Suburban parking

[emme32]

I've been part timing for a while in my SUV, will be going full time soon.  I currently live in a five story apartment building in a suburb.  There's lots of parking on the streets outside, which is where I currently park, as do many of the residents because the resident parking lot is not big enough. I'm thinking I'll just keep parking here, at the end of the street.  I have a full time job, so I need to stay in the area.  I'll do all the normal stealth rules; I'll only be there from 10pm to 6am.  I figure my neighbors are already used to seeing my vehicle parked there, and it is registered there, in case the cops run my plates.  My main concern is that someone might see me pull up and notice that I never get out, but how often do people stand looking out their windows at night?  

Does this sound like a good plan?  I've never staying in one place more than one night before, but I've never full timed before.  If worse come to worse a friend offered me her driveway (I can't live with her because she has pets, and I'm allergic), but that would mean a 24 mile commute each way, which will get costly.  My SUV is newer, clean, and I run a black fleece curtain behind the front seats, with reflectix covered with black fleece in the back windows.  I plan to crawl from the front seat into the back while parked facing away from the building.  I'll be parked facing a parking lot for the office building across the street.

 

[lenny flank]

In general, staying at the same place all the time is a bad idea.

What you want to have is a large number of safe places to park (the more the better) and rotate between them so you are not in the same place often enough to be noticed.

 

[emme32]

In general, staying at the same place all the time is a bad idea.

What you want to have is a large number of safe places to park (the more the better) and rotate between them so you are not in the same place often enough to be noticed.

Darn.  I figured since I've already been noticed since I currently live here no one would think anything of it.  

In my area, there aren't many decent places to park.  Car break ins have become a very serious issue, and most neighborhoods don't have street parking anymore to try to eliminate car dwelling.  The second best option is to park at the local Walmart 5 nights a week, hope people assume I'm working the overnight shift, then go to my friend's place for the weekend.  Or I could commute from her place.  I'm trying to keep costs down since I have health issues and big medical costs.

Thanks for getting back with me.

 

[[email protected]]

Darn.  I figured since I've already been noticed since I currently live here no one would think anything of it.  

In my area, there aren't many decent places to park.  Car break ins have become a very serious issue, and most neighborhoods don't have street parking anymore to try to eliminate car dwelling.  The second best option is to park at the local Walmart 5 nights a week, hope people assume I'm working the overnight shift, then go to my friend's place for the weekend.  Or I could commute from her place.  I'm trying to keep costs down since I have health issues and big medical costs.

Thanks for getting back with me.

Emme32 I think you have a great plan. Will you be driving the van to work each day and back in the evening? If so there will be normal vehicle activity. No one on the street will know you no longer live in the apartment building. Unless the city had a general crackdown on street parking you should not have a problem. If you are contacted by the police and told to move then you can deal with it. I would look for other potential sites such as hospitals, and shopping centers that have around the clock traffic. Best wishes. Jeff

 

[MrNoodly]

Are there ordinances where you live prohibiting living in vehicles?

 

[emme32]

Emme32 I think you have a great plan. Will you be driving the van to work each day and back in the evening? If so there will be normal vehicle activity. No one on the street will know you no longer live in the apartment building. Unless the city had a general crackdown on street parking you should not have a problem. If you are contacted by the police and told to move then you can deal with it. I would look for other potential sites such as hospitals, and shopping centers that have around the clock traffic. Best wishes. Jeff

Yeah, I'd be leaving every morning.  I'm currently out at parks most of the day as it is.  And I figure people are less likely to suspect someone of living in an SUV, especially with cold weather coming.  I just spent over an hour reading the city's codes, and there's nothing in them about sleeping in your vehicle except for semis and commercial trucks.  I figure I'll give it a go.  Being a midwest suburb, there's no shopping centers/stores open past 8pm except walmart.  If this fails I can rotate that and the hospital.  Thanks for the feedback.

 

[emme32]

Are there ordinances where you live prohibiting living in vehicles?

I just found out that there isn't but the surrounding suburbs do, so that would make walmart or the hospital a little trickier.  I'm hoping this works. I plan to be very careful.

 

[QinReno]

I assume night time temperatures in Missouri get below freezing. I believe it's obvious if someone is sleeping in their car in winter because the windows frost up on the inside.