Vandwelling is cool, but stealthing = homeless?

[Seajatt]

I apologize for the provocative title, but I've noticed something common on blogs and YT videos comments. On one hand, 'vandwelling' while traveling and taking instagram pictures is presently vogue. On the other, stealthing in the city, stacking money and living cheaply has negative connotations. I've seen plenty of remarks like: 'lacks ambition, is a poor trade-off, is lazy, 'a dumb way to live' in the context of stealthing.

In other words:
Vandwelling + Travel = positive connotations and 'I want to do this!'

Vs.

Vandwelling + Stealthing = homeless.

It's sort of a weird twist. It would appear that one form of vandwelling is more acceptable than another. I wonder what is driving this?

 

[Crazyoldgringo]

There is a caste system in many things. People in high priced motorhomes might look down their nose at a teardrop. Many people extol the virtues of van dwelling because they faced living in a refrigerator box so they put a positive spin on it. My self esteem and ego are healthy and don't care what anyone things.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Seminole Wind]

i would say, in general. the "public" has the mind set that if we are "hiding" (stealthing) then we must be up to no good. and to a point i can understand that. also, many times if not most, when people are trying real had to "stealth" they are trying to "camp/stay" in places they are not wanted or even allowed. if you are already not wanted in an area, no better way to stir up trouble then to sneak in to do it...

so, ya i would agree in general stealth (which seams to have the root "steal" in it...) brings a negative connotation from the general public.

where as if you are just out traveling and such you are not perceived in the same suspicious manner

 

[Seajatt]

Some interesting replies and food for thought. I'm going to go what is right by me, but it is a little disappointing to see some the close mindedness out there

 

[deadwood]

Van life equals a very affordable way to live in LA. This is basically my apartment. It’s just that I get killer views but have to move around regularly. But for the money I save on rent it’s well worth it.

It’s fun to go on trips and travel. The van is definitely perfect for that. But I work full time so for that the van is a great way to save a lot of money.

 

[ckelly78z]

In other words:
Vandwelling + Travel = positive connotations and 'I want to do this!'

Vs.

Vandwelling + Stealthing = homeless.

I have to agree with this, I have no desire whatsoever to stealth camp, while hiding from the authorities, or property owners. I camp to get out into nature, not hide in a box.
I fully understand why some of us are in a situation to have to stay in a city, and be stealthy, but bending the rules doesn't agree with me, or make me think highly of those that do.

 

[RoamerRV428]

yea go by how you feel about how you want to live your life....forget the 'labels' everyone puts on 'every single' darn thing out there in the world

now don't you be the judger either, in that you can't be looking down at people for wanting what they want and how they want to live LOL

I like what Gringo said, who cares what anyone thinks....their thinking is not your living your life as you see fit! Rock on without the drama this world throws at us.

 

[Gr8ful]

If you have to sneak around to do it you know it's not right. Period!

 

[lenny flank]

Meh, people can call me "homeless" if they want. I don't give a flying fig.

 

[bullfrog]

I seem to get called a lot worse and it just makes me smile cause I know I'm a lot happier than they will ever be!

 

[WILD@HEART]

Meh, people can call me "homeless" if they want.  I don't give a flying fig.  

Cheers to flying figs!..lol

 

[ped]

Im homeless and i vote

 

[hugemoth]

“Formerly, when how to get my living honestly, with freedom left for my proper pursuits, was a question which vexed me even more than it does now, for unfortunately I am become somewhat callous, I used to see a large box by the railroad, six feet long by three wide, in which the laborers locked up their tools at night; and it suggested to me that every man who was hard pushed might get one for a dollar, and, having bored a few auger holes in it to admit the air at least, get into it when it rained and at night, hook down the lid, and so have freedom in his love, and in his soul be free.”
–Henry David Thoreau

 

[flying kurbmaster]

They don;t seem any different to me, city dwelling or blm/forest dwelling, both are homeless both are looked down on, if you are just on your two week summer Holliday that is different and not really vandwelling although for the two weeks it is technically vandwelling, some may see this as cool. There is a new trend these days that young travellers are taking on for their Overseas experiences and backpacking in vans which is seen by their peers and parents as cool but really this is also frowned upon by the establishment due to the numbers, so laws are being churned out to limit free camping all over the world to stop people from leaving bits of toilet paper at unserviced rest stops or having young dishevelled foreign kids hanging out in two or three vans waking up at the dog walking park standing by the bushes scratching their std or washing up at the local swimming hole while filling the local councils garbage cans with noodle wrappings and used condoms. This has been encouraged by Utube and sites like this one, both have been very successful in making it sound cool, glamorous and easy. The kids do this once, shoot a lot of pictures, facebook, selfies, go back home to their clean duvet and mums cooking and talk about their experience for the rest of their lives while living in suburbia with their 2 1/4 children, When someone does something different from everyone else like real vandwelling or you divert from normal then you threaten the “normals” place, you force them to question what they are doing, that brings on fear that they may have to revisit their beliefs/culture which for some is threatening enough that they feel the need to push back so that is what they do. Vandwelling is not cool and is not about to become cool for the real Vandwellers for obvious reasons except for the very open minded which are on the decline, our cookie cutter society is churning out wally shoppers and McDoggy eaters by the truck loads. This is our futur hence in order to stay under the radar you have to be as stealth as possible or the authorities or the scared will come a knocking to move you on. On the up side, if there are so many doing this the authorities don’t have enough time or resources to keep knocking so for most vandwellers they get to sleep soundly except for the obvious ones that don’t understand staying under the radar.

 

[Seajatt]

I am whatever label someone chooses to apply. As long as I'm stacking my money and enjoying myself, I care very little about a stranger's opinion. That said, it's still a curious distinction at a sub-cultural level.

 

[Seminole Wind]

yea go by how you feel about how you want to live your life....forget the 'labels' everyone puts on 'every single' darn thing out there in the world

now don't you be the judger either, in that you can't be looking down at people for wanting what they want and how they want to live LOL  

I like what Gringo said, who cares what anyone thinks....their thinking is not your living your life as you see fit!  Rock on without the drama this world throws at us.

he is not talking about what people call it. he is talking about the different method or life style and how that is viewed differently by most. it really doesnt matter what you travel in. if you are out there going places in a nice rv or a beat up old bus. people in general see that as living a dream, many are even envious. i travel all over fishing, mushroom hunting camping and hiking in a ragged (inside n out) old skoolie that looks like crap. i rub shoulders with rich people and poor people. i get more wealthy lawyer types making the comment along the lines of "I wish i could do that" or "i envy your life style" because i figured out a way to get out there and do what they are slaving away and still only dreaming about.

but when you shack up in a van and duck and dodge to live in the city, doing the same thing every other person is doing in the rat race, ya, they look down on you. it might not be right, but that is how it is now. and to be brutally honest, the folks that are hiding and sneaking around "living" that way especially the border line ones that feel entitled to live in the home depot parking lot are bringing more negative scrutiny that brings legislation blocking the ability to spend a night here or there while passing through. heck here in oregon many of the roadside rest stops that were built and intended as a spot for weary travelers to sleep for the night have changed to no more than 4 hours after dark or some other nightly designation due to the "type" of van dweller that felt they were entitled to live in the roadside rests.

that is how it is, and as more displaced people turn to van dwelling as a way to survive it will continue to get worse. i can only hope there will be some common middle ground where areas and places are designated that that "style" of van dwelling will be permitted. so the travelers and gypsy nomads can go on about ther business

i know, it's only a dream...

 

[RoamerRV428]

I understood the poster LOL

I am saying forget labels and comments about how lifestyles are put into a box for the population to try to understand or 'how life is viewed' by others. Who cares one flying furball what other's think and label put on issues, like the poster said vandwelling and travel is accepted and positive, vandwelling and stealthy is considered homeless. It doesn't matter, you can't change the general publics thoughts mostly on any darn issue out there so why worry about how vandwelling is labeled?

Traveling in a van and being on permanent vacation is positive to many, yea I get it. Cause you are 'being seen', you are out there doing it 'correctly'.
Living in a van and considered homeless might be viewed as being sneaky, not paying for campsites, free parking in questionable places, living under radar, cops might have to move ya on because of this parking, etc...yea I get it.

A lot of things are viewed with twists in them. All categories. There is the 'good way to do things' and 'those that ruin it for everyone else' types in every aspect of life. There will always be positive and negative thoughts on everything in the big bad world.

 

[qinomad]

As I set out on my own adventure, I'm definitely getting a variety of responses from all sorts of people, mostly uninvited. I'm not telling many people about it, but for some reason, anyone that learns even a bit about what I'm doing seems to feel the need or desire to comment on it.

So I'm reminding myself to practice something that good ol' Dr. Wayne Dyer offered up, which is to practice this mantra: "What you think of me is none of my business."

Another related tip I've picked up over time is to realize that 90% of what people say to me is really about them. And 90% of what I hear is all about me. Much gets lost in translation.

In the end, it's what's in people's hearts that really matters, and that's between them and their maker.

I can't honestly say (yet) that I don't care what anyone else thinks. But I can say that I'm not going to let it stop me from pushing ahead with the journey that I know I have to take.

 

[AreWeLostYet]

Colleges are thinking about having "safe parking" areas in their parking lots for their students to spend the night in their car. They realize that a large percentage of their student body are living in cars and that it only makes sense to have safe places to sleep where there don't have to commute and spend study time searching for a place to park for the night.

Here's a podcast aired April 4, 2019

"New bill would require California colleges to let homeless students park overnight"

https://traffic.megaphone.fm/KPC1936846751.mp3?siteplayer=true&dl=1

 

[Seminole Wind]

actually it is important what other people think about our lifestyle. they far out number us and they are the ones pushing for the more restrictive laws

sad fact of life