parking in side streets/cul de sacs? police

[GASBO]

Hi, i tend to stick to quiet residential areas to park my van now...feel alot safer than some layby in the country but last night i got a knock on the door...it was the ol' bill wanting to know why i was parked there...i said i pay my road tax i can park where i like...i told him someone must have alerted the police and asked him for their name so i could have a chat with them and put their mind at rest that i wasnt some criminal but he wouldnt give me their name...anyway he just said that i think you should find somewhere else to park...so what are my rights? i think i'll use that place again...tend to vary my spots.

 

[Guest]

Well, that's a tough one dude. I would start by not sassing them personally. I tend to get more bees with honey if ya know what I mean. As far as rights go, I am not a lawyer but I would imagine it changes based on where you're at. Cities tend to have strict or lax rules for everything.<br /><br />Maybe next time strike up a&nbsp;conversation with the guy and pick his brain a bit... it should not be that hard given the average IQ of most cops I have met.<br />&nbsp;

 

[SoulRaven]

Here we go again...

 

[Pikachu711]

One sign of where NOT to park is in any neighborhood that has "Neighborhood Watch" signs posted. I know that this is "given", but these little signs are a sure indicator of a possible LEO/SO encounter.&nbsp;Most of these signs mention that they pay attention to unfamiliar vehicles. Do yourselves a favor and avoid these type neighborhoods.

 

[She]

Cul de sac? Sorry thats one place I wouldn't park. Just my personal&nbsp;opinion. On a side street I would but I think you up the chance somebody will call the police about a strange van parked there.&nbsp;

 

[mockturtle]

I would definitely avoid residential areas.

 

[psytechguy]

I currently live in a cul-de-sac, and my neighbors and I are highly aware of any unknown vehicles that may linger or park.<br /><br />Over the 10 years I've lived here we've had a number of break-ins, so folks tend to watch out for each other and are aware of any traffic that's not the norm.<br /><br />I would imagine it's like this in most neighborhoods, so no, parking in a cul-de-sac isn't very advisable or stealthy! You WILL be noticed.

 

[Pikachu711]

Look for neighborhoods of&nbsp;older homes. I used to patrol/check vacant homes in a neighborhood of older homes. These homes were all "rentals" so there were&nbsp;a variety of vehicles parked in this neighborhood. At the time I only suspected that a van or two were van dwellers. After doing much more research on van dwelling here I'm CERTAIN that there were two or three van dwellers parked in that area.&nbsp;There were also several older apartment complexes there as well.&nbsp;Seeing a new vehicle or two was commonplace. A new van or two didn't get my attention.

 

[freenez2]

I wouldn't depend on a feeling of entitlement when parking... Police aren't going to side with you.

 

[ParadiseParrot]

Safer than the country? I don't now about you but I was told that the Giant Rabid Killer Squirrels had gone extinct. Forget about criminals and squirrels and stay away from ol' bill and his friends.