven]

As a female solo traveler, (knock on wood) I live and travel in the USA. I have not received the dreaded knock, I have not been harassed, I have not felt unsafe.

I park with the nose of my vehicle headed in the direction I can pull out and keep on going if need be. I've never needed to actually use that safety precaution. I set two chairs out and a table between them with two cups, not always but it's there. I have safety items on my dashboard and passenger seat.

Many people take the passenger seat out, to me this says I am traveling alone and no one else is here. Yet, the additional storage space would be welcomed lol. I still have a passenger seat

Use common sense. Watch, listen, be aware of your surroundings.

Pack Fear in the cedar trunk and Wear Caution all the time.

 

[Blanch]

I’m a solo disabled female. I’ve had a few problems, life is never without problems.

But now, if the neighbors suck or I feel unsafe, I move.

I believe I look female, as most females do. When someone starts name calling and making disparaging remarks I don’t consider their thoughts. Chronic complainers are in all walks of life, including the nomad life. If they are trying to make a buck on YouTube I discount what they say as they are looking for views. Folks who full time sitting around a campfire, that’s where I get my reliable information. They will tell you about their journey and the wonderful places they have been. No BS and no drama. These are the people to believe.


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[rvwandering]

I think you need another category - Is it as safe in a van/rv as in an apartment? - to which I would answer yes because it's all relative. A woman living in the inner city in a van may be slightly less safe than a woman living in an apartment but a woman boondocking on public land is safer than the woman in the apartment in the inner city. If the level of crime is the same, safety is the same. A woman living in a small town and a woman boondocking in the forest should be equally safe.

I believe that I know which thread you are referring that deals with sexual assault ( for clarification - it was a minor incident that caused little harm. I don't want anyone to get really worried over this). This was handled behind the scenes and there has not been another incident as far as I know. All of the gatherings that we have attended have been very safe and the forum members that we have met have been genuinely nice, caring and thoughtful.

We've never had anything stolen, been harassed, or felt unsafe. Granted I am not traveling alone but I'm not sure if that makes much of a difference. There will always be fearmongers. Head out and have a good time, then come back and give us a report.

 

[John61CT]

Women are not getting bothered more.

They are feeling more empowered to speak out about what has always been going on.

Which is great, no question.

Those with the incredible privilege of believing "bad things don't happen to the oppressed and disadvantaged that much", just because they themselves have not experienced it, well hopefully the increased reporting and open discussion will open their minds one day.

Yes Sh1t Happens, and yes that svcks.

But don't be put off from living your life, exercise common sense and trust your intuition.

 

[QinReno]

Rule #1: common sense in all that you do, no matter who or where you are.

As a man, I feel the least safe places in the US are in any US city at night. I avoid that.

 

[DannyB1954]

There should have been another voting category like It is about the same. Anyone can be victimized anywhere male or female.

Statistics are interesting but you can not apply them to individuals. If one in 100,000 are struck by lightening, you just might be the one. If 9 out of 10 people are robbed during their lifetime, you may be a part of the 10% that doesn't.

Use caution but don't live in fear. With fear you are victimizing yourself.

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

Here is a good YouTube by CreativtyRV on this subject:

 

[Dingfelder]

Just from your poll choice not having a reasonable choice for men to answer to -- I can't just not know something but have to not care about women too? -- I think you might be making life anywhere more difficult than it really is or has to be.  

Here's one of my favorite guys:

https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.ne...=2b47752a6eafd97768a8e2e2b9602244&oe=5BFE797B

By the way, I suggest you get one. More intimidating to many people than a gun and you won't get in big trouble just because someone says you had one and he saw it.

 

[Roaming_Raven]

I had a correctional officer tell me one time that during his time interviewing big bad tough guys, their main fear when breaking into a place was a dog. Not the rott, pit, or german shepherd because you can toss a piece of meat and they are on it. But the little guys, terrier breeds such as Westies, Pom's, Yorkies, Jack Russells... because they are harder to distract.

Now, he could have been not telling me the truth or maybe he was ... but my two little guys are noise makers when things aren't right. If I dont listen to my gut, I do listen to their bark. Or course that bark will go off at skunks, raccoons, tree branches and thunder. They are learning to use inside voices about 2% of the time.

We have to be embrace either confidence or fear, both can not reside in the same vessel as the same time.

*edit for spelling

 

[LivGolden]

I had an officer tell me the same- he said I didn't need a big dog; I needed a loud dog. BTW, I have a big Golden Retriever. She loves everyone! The thing is when we go to a dog park or encounter a small dog like a terrier or chihuahua, they usually beat her up if she goes in for a hug. Sometimes those little dogs are tough.

 

[crofter]

Solo in a van is safer than solo in an apartment, due to you can always (and should) move camp in a van. 

I met one woman camper fulltiming in a car who thought she had a stalker. She said she felt safe in my camp (I was hosting). IMHO, the resident mountain lion prob scared off the stalker.

When living off grid, I was mostly in fear of one particular mountain lion that would put it's paws up against my sleeping quarters (window open a couple inches). The dog would go crazy, and in the morning I would find the paw prints. I eventually moved camp within my hosting location, and that behavior stopped. I also gave more respect to the lion territory and hunting times.  Eventually the camp got posted for Lion, not unusual here.

I and others had a few problems with theft which no one expected. We learned to run a secured cable through any items left outside in the camp. I was told by longtime campers in the area that the problem with theft was new, and did not need to take the precautions in the past seasons. Items stolen included coolers & food, gas, gas cans, chairs, a refrigerator, a jet boil.

Mom's wisdom: My mom never travels alone when she is solo. She takes an extra hat and rigs up a "dummy" to sit in the passenger seat. To make a dummy, strap a backpack into the passenger seatbelt, and clip a hat on top. Mom says that the dummy companion is an effective deterrent.

One of my friends (male) did decide that fulltiming was too dangerous, and moved back to S&B. He camped remote and had a health crisis way up there by himself.     ~crofter

 

[LivGolden]

Wow!

 

[Dingfelder]

One of my mother's friends told her circle of girlfriends, mostly widows who met every week for cards and cake, that she had a new secret admirer.  He sent her lovenotes that she told them about over a period of weeks.  They were all excited for her as she told them more and more about him, while still never having met him.  She showed them a picture of him that he had sent, a graying but vigorous-looking outdoorsy guy, and told them something like, he was an engineer who had taken early retirement to work on his own ranch.  One day she said she had really fallen for him, and that if they got along when they met in person this week, she would like to take him along on an upcoming trip in her remodeled Airstream trailer that she had been planning for a while.  She was going to meet him in a few days and would bring him over to the next cards and cake night.  All the ladies were so happy for her and excited to meet him.

And they loved him when they met him.  He was very handsome, with big shoulders and a nice smile, and inflated to over six feet tall!  He was very easy to get along with.  She put a cowboy hat on him and stuck him in the driver's seat on her next vacation.