Well He Was Doing Good

[wcurtin1962]

Since February I have been watching a guy living in a Ford conversion van at a run down shopping center. He was parked in a lot used by truckers as a parking lot by one of the gas stations I hit during my work day. Last month two other van dwellers started parking next to him. Soon they were setting with their vans open with piles of their belongings sitting out side. Not good I thought being a police substation is only a few blocks away. In the beginning of last week somebody had pitched a tent behind the vans. Not a wise move. Sure enough last Friday two police cars and a city staff car was sitting in front of his van. Later at the end of the day I saw setting out front of the gas station with just a backpack. I didn't talk to him because I'm in no position to help him right now. To my relief I saw him back in his van yesterday. He's no longer parking there, he's probably in the rundown shopping center across the street.

 

[vanman2300]

A case study on how insulated people become over a period of time. Little steps in the wrong direction going unnoticed until the hammer drops on them.

I always ask myself am I still the gray man no one notices or have I changed or added anything that brings me to anyone's attention even in passing? That guy obviously doesn't follow any sort of thought pattern to avoid trouble.

 

[deadwood]

Totally agree with vanman2300. Settling in to one spot is not the way to do it. And starting to setup a little shanty town with tents is definitely not the way to go unnoticed. But i think there is a difference between some van dwellers. Some are borderline homeless and their vans barely run if at all and are one stop away from the backpack. Some are forced into the lifestyle but manage quite nicely and some do it by pure choice.

 

[Beeps and eats]

Well, we do call it stealth camping for a reason. Move away from people who are going to get you noticed. Never leave trash or personal items outside. And #1 Never set up tents, tables, lawn chairs, etc. It screams vandweller!!

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[wcurtin1962]

I figure that he didn't have insurance. I doubt he's employed, but somebody baled him out.

 

[DannyB1954]

I would also not put a CRVL sticker on my vehicle. Bob says it is a way to identify other "tribe Members".
His videos are getting well known and I think it tells LE this person probably lives full time in this thing.

 

[vanman2300]

The first thing he did wrong was to be detected by anyone. Probably should have picked a better locale where there's typically a lot of vans, like a Home Depot.

 

[tripper]

There was a very nice looking older class C RV here locally I noticed one weekend while biking around at the side of an industrial area, it had all the windows blocked with reflectix. I thought nothing of it, it blended in nicely. The next week it was in the same spot with all the windows covered, I then knew it was a full timer, it was there a 3rd week too. I know that if it is totally obvious to me, it is obvious to the police, and others in the area. This is the kind of thing that gets permanent ordinances introduced in the cities. The thing is the RV would be unnoticeable if it had just not stayed in the same spot, even though older it looked really nice, almost vintage.

 

[lenny flank]

In stealth dwelling the first rule, the Prime Directive, the sine qua non, is----don't do anything that attracts attention to yourself or to the vehicle.

People cannot object to your presence if they do not notice that you are there.

 

[Beeps and eats]

Spoken like a true grey man! Thanks Lenny!

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