New city law would ban RV camping in Anchorage parking lots

[cyndi]

http://www.adn.com/article/20160219/new-city-law-would-ban-rv-camping-anchorage-parking-lots

"[font=Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif]A proposal before an Anchorage Assembly committee would ban the popular tourist practice of overnight vehicle camping in commercial parking lots, such as Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer."[/font]

 

[rvwandering]

Cyndi, I saw this article somewhere else and thought that it was a little strange because when we were visiting Alaska five years ago there was a overnight RV parking ban then. We were parked in a Walmart in Anchorage, along with several other RVs and vans. We got the knock and we're told by Walmart security that we could not park there. They directed us to another big box lot ( Home Depot maybe?) where we were also not allowed to park. We ended up staying a good distance from the city in a public campground for the rest of our stay in the area. Anchorage was the only place where we had any problem. So anyone going to Alaska should be aware that even if this ban is not official they still may not be allowed to stay in a lot in Anchorage.

 

[akrvbob]

Same thing for me, every parking lot in town has signs saying no overnight parking. I asked at the Walmart and the security guy said no, he would call the police.

I know how to stealth park and my van fits in well so we just stealth parked somewhere else but without stealth we would have been rousted.
Bob

 

[danman81]

You know, akrvbob, the united states today is not the same united states of the past. A lot of people on this forum advocate against stealth because they say it makes you look suspicious, and while that may be true in some cases, or some places, people really have something horrible against van dwellers for some reason. As van dwelling becomes more popular with today's super high cost of living, so does the movement against van dwellers. Stealth is now a hugely important thing for van dwellers. I don't think that was the case 50 years ago when van dwelling was started by the counter culture movement, but today is 2016 and times have changed so much. Some people on this forum don't understand that we're not just trying to "hide", but I'm really just trying to protect myself. It's really no different than trying to hide my bank account pin number or password in today's age of security, and what's more important than security? Very very few things. Without security you really don't have anything at all.

 

[SoulRaven]

You know, akrvbob, the united states today is not the same united states of the past.  A lot of people on this forum advocate against stealth because they say it makes you look suspicious, and while that may be true in some cases, or some places, people really have something horrible against van dwellers for some reason.  As van dwelling becomes more popular with today's super high cost of living, so does the movement against van dwellers.  Stealth is now a hugely important thing for van dwellers.  I don't think that was the case 50 years ago when van dwelling was started by the counter culture movement, but today is 2016 and times have changed so much.  Some people on this forum don't understand that we're not just trying to "hide", but I'm really just trying to protect myself.  It's really no different than trying to hide my bank account pin number or password in today's age of security, and what's more important than security?  Very very few things.  Without security you really don't have anything at all.

I am mainly a city camper, in a window van, and I don't even try to hide.  Security is in the neighbors knowing who you are and exactly what you're doing.  Your neighbors are the best security you can get, you watch out for them, and they will watch out for you.

I find the people who live in the larger middle class apartment complexes, where there is overflow parking out onto the street, to be a great place to park.  While the majority of the people are non judgmental, or curious about your lifestyle, even those who disagree will usually just make a comment like "It's a free country", or "It's a public street", and leave it at that.

I never give a thought as to whether it is technically legal in whatever city or not.  On the very rare occasion that I get rousted, they will usually be very helpful in telling you where you can park.  Unlike when I had a cargo van, with window vans I have always been treated with respect by both cops and security guards.

Generally people aren't afraid of what they can see and understand.  It's when you start trying to hide that attracts a lot of negative attention, and possibly a call to the cops.  Obvious campers, who are not doing anything to cause people to be worried or angry, are not usually considered to be much of a threat.

Of course this only works if your vehicle is legal to be parked on the street to start with.  Camper vans usually aren't a problem.

 

[livesimply5]

If Anyone is interested I just stayed at the Costco. I called and asked they said it was fine for a few days. It was below 20 degrees..burr. It felt safe And quiet there.

 

[westriver]

I came through Anchorage this past summer and was surprised to see that the Wal-Mart lot looked like it was a clean retail operation and not, as it was before the parking ban, a cross between an RV lot and a seedy junkyard. The big local retailers have little choice but to stop offering their lots as no cost camping facilities. In the past we typically stopped at this Wal-Mart to resupply as we were heading to the Kenai, or up to Tok to start back down the AK. Highway. For at least a decade the place was a barely controlled mess, with everything from respectful overnighters keeping to themselves, to travel trailers that were dropped off, and folks with grilles, lawn chairs and coolers sitting around, who obviously were settled in for the long term. This was mixed in with rigs that didn't look like they were even roadworthy and rough looking homeless guys. Doesn't matter what your opinion is, when you see a scene like that, it sure as heck isn't doing the business any good. Anchorage is a special place. There are few decent camping options in and near town. The few that exist, are full all summer, and there are lots of folks that want be there. It eventually degraded into a mess, since too many people overloaded the free parking opportunities, and a significant portion of those people were abusive slobs.

 

[gcal]

8

I came through Anchorage this past summer and was surprised to see that the Wal-Mart lot looked like it was a clean retail operation and not, as it was before the parking ban, a cross between an RV lot and a seedy junkyard. The big local retailers have little choice but to stop offering their lots as no cost camping facilities. In the past we typically stopped at this Wal-Mart to resupply as we were heading to the Kenai, or up to Tok  to start back down the AK. Highway. For at least a decade the place was a barely controlled mess, with everything from respectful overnighters keeping to themselves, to travel trailers that were dropped off, and folks with grilles, lawn chairs and coolers sitting around, who obviously were settled in for the long term. This was mixed in with rigs that didn't look like they were even roadworthy and rough looking homeless guys.  Doesn't matter what your opinion is, when you see a scene like that, it sure as heck isn't doing the business any good. Anchorage is a special place. There are few decent camping options in and near town. The few that exist, are full all summer, and there are lots of folks that want be there. It eventually degraded into a mess, since too many people overloaded the free parking opportunities, and a significant portion of those people were abusive slobs.

And there is the answer to why as van dwellers increase, so does hostility towards them increase.  Same with some stealthers who apparently have never looked up "stealth" in the dictionary. 

We used to own a house on a beach access road in FL. There were a van that used to come 20 years ago and park quietly overnight when we first moved in. He was gone in the morning without  leaving a sign before most of the neighorhood went to work. The van looked like it belonged in the neighborhood - clean, well maintained work van in a working class neighborhood. I don't think many of the neighbors even knew or cared that it was there.

Then, they widened our road to make it into a main access road. Our guy disappeared and a whole different bunch started showing up. The vans were a mess. They started leaving a mess (garbage, pee bottles, etc.) They were still there in the morning,  making people nervous about leaving their houses empty and scaring the older residents. The police were called and everyone got, and still gets, chased away.

 

[buckwilk]

This, unfortunately, may be the future. I often move because I don't want to be associated with the people camped around me in towns. That's why NF and BLM make so much more sense to me.