Salem, OR: Homeless...can no longer stay overnight at Walmart

[Mizzi]

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...almart-parking-long-rvs-vans-cars/1029788001/

Applies to Mid-Willamette Valley in Oregon, near Salem

As the heading and above link states Homeless in RVs, vans and cars can no longer stay overnight at Walmart. It seems that the more people now deciding to join the on road gypsy life style of freedom and no baggage or constraints the more that they are going to be met with resistance, rules and regulations.

I don't know about anyone else but i can see this becoming a big problem a few years from now

[Edited by mod to include working link and context, in quote.  Edited title to indicate Salem, OR.]

 

[John61CT]

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...almart-parking-long-rvs-vans-cars/1029788001/

Applies to Mid-Willamette Valley in Oregon, near Salem

 

[Almost There]

The thread title is very misleading...the  newspaper article relates to 1 or 2 Walmarts in Salem Oregon NOT all WalMarts across the nation.

The problem of the homeless overusing local Walmarts for permanent housing is fairly widespread in the larger urban areas and there is no easy answer.

Sam Walton never intended the W/M parking lots to be used for housing the homeless. As an avid RVr himself his intention was for them to be used by the RV traveler for one nights stay while on the road. Too many are abusing the privilege by staying for nights and weeks on end.

Most of the stores where overnight parking is forbidden have been forced in to rescinding the privilege extended to us because of overuse by locals rather than the traveller. Other prohibitions have been forced on the local managers by city/town councils who have been convinced (erroneously) that it will force the travelling public in to the local campgrounds. In reality, the majority of the travellling public keep on going and spend their money where they are welcome!

IMO, the problem will continue to exist in larger urban areas whereas the more suburban WalMarts won't see the same problem.

Me, I bypass the larger urban areas and their W/Ms anyways...if it's within 30 or 40 miles of a large urban area, I'm on the highway getting through the city, not stopping for the night. If the WalMarts in an area are all not allowing overnight, I can always find someplace else or just keep on driving.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

In Santa Barbara they have banned RVs from parking on the street at all. It is the  modern American way to try to solve problems by coming up with new rules and regulations. It hurts good people more than bad.

 

[Iggy]

This story affects me. My home base is in Salem and I'm often in Woodburn. There goes a couple of my occasional spots. I've noticed a general tightening up in this area. I was asked to leave the Planet Fitness parking lot at 3 in the morning a couple nights ago. A parking lot by WinCo is now being monitored. The police seem to be driving thru parks more often.
There's not a huge amount of places to park safely overnight around here and each spot lost makes it a little tougher. But two friends offered me space at their houses if I get in a temporary bind, so that helps.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Motrukdriver]

Out here in the Midwest we have Walmarts with lined off designated truck parking spots. Some even have designated RV areas to park. Been out to Oregon a few times driving the big truck. Pretty state from what I saw.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

A few ruin it for the many. An old story.

 

[saracatherine]

I do think all of this will be an increasing problem as the gap between the haves and have-nots continues to grow, and housing is less and less affordable everywhere there are actually jobs. There was a story on NPR in the last few weeks about a guy renting out vans in the L.A. area for people who had jobs there but could not afford an apartment. He just has this fleet of vans he rents out like any landlord, and moves them every three days and texts the location to the renter... I don’t know. I do think as vehicle-living-by-choice becomes more common there will more people who see it as a problem in need of rules, as other posters in this thread have said...

 

[DLTooley]

This story affects me. My home base is in Salem and I'm often in Woodburn.

Any thoughts on Corvallis and Eugene?

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't blame Wal-Mart. I have seen the issues with this in the Tucson area before the Wal-Mart stopped the overnight parking there. I know that AZ and FL in particular had a problem with people moving there and trying to live parked on the streets and in parking lots, LOTS of people. Hygiene quickly becomes a problem with that many dumping this, that and everything else on the streets and sidewalks. Yep, a few ruining it for everyone else.

 

[Iggy]

Any thoughts on Corvallis and Eugene?

I've never overnighted in Corvallis and rarely been there. I'm heading for Eugene in a few days to explore. Always stayed in Springfield at WinCo or at the gym, when I was in that area. I've read it's easy to stay in the industrial part of Eugene with a van. Guess I'll find out! Btw, Eugene has possibly the nicest and best equipped library I've ever been to. And the homeless services are supposed to be the best around.

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[Wanderer]

I wonder how they will prove someone is homeless.  If you have a drivers license it should have a "home" address on it. So hopefully all those "homeless" folk driving their vans and RVs are licensed.


Jewellann

I went to the local "Share House" and they gave me the paperwork so that the DMV had my license showing their addy, but sent it to my mailbox.

There's many ways around the rules of a "Real Address"


Regarding Walmart, the one on 104th ave in Vancouver has now a roving guard. Now the only people who are permitted to stay overnight are those in those $60K or more expensive looking RV's....

The 192nd Walmart and the new one of Fourth Plain also leave tow notices or will confront you and demand you leave.

 

[mkitchen]

Mo and I lived in a converted bread van back in the 70's (called housecars back then) and we had the same issues that are occurring now.  There really isn't much in the way of places to park and live within a housecar.  My question is this; who's responsibility is it to provide a place to live for people?  In the 70's we had a heck of a time since we did not have the funds for recognized RV spots nor would they let rif-raf like us in their pristene parks.  We did find a nice beach north of Santa Cruz CA and stayed there for a few months but some of the people that moved in were bums and made such a mess that we were all thrown out.  

My understanding is that this forum is for people who choose to live cheaply and be mobile.  If you are in a van or RV because you have no other choices, than that is a totally different situation than living simply within a van by choice.  Not an easy solution.  I do know of some people who live in the forests around Flagstaff and use a cell phone for day labor work and that seems to work.  

I wish I knew of an answer but there does not seem to be an easy asnwer to this issue.  I don't care for WalMart and don't shop there and would not stay there.  I do understand that the policy of allowing RV's there was simply a gesture to those that are traveling who might need a spot to rest overnight.  That gesture has been severely abused and I can understand the stores recinding the practice.  Are we really living on our own when we take advantage of public toilets and wash facilities for purposes that they were never intended for?  
Mikey

 

[Wanderer]

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/sto...almart-parking-long-rvs-vans-cars/1029788001/


As the heading and above link states Homeless in RVs, vans and cars can no longer stay overnight at Walmart. It seems that the more people now deciding to join the on road gypsy life style of freedom and no baggage or constraints the more that they are going to be met with resistance, rules and regulations.

I don't know about anyone else but i can see this becoming a big problem a few years from now

Funny to realize that a suggestion from some "Stealth Campers" has value. I have several apartment complexes where they overflow the parking and park on the street. I have seen RV's that I KNOW they live out of their vehicle (Met a few) and they'll pull in late and leave early.

In my situation I am fortunate and I'm not too sure how long it'll continue. I still park in the lot of my former work. Even on a Sat/Sun night and have had MetroWatch and VPD cruise by, NONE have ever bothered me.

I attributed this to other campers not knowing of the place, or seeing the patrols or even possibly the agencies having seen my van there for 2 years have no issues since I cause no issues.  In by 6-9pm  and out by 6 am.....

I used to also park in a movie theatre parking lot. They'd turn off the parking lights  by 2 am. But when I went to graveyard for my employer, I stopped. I could go back, but since no one bothers me in the parking lot, I will continue till chased out.

 

[lenny flank]

 I will continue till chased out.

Alas, you are just asking for trouble.

Keep in mind that NOBODY, ANYWHERE, will let you "live in their parking lot" indefinitely. Nobody. People who try to do this are the primary cause for all of the anti-parking laws that are popping up in cities all over the US. 

You will need a number of different spots to park, the higher the number the better, and then rotate among all of them, staying no more than a night or two at each. The idea is to not be at any one spot long enough or often enough to become a PITA, or even to be noticed. Once you ARE noticed, the game is over, you will get your ass booted out, and it becomes that much more likely that the city will then pass new laws to deal with "this problem".

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Thread closed. Need to remove political posts. For forum policy, see https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=6465

 

[VanDwellerMod]

Thread re-opened. Keep the politics out of it please.

 

[saracatherine]

Wow...hm, okay! Over 20 years on message boards and I’ve never had a post deleted. It stings! I confess I’m a little perplexed that civil discussions about these ideas can’t take place, while people seem free to snipe pretty sharply at each other on other topics. Perplexed, that is, if the goal is civility. Which maybe is not the goal. FWIW, in my mind the topic was more sociology than politics, but lesson learned and I will hithee to other contexts to talk about these things! I know message board moderation is not a fun job, thank you for doing it.

 

[Wanderer]

Alas, you are just asking for trouble.

Keep in mind that NOBODY, ANYWHERE, will let you "live in their parking lot" indefinitely. Nobody. People who try to do this are the primary cause for all of the anti-parking laws that are popping up in cities all over the US. 

You will need a number of different spots to park, the higher the number the better, and then rotate among all of them, staying no more than a night or two at each. The idea is to not be at any one spot long enough or often enough to become a PITA, or even to be noticed. Once you ARE noticed, the game is over, you will get your ass booted out, and it becomes that much more likely that the city will then pass new laws to deal with "this problem".

 FYI I have been sleeping there since Sep. It in fact has signs prohibiting what I am doing.... No complaints
VMC prohibits parking overnight in all parking lots, that's been on the books for years.
Seems the VPD and MetroWatch either are blind or don't have any problems with me there.

As I said "I don't cause issues" if I was leaving garbage and other (Ick) stuff, yes they'd be after me fast. That's been a reason that Walmarts have now banned the practice.  Why? Because people were leaving garbage and junk. I don't. 

I never said I'd be there forever, but frankly, as I have been there for 5 months, I tend not to worry they'll come after me. As an aside, sure I know many places I can park overnight. I'm not interested in playing "Parking Bingo" at this time. Maybe later if need be.

 

[deadwood]

My first rule of parking is to never park in a parking lot. They are all privately owned and the owners can put any sort of restrictions that they want to. It is their property after all. And when people abuse the privilege the the privilege gets taken away.

Parking on streets is legal pretty much anywhere unless otherwise posted. I wouldn't park in front of someones house or anyplace that I thought someone might call the police for a "courtesy check". My favorite spots are by apartments where others have to park on the street. You don't know who belongs where and you are not in front of anyone's house. I just try to blend in with the other vehicles.