Got a knock today, Flagstaff Wal-Mart

[unicutie]

I don't normally sleep over at wall mart, mainly because booooo walmart! And because there is plenty of good camping around. But i'm looking for work so i'm at a coffee shop every day and wanted to save some gas. So, I've stayed there a few times before, there's always a ton of rvs and they don't bother anyone. I guess that's changed as the manager came and knocked on my window at 8am today. At least it was a manager and not a cop i guess. Just a heads up though. And a bit of a gripe about it. To be fair there were a couple of pretty grimy rvs that have definitely been permacamped there for at least a couple of months.

 

[slynne]

I have heard that it is a good idea to go inside and talk to the manager *before* spending the night. At the very least, when the day manager comes knocking, you can say that you spoke to [Insert Name of Night Manager].

 

[unicutie]

That may be so in some circumstances, however the walmarts in flag have a no overnight parking policy which they've been simply not enforcing. I'm gonna guess it's the welcome - overstayers and possibly all the pan handlers that may have warranted this clamp down. Anyway the point is if you're in flag you may not be quite so welcome there anymore as in the past, whatever their reasoning may be.

 

[user 423]

Wow,that's twice now I've read on this forum that WMs will ask those in vans to leave but don't bother RVs. What's up with that? Do they figure RV owners spend more money?

 

[John61CT]

Just having more money implies more trustworthy to many.

 

[lenny flank]

Wow,that's twice now I've read on this forum that WMs will ask those in vans to leave but don't bother RVs. What's up with that?  Do they figure RV owners spend more money?

Alas it tends to be the van-dwellers who dump trash (and pee bottles) in the lot, make noise at all hours of the night, and get obnoxious to customers or each other. And the homeless folks tend to have vans or cars instead of RVs.

Keep in mind too though that it's the manager who sets the policy for each store, and many Walmarts change managers like we change socks. So the policy on parking can literally change overnight--then change back again in a few months.

In 2.5 years of Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking all over the country, I've only had one Walmart ask me to leave ("no vans allowed"), and have not had a problem at any Cracker Barrel.

 

[lenny flank]

That may be so in some circumstances, however the walmarts in flag  have a no overnight parking policy which they've been simply not enforcing. I'm gonna guess it's the welcome - overstayers and possibly all the pan handlers that may have warranted this clamp down. Anyway the point is if you're in flag you may not be quite so welcome there anymore as in the past, whatever their reasoning may be.

Virtually all the major towns in AZ have no-parking policies. I stayed in Cracker Barrels the entire time I was in AZ.

 

[lenny flank]

Just having more money implies more trustworthy to many.

It also helps to not look like a homeless person, and to not have a rusted-out vehicle that is crammed full of junk.

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm gonna guess it's the welcome - overstayers and possibly all the pan handlers that may have warranted this clamp down. 

The pan handlers are most likely costing WM revenue loss. Pan handlers tend to set a vibe that is not positive about the locale. I know that if I constantly get hit up for money at a certain location, I will go elsewhere instead. Shoppers will be Leary of parking their cars in locations like that for fear of getting them broken into.
WM managers most likely know this too.

 

[bullfrog]

I'd say thank you for waiting until morning and not just calling the police. There are so many places close by in Flagstaff and good bicycle paths that there is no reason to cause problems.

 

[jonsun]

That may be so in some circumstances, however the walmarts in flag  have a no overnight parking policy which they've been simply not enforcing. I'm gonna guess it's the welcome - overstayers and possibly all the pan handlers that may have warranted this clamp down. Anyway the point is if you're in flag you may not be quite so welcome there anymore as in the past, whatever their reasoning may be.

about the panhandlers....I cannot believe how many advocate this on certain other forums. I mean there's hordes of kids who think its totally hip to vandwell by means of panhandling. like the notion of not doing so is so foreign to them I can almost hear the gears in their heads churning at the notion there's something super shity about it.

If there's an end to this life, that's where its gonna come from.

 

[slynne]

I wonder if the Cracker Barrel is to "unhip" for the hipster panhandlers?

 

[tx2sturgis]

Is that lot still open across from Little America? according to this GoogleMaps screen capture, it is.

I've not been there in a few years. I used to park there quite often. It was noisy, and kinda smoky in the winter from all the idling trucks....but it was available for overnight stays.

And maybe you could alternate between there and Little America itself. Or the BLM/NF land nearby.

 

[user 423]

about the panhandlers... I mean there's hordes of kids who think its totally hip to vandwell by means of panhandling.

I wonder how many slackers will be heading to the Houston area to grab one of the thousands of jobs available to help rebuild?

 

[GotSmart]

In Columbia MO the Conoly Rd WM has a sign saying "No overnight parking please."  This was to have a trashed rig move on.  The security car parks at the top of the lot.  I parked across from him for several nights. No problem. 

But then I am sure the camera picked me up gathering trash on my way into the store and spending a lot of money.

 

[lenny flank]

But then I am sure the camera picked me up gathering trash on my way into the store and spending a lot of money.

I spend money in the Walmart the whole time I am there, too---food, water, paper towels, whatever.

I also try to be  good neighbor. I make no noise or light or other disturbance, I dump no trash and make no mess in the parking lot, I don’t look like a homeless person, I stay in the back of the van compartment where I am not visible, I don’t bother anybody, and I attract no attention. Nobody even knows that I am there.

 

[Wabbit]

...I mean there's hordes of kids who think its totally hip to vandwell by means of panhandling. like the notion of not doing so is so foreign to them I can almost hear the gears in their heads churning at the notion there's something super shity about it...

What's "super shity" about pan handling? Jesus was a pan handler.

 

[highdesertranger]

ok knock it off with the panhandler stuff. highdesertranger

 

[unicutie]

Well he wasn't just going to the vans, he seemed to be going around to every vehicle that had stayed overnight. He woke me up so i didn't answer i just left. My vans a little dusty but i don't think it looks bad, i doubt that was the reason. There's this rv that's been there literally months with a bunch of yappy dogs inside. I heard them going nuts just before he knocked so I think the mgr knocked there as well. I peeked out and saw him approaching another rv. Cracker barrel, that's a good idea. I've never stayed at little America. I just decided to head back to a1 for a few days, I'll check those out on my next trip to town; i have an interview Tuesday so if that goes well it will be less of an issue.

 

[MarkK]

I think most of the policies are driven by local governance. Many municipalities have laws against the overnight activity and the businesses comply.