Hotel Walmart, where the homeless go.

I came across his interesting doco,Apparently its Walmart policy to let RV owners stay over in their carparks overnight. Since you are on private property the cops cant hassle you.The thing being as the homeless madness grows many people are using this facility as a permanent home base.This is starting to look a bit like the thirties with a twist, instead of heading for California, people are heading out. If you are a family and homeless the social will grab your kids. Sounds familiar.?

a reply to: anonentity

It's a redeeming quality, considering their undoing of mom and pop stores, and the least that they can do to fix it, to allow their parking lot to be used by people whose only home are their vehicles.

I find it very discouraging that we as a society complain about homelessness and homeless people more than trying to help them and end homelessness altogether.

I feel great empathy for anyone who does not have a home, most people look down on them like they're subhuman. I find that very sad and I think it speaks volumes about the current state of our society.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: anonentity

It's a redeeming quality of their undoing of mom and pop stores, and the least that they can do to fix it, to allow their parking lot to be used by people whose only home are their vehicles.

i'm not so certain that the top CEO warroom meetings decided to not prosecute overnight vagabonds in cars/vans/campers to police themselves as repeat squatters.

I don't think the restructuring of the mom-&-pop stores into super-centers was the real factor of being tolerant of car camps...

I think that the threat of flash-mobs who would strike back in anger for Wal-Mart kicking out the overnighter homeless


the Un-Easy truce is on a hair trigger... is my guess

BTW... do the car campers run in-&-out to use the bathrooms all night ?

a reply to: anonentity

It's actually a very cool thing for them to allow that. Odd for Walmart IMO.

They don't just let you throw down a blanket and sleep in the parking lot though. But they'll let you stay overnight in a trailer or whatever as long as you park somewhere out of the way and don't disturb anything. They'll also allow people to panhandle there as well as long as they don't bother people or do it next to the building.

To me this shows that at least someone in Walmart has some bit of humanity left in them.

Now if they'd just fix the damn sprinklers that are always broken and wasting water that would be nice.

a reply to: mOjOm

Walmart typically have huge parking lots. Why not offer free rv parking so that people who are on the road will stop for a free park and restock on provisions.

a reply to: St Udio

Right after 911, My job suffered greatly, because my small community and island tourist destination restaurant employer weren't bringing in the tourists. People were afraid to fly. My rented apartment was sold because my landlords, husband and wife, both lost their airline jobs, and I couldn't find affordable housing, even though I was employed. I found myself living in my car for a few months, and using public accommodations for showering and other personal amenities. After being harassed by police for parking on rural side streets and in public parks to sleep at night, the police told me I could use the Walmart parking lot to sleep safely at night.

Walmart, the least they can do..............at least they do it!

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: anonentity

It's a redeeming quality, considering their undoing of mom and pop stores, and the least that they can do to fix it, to allow their parking lot to be used by people whose only home are their vehicles.

Been there, done it. Wal-Mart with exception to truck stops is the only place that allow you to do it. With that being said, it's best to park a ways into the parking lot.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Exactly. I think it's very cool of them to do that. As long as nobody causes problems why not. It's not easy to find somewhere to park an RV sometimes and it can be expensive. Walmart has plenty of room to house a couple RV's for a night or two. Plus they'll get a little business out of it at the same time. It's a win win. They're open 24 hours too.

As long as people clean up after themselves there shouldn't be a problem.

At least they're doing something to help people out. Everyone treats the homeless like criminals and animals most of the time and it's horrible.

That's a late model bike, I'd say he was saving the cost of a room as well as the risk of the bike being taken.
I did the same back in the 60s.
Of course I had red 305 Dream ( with white walls !)

Buck

I wished I knew about it when I was homeless five years ago.
Living out of a Honda CR-V, 2011 model, for a few weeks when It went south with the ex.
I had a tarp to cover up during the nights so the fogged over windows weren't visible so I would park in residential lots that were affluent, hence the cover on a car. Never was called out.

Only close call was when I tried to sleep in a target parking lot...
They just left me alone but made sure I knew they were there.

a reply to: anonentity

In the RV world this has been known for a long time. I wonder how long they will continue to allow it before to many abuse it?

My wife took a class dealing with social issues and the teacher mentioned that many gov't agencies are telling and encouraging homeless people to stay at state and federal campgrounds as an alternative for cheap living.

The problem with that is that many families utilize campgrounds with young children and while not all homeless people have mental issues , many do. It could be a recipe for a serious disaster.

We RV alot an have seen numerous families in state and federal campgrounds that are clearly living there with their family and young kids. However, for the most part they just appeared down in their luck and just trying to survive. I feel for them and their kids.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth


I remember Alistair Cooks letter from America, in one he said when he got to America in the thirties, the first conversation he had was with a guy that said' Why do you want to come here, the place is ready to have a revolution" It looks like that's what happens when the Mockingbird media doesn't report the truth, because the longer they don't, no one has a handle on how bad things are, and are unable to do anything about it before its to late. If the true state of affairs was known pressure would have been applied to keep jobs in the Country, at present Retail sales and car repossessions have just fallen off a Cliff. This is what happens when the forth estate is compromised. Janet Yellen thinks the unemployment figures and the economy is normal , they might be on her planet .

In the Phoenix area several Walmart locations have already stopped this by the request of the local police departments because of constant criminal issues happening.

a reply to: flatbush71

What, were you Elvis?

"Im Just a Roustabout".......

Ive still got a Mint '63 C92 Benly in my lounge....a blue one.

Good on Walmart, In fact, these people would be considered to be customers. You can bet all those "Vagrants?" would be buying their provisions from Walmart, so its win-win for the store. Maybe they should make some covered parking areas and outside access toilets and showers....then claim some sort of Grant from the Govt for looking after the homeless, if such a thing exists in the US.

Peeps gotsta Sleeps Somewhere.......

Hey I made A slogan...

Walmart has allowed overnight parking as a matter of policy for quite some time. When I drove a truck, Walmarts were a second choice when the truck stops were full. But some have been overrun or have gotten fed up with trash being dumped in their parking lots and have decided to disallow overnight parking.

RVs get the same benefits. And yeah, nighttime trips to the bathroom are part of the deal.

It's a win-win for Walmart. They typically have huge parking lots that are underused at night when drivers need to park, and the drivers get to buy supplies at a lower price. So Walmart gets nighttime business as well as good PR. When Sam Walton was alive, the policy was to create public goodwill, but now it's just to get the business... so when the cleanup costs exceed the profits from sales, or when overuse starts to limit regular customers access, then it's time for the squatters to go.

TheRedneck

America the so called richest Country in the world ( really just the most in dept .
5 million in prisons 5 million homless 45 million qualified for food-stamps .
Detroit a 3rd world city in a first world nation Chicago another Florida the second most corrupt state .
so Corrupt the FBI took out a full front page add in the Capitol Tallahassee .
Dont let our PR fool you this place is on the verge of becoming the next Iraq or Afghanistan .
The camps to contain people have been built for a long time now and they are building more as we type .
Me I am one of teh lucky ones being 51 and in poor health I wont be alive to see teh result But your kids will live it .
What the most sad thing is we got EXACTLY what we asked for . We cheer when another country is bombed and treat the bombers like hero and scream when a homeless person just wants food to eat and for god sake dont bring up our love of death called a gun . Why have a sit down and we will tell you how we would have killed them all yes sir bob .
Alest till they show up at the door then we become so polite and sweet it makes you sick .

a reply to: midnightstar


Funny you should say that as if by an act of synchronicity I came across this, which seems to suggest Walmart is pivotal in the Governments SHTF scenario.

The Walmarts in my area stopped the practice of offering free overnight parking for trucks and rvs-we are an affluent neighborhood so that just wouldn't do.

Are Americans becoming accustomed to the poor and homeless? I know there are the scammers but there are more poor than ever in this county-it's just underreported.

I don't know or understand those of us that can easily pass a homeless-hungry person without helping. I have been so criticized by others because "I put myself in danger" by others for trying to help, with my meager offerings. I've been personally criticized often because "I took a chance" and paid for a hotel room-gave them a ride-bought food-clothes-gave blankets. Guess I am just a bleeding heart.

I know many homeless are druggies, alcoholics or mentally unstable. They are the fragile ones who need our help more than ever.

I will say phooie to government programs-the money goes to the bureaucrats and that includes most charities. It's gotta come from everyday caring individuals or groups formed with empathetic hearts. If there are Walmart areas offering nightly stays free then those communities should be visited and helped medically, housed-fed-whatever. Just please care enough to help.

This worsening situation is very close to my soul. Rant over and sorry.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: mOjOm

Walmart typically have huge parking lots. Why not offer free rv parking so that people who are on the road will stop for a free park and restock on provisions.

From all of the camping and RV sites, this is exactly why they allow it. The folks wander in and buy what they need. It is a win-win situation.