Assuming I'm a Vagrant in an RV

[D Gardiner]

Sorry friends, some people treat us RVers as indigent vagrants.

Tonight I was taking my son to math tutoring, in our class-A. My Ford Explorer is in the shop getting major engine work performed, and I have to use the coach.

I had no sooner parked and turned off the engine (perhaps 30 seconds) when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and walked out. A woman immediately confronted me, announcing that she was from the dental office, and that I and my RV are not welcome to park here. The tutoring office is a few doors down from the dental office.

I stated that I was dropping off my son to tutoring, and will be leaving in a few minutes. I quickly asked the 12 year old to hurry up, when she continued, "He can stay. You have to move immediately." I then walked my son to tutoring, returned and left with the coach.

Some people just assume you are an indigent vagrant, living in your RV. A homeless person about to set up camp in their parking lot. As such a street-person, they can treat you with insolence, and have no repercussions.

I am a retired VP of Sales of a European automotive parts supplier. My wife is a Director of Quality at a cancer pharmaceutical company. Did not know I was homeless.

Sorry folks had to vent.

PS. The dental office owner will be hearing from me tomorrow, about their friendly professional staff, as their website purports.

[Jim18655]

In a parking lot or legal on the road? If the latter I would have stayed and waited for him.

[V3600]

It might have nothing to do with the homeless perception. Were you in parking reserved for the dentist clients? Taking up more than one space?

I don't think she has the legal right to tell you to move as that authority is reserved for the property owner, not a tenant. She can tell you to leave the dental office but not the outside property.

[NLOVNIT]

I think we need a bit more information. Where, exactly, were you parked? Was it in front of the tutoring office or in front of the dental office? Are the spaces identified with signs as to who can park there?

Not saying the lady was correct in confronting you, but additional details would be necessary for us to sympathize or disagree with the story.

Lori-

[IBTripping]

Even if the staffer was concerned about you parking in a space for the dental patients, she chose to be impolite and demand you immediately leave rather than politely asking you to find another spot to park. She was unnecessarily rude.

[Arch Hoagland]

I'm curious to hear what the dental office has to say. Keep us posted please.

Maybe a few more of us should join you and fill up the parking lot...give them something to really complain about.

[RickNC]

I doubt the issue was over whether she thought you were a vagrant .(Do you look like a vagrant?)You have a 30' coach so you could have been taking up to 3 or more spaces. The underlying reason is that in small retail centers or duplex based businesses is that there is always a fight over customers from the busier establishment taking up spaces from the less busy establishment.

As for the question of whether a commercial tenant can legally have a vehicle removed, Yes they can and it is done everyday.

[creativepart]

If you live full time in your Class A and your toad is in the repair shop perhaps it might be best to not use your home to run errands.

An inexpensive rental car for the time your toad is in the shop would be a good choice. Most rental places have shop rates that are lower.

Of course, the would be other options like Uber and Lyft, too.

[VanDiemen23]

The OP is from CA. There's a HUGE problem here with "homeless" in older RVs. You can buy a mid-80's class C for a couple thousand bucks. The homeless will park them at the curb and stay as long as they can until the police make them move. In large parts of the LA basin you now can't park an RV anywhere - they have time limitations, weight limitations, but the most creative one is a height limitation.

Communities that haven't figured this out or can't get an ordnance passed for some reason or another become magnets.

The areas around Santa Monica/Venice and VanNuys are particularly affected.

This has become a monster problem. There was a hepatitis outbreak in San Diego and LA. My daughter has to dodge poop every day on her walk from the train stop to the office. SD had to wash the sidewalks with bleach.

The homeless dump tanks into the storm drains and cause a general mess. Down the street from a friends house in the San Fernando Valley an old Class C caught fire and burned to the ground, leaving debris everywhere. He had to call the mayor's office to get it removed. It couldn't be towed and the city didn't have the funds to deal with it.

[mrpardee]

We are wintering in San Diego next to Mission Bay Park. I counted 47 RV's in their parking lot the other morning. The Police are banned from ticketing them because it not "illegal" to be homeless. I have read they have been ticketing them for parking from 2am to 6am but they're getting sued for that as well. We love San Diego but wish it was in another state!

[Terry78]

I am basically homeless. I feel your pain.
I have lived in every sort of vehicle you can
imagine. From a trusty Pinto wagon to trucks
vans trailers motorhomes motorcycles as well.
I have seen exactly what you're talking about.
I have always made it a practice to have a clean
Looking ride. Washed and waxed. No crap on
The dash. I always stay away from homeless
populated areas. If I can I'll go to the outskirts
Or into the forest or a campground. Right now I'm
Living on private property. I have electric no
Water no sewer. I haul my water and take my
Trailer to a dump station. I have been mostly
homeless since I was about 12 years old.
I feel for them. Something needs to be done to
Help them. I think govt. Needs to set aside some
Land that these people can park on and get the
Help they need without being rushed or otherwise
harassed by law enforcement. Most of these people don't want to be where they are now.
The problem exploded after 2008. Lots of
People can't afford 1,200 for a two bedroom
Apartment.

[Big Bear Local]

As long as you have an RV you're never homeless.

[VanDiemen23]

Terry78 you've hit the nail on the head. The problem is the result of the perfect intersection of the corrosive politics and economics in this country. It's too easy to group everyone into "homeless". There are the economic homeless - those that have lost jobs and for whatever reason find it difficult to get and keep one. Then throw in the opioid problem. We lost a relative to fentanyl just before christmas.

Then there are the muttering crazies, the hopeless alcoholics, and people with other various addictions. The Reagan revolution closed the asylums and put those people on the street 30 years ago, and while they are gone, a lot more have followed in their footsteps. There was a large economic homeless problem in the late 80's as well.

There are so many people with no empathy. They see the homeless as just lazy.

I understand why people flock to the West Coast since they see it as a land of opportunity (this is a problem in every big city from Seattle to San Diego). What I can't understand is, when they cannot find work to offset the astronomical cost of housing, they stay. There are a lot cheaper places to be homeless in than CA. Homeless in Texas, or anywhere in the south, at least you'd have a chance.

My daughter lives in Carlsbad and last time we were there we were wondering why the cities don't take an empty big-box store parking lot and set it up for transient living. Take the store itself and use it for a shelter. It would be easy for the police to patrol, hire a honey wagon and water delivery, etc. But then of course you'd have the neighbors complaining, the other shopping center tenants complaining - it just goes on and on. Heck, at least put some porta-johns out here and there for public health reasons.

In the west there's plenty of public land you can camp on for weeks at a time - but if the survival technique relies on soliciting donations, well the vast Mojave/Sonora aren't exactly target rich environments.

[Terry78]

I think porta potties are a good idea.
When i used to live in salem they took a survey
Of the most basic need the homeless wanted
To see tje most. To go to the bathroom. was
The thing the homeless complain about most.
So the city listend. And installed 4 or 5
Bathrooms in the downtown area.