RVers Please stop

[RonDean]

If I ever leave my car and don’t move into a house or apartment then I would buy a Class B and continue stealth. Where I live in Los Angeles people are starting to get really angry. We have certain major streets that have been settled by RVers. Why do you group together? People are running generators late at night and have been caught on video dumping human waste in the streets and tossing garbage out. These RVs are huge and obvious and when there are 7 or 8 lined up like it’s a free RV Park you ruin it for the rest of us. In my hometown they have made rules that you can’t park an “oversized” RV in your own driveway. Believe me we will no longer be allowed to park on the streets overnight soon. There are a lot of stealth cars and vans that are quiet and respectful but these areas of huge RVs permanently parked are awful. And what makes people think they can dump urine and feces on public streets or toss garbage out the window? We are having serious fights over the overwhelming number of homeless lining the streets living in tents for blocks on end and now attention is turning to the growing number of RVs. They are ruining the lifestyle for the rest of us.

Lerca: I understand your concerns. Just as I understand those of people and businesses that have to cope with homelessness on the street. Unfortunately, we have yet to deal with the causes and provide better options. If not more and higher pay and lower living costs, maybe just approved empty lots with toilet facilities?

Living on the street, with RV or otherwise, in most cases is a symptom of a broken system (not broken people) and few alternatives. Every day there are more people, due to income disparity, lack of affordable housing, or other reasons, that find themselves unable to live in traditional housing. Once on the road/street, there are few services (such as waste and sewage disposal) for people to use. I still abhor just dumping it - but I can understand some folks have fewer options on how to deal with this.

Until society actually takes this seriously and invests sufficient resources and makes a systemic change this will probably continue.

 

[rruff]

Living on the street, with RV or otherwise, in most cases is a symptom of a broken system (not broken people) and few alternatives.

All too often the people are broken as well...

 

[Sky]

The number of people living or trying to live the mobile lifestyle has increased dramatically. The word on the net is that public land is the place you want to be so load up whatever you can live in and stay on public lands rent free. For every RV sold someone is fitting out a school bus, cargo truck or trailer, van, SUV or car into a living space.

Full timers, locals and weekenders are all jockeying for a place to park up for the night. Even with a 14 day limit, when someone rolls out someone else then rolls. Many are traveling/camping responsibly and respectfully, some are not.

It’s difficult to dance within the different socioeconomic circles without stepping on someone’s toes. One has to be mindful about what they say and how they say it.

Cheers well stated ! While it is a tempting pass time to fault others, many seem to lack compassion and understanding of the deeper dynamics forever keeping the majority squabbling over the scraps and discards of Corporate Infinite Industrialization and waste including what they deem as 'human capitol' which is also disposable. Seriously we are all one health crisis be it a heart attack, brain annuerism, auto accident or the many debilitating neuro-immune diseases away from ended up in dire situations.

 

[Sky]

Lerca: I understand your concerns. Just as I understand those of people and businesses that have to cope with homelessness on the street. Unfortunately, we have yet to deal with the causes and provide better options. If not more and higher pay and lower living costs, maybe just approved empty lots with toilet facilities?

Living on the street, with RV or otherwise, in most cases is a symptom of a broken system (not broken people) and few alternatives. Every day there are more people, due to income disparity, lack of affordable housing, or other reasons, that find themselves unable to live in traditional housing. Once on the road/street, there are few services (such as waste and sewage disposal) for people to use. I still abhor just dumping it - but I can understand some folks have fewer options on how to deal with this.

Until society actually takes this seriously and invests sufficient resources and makes a systemic change this will probably continue.

WoW RonDean Thank you for saying that so well, so eloquently and exactly my sentiment. I wanted to say something similar but just felt inept at doing so as I was too negatively affected by the amount of venting here. So TRUE !! We are living in a system which has perpetuated very opinionated disdain for those who do not or refuse to fit into it and it is designed to divide and conquer at any costs forever allowing those recipients of the less to pay the price. I got a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge recently in a Happy New Year Greeting and because I was from SF CA originally, all I could think of is how my grandmother lamented to me of how many lost their lives building that bridge. I thought how so many people are oblivious to that fact and how many events and considerations are lost among the beneficiaries of such things.

 

[WanderingRose]

You don’t see a lot of Atheist Disaster Services or Secular Humanist Charities groups out there, for whatever reason. Sometimes you have to take the “ick” with the “sweet!” Life can be a tangle that way.

Exactly. Tho not a religious person myself, I understand those that feel the power of prayer and have gratefully accepted their prayers for me and mine in times of need.

 

[RonDean]

Exactly. Tho not a religious person myself, I understand those that feel the power of prayer and have gratefully accepted their prayers for me and mine in times of need.

I am an unapologetic atheist. However much harm I might believe religion(s) have done, the fact that religious groups DO help those in need when no one else will step up should not be overlooked.

That said, in the US we have something called government which the constitution specifies as non-religious. THAT is the institution I would prefer to see stepping up. And there would be no reason to have to endure an attempt at religious conversion to get a little help.

 

[Ripper238]

I am an unapologetic atheist. However much harm I might believe religion(s) have done, the fact that religious groups DO help those in need when no one else will step up should not be overlooked.

That said, in the US we have something called government which the constitution specifies as non-religious. THAT is the institution I would prefer to see stepping up. And there would be no reason to have to endure an attempt at religious conversion to get a little help.

Reminds me of the nine most terrifying words in the English language: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.

 

[WanderingRose]

…in the US we have something called government which the constitution specifies as non-religious. THAT is the institution I would prefer to see stepping up.

We really don’t want state or federal government trying to resolve the myriad issues of the homeless across this country. IMHO

And we need to be careful as we drift a bit off topic, here, lest we violate topic and content rules.

 

[NctryBen]

I agree and share the feelings of the OP...
As people get bolder about bending the rules/ laws and making it harder to enforce laws and create problems as originally posted... your going to see stricter enforcement and total ability to live in vehicles squashed. Your seeing it on BLM lands and for sure you’ll see it in cities and towns everywhere. Government shouldn’t have to do any more then they do. At some point people need to take responsibility for themselves and the more government helps the worse this all has gotten. The point is... homeless, house less, whatever... people need to respect what is available. Treat things with more gratitude. But as people are let be, and handed more whatever they appreciate it all less and less. Eventually it’s going to bite everyone...
Good reminder with this post that we need to remember to be considerate and maybe help someone having a struggle.
Most everyone I have followed on the stealth and vehicle living thing has tried to instill being respectful and considerate! This clearly isn’t and should not be tolerated by anyone.

 

[rruff]

We really don’t want state or federal government trying to resolve the myriad issues of the homeless across this country. IMHO

Do you understand why leaving it up to local communities cannot work?

 

[DannyB1954]

I left LA in the 80's and I am curious why would anyone remain there living especially in a vehicle?

Old saying, birds of a feather flock together. One parks somewhere for a week and all the others say me too. Close to begging spots, liquor stores, dope dealers, social services like food hand outs. Most cities have a squatter zone. Who wants them anywhere else?
40 years ago I was in long beach Ca. A woman on the sidewalk backs up to a restaurant window, pulls up her dress, bends over and pees on the window. A Police Officer was there and I asked if he was going to do anything about her. He said, " I ain't putting her in my car". She went off down the road shouting at buses.

 

[RonDean]

Do you understand why leaving it up to local communities cannot work?

Local resources are too limited in most cases. We need something like Finland, which has become the first country to adopt a NATIONAL "housing first" approach to homelessness. It WORKS!

Although homelessness and RV-related activities are not really what most of our community is composed of, reaction to that does affect our community. Even if we did not care about other people (and we really should), it will still affect us.

 

[rruff]

Local resources are too limited in most cases.

The way most communities deal with it is to simply "persuade" the homeless to leave. Harass, beat them, fine them... even buy them bus tickets. Many communities, like the one I currently live in, have zero issues with homeless because they aren't tolerated by the authorities. So the places that are nice to them quickly become overburdened. The homeless are mobile if they are functional at all. They will congregate in places where they are treated well and the weather is nice.

So the "reward" for local communities helping the homeless is that they get way more than their share of the burden... and the $$$ come out of the local community. That is obviously not a functional system. There needs to be national funding, not local.