Plan Ahead Now If You Think You May Need To Live In A Vehicle

If you are facing the possibility of being homeless, or if you are tired of paying rent for some hot-box in the San Fernando Valley, then you must plan ahead now to live in a vehicle.

According to some recent chatter on the radio, there are more than 50,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County. This is an astounding figure, but it may be higher than that. Over one third of the homeless are on the street. Believe this: it is far better to live in a vehicle than it is to live on the street. If there is any possibility that this will happen to you in the near future then do yourself a life-saving thing and get a vehicle. A van is best, but a car, even a small one, is better than nothing.

One lady I know has lived in her small car with her dog and cat for over 2 years. This is a big hassle, but is better than a cardboard box on skid row. If you have some income and savings you can buy an RV and have an actual house on wheels. There are pros and cons to an RV and a Van, here’s a few things to consider:

Vans – If you are living in a major city, or a heartless city run by elitist scum like Burbank, for example, then you want a van. A lot of cities now are conducting a war on poor folks. The rich are scared, and they do not want to even have to look at a homeless person or a poor old lady living in her car. I personally know and help several “old ladies”, women over 60, who are living in vehicles. They were teachers, health workers, office workers, etc. The economic melt-down slammed them, and they lost their jobs. Imagine losing everything when you are over 60 and you have no help. Many cities have laws about living in a vehicle. That means you must do so in what is called a “stealth” vehicle, a van with no markings, and does not look like an RV. Keep it clean. You can park almost anywhere. Vans are the best “stealth” vehicles, more notes on where to park, etc. further in this article.

RVs – Getting even an old RV is good, as long as you can find parking. Many cities, like Burbank, now have laws against R.V.s. You have to get a $5 per night permit from the police. This is the new face of class war against the poor. As a result, the unintended side effect is that relatives who come out to California in their RVs to see their family are now given tickets because they don’t know that they can’t park on a Burbank street overnight. Some cities, like Pasadena, go even farther. This nazi-like city does not allow ANY parking of ANY vehicle on ANY street without a permit. Welcome to the New Nazi State. If you are not rich, go away. The City of Los Angeles has also been busy. They are posting “No Parking 2am-5am” signs in all the places people used to park overnight. So if you buy an RV you may have to find, and possibly pay, for a place to park on private property somewhere. Or go to a more friendly city to stay overnight. Or go to a public or private campground. Be sure to check in advance about California campgrounds, the greed-hogs in Sacramento are threatening to close many of them. No money they say, because they already stole it all, not even leaving some crumbs for campers.

R Vs have a trade-off. Living is easier in an RV. You have a stove and refrigerator, a bathroom, probably a shower, and room to keep a lot of stuff. If you have a few bucks you can go to a campground for a few days, empty grey water, use their wi-fi, their showers, etc. Watch TV at night.

Cars – Ok, you don’t have a van, just an older car. You can survive. If a 60 year old woman can do it, then I guess you can. Here’s how:

1. Get a storage unit to keep most of your stuff in. Do not pack-rat the car with junk. Keep it sparce, and spartan. Your stuff goes in storage or donate to the Salvation Army.

2. Take out the back seat and throw it away. Have someone help you to cut a hole into the trunk area from the back seat. Then you can put down comfy blankets and stretch out to sleep, your feet in the trunk, your torso out where the back seat was.

3. Have the back windows tinted. Get a cardboard window sun screen for the front.

4. Keep a low profile. Read the section on where to park.

5. Only go park on a side street near an apartment complex when you are ready to sleep. Do not have any lights on inside the car at night. Sleeping only. Until then hang at Starbucks or somewhere.

6. Buy a tent and sleeping bag. You can go to the cheapest camp grounds where there are showers, etc. You pay for your parking space, but you cannot sleep in your car in California camp grounds. But you can park your car and use the tent to sleep. So if you have a few bucks, camp out at the beach and live it up in your tent.

Where to Park. This can be a problem, but follow these guidelines. Do not park in the same place every night, move around. Avoid parking in front of a residence. Look for the places where there are apartments, with millions of cars parked on the street. Park away from the entrance. Do not go near public parks to spend the night. All-night markets are good, but now many have high security. Sometimes a place near a 24 hour gym is good because there are cars coming and going all night. A friend’s driveway is even better. For R Vs – it is harder, but the trade-off is that living is easier. In any case, do not leave a mess. Take your trash and throw it away somewhere else. Homeless people must keep their personal dignity, or you are just as bad as the rich scumbags who are oppressing you.

There are many great articles on this website, gypsycool.com. Read the book, “Gypsies of the New Millenium”. Read Ernest Mann and others. You will survive.