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I need your "getting booted from illegal parking areas" stories!

Welcome to RVForums.com

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bradreedthompson

RVF Regular
Joined
Jun 24, 2021
Messages
7
Hey all, I'm a full-time RVer here on the southern Oregon Coast, but also a writer. I'm working on a story where an older guy in a truck camper gets booted in the middle of the night from a roadside pulloff where it's illegal to camp overnight. I've never had this happen to me, so I'd love to hear any stories you have to share about this sort of thing happening to you. How did it happen? What kind of officer (assuming it was an officer) made you move? Did he/she give you time to move? Mercy to stay the night? Was it confrontational or friendly? Were you ticketed or threatened with a ticket? I can't find much of anything online about how this interaction actually happens and would rather not find out by personal experience! Many thanks in advance!
 
do you want true stories---or interesting ones? ---asking for a friend.
 
Well, a combination of both would be great--interesting AND true--but I'd love even the boring and true ones so I can get a sense of the reality of how this situation typically plays out. Thanks for the question!
 
Don't have any personal stories because I don't park overnight where it is prohibited. I do find it interesting that most of your questions for your story revolve around the officers actions and attitude. Ummmmm.....
 
Don't have any personal stories because I don't park overnight where it is prohibited. I do find it interesting that most of your questions for your story revolve around the officers actions and attitude. Ummmmm.....
Well, I'm not sure who else I would be asking about since I pretty much know my main character and how he interacts with people. It's my assumption that it would usually be a police officer who would move someone along, so I'm just needing to know how that interaction typically goes down. This isn't a book "about" this interaction. It's simply one of many scenes in the book to move the character along to his final destination. I'm just trying to be able to write the scene so it feels like a realistic encounter.
 
I will toss out a guess for you then. Most of the time when an RVer gets booted for trying to dry camp where it is prohibited is when they pull into a Walmart or similar business to sleep and there is a local ordinance against it.

Many second shift officers (3-11pm) are busier than their relief officers (11p-7am), so this "improper" parking may go unnoticed until after 11pm. If the officer knocks on the RVers door at midnight or 1am I would suspect he/she would simply tell them that there is no RV overnight parking allowed and they have to leave. As long as the RVer is compliant and makes an effort to move along I am guessing in 90% of the cases that would be the end of it. However, if the RVer decides he wants to verbally debate the issue or possibly refuse to move along then I am guessing a citation and possibly even a tow truck could be in his/her future.

I'm wondering if you post your question on some other RV sites if you won't actually find some folks this has happened to?
 
Interesting how today's media audience is more interested in Negative stories. Just quickly look at Youtube or Media in general. Its all about Negative story lines.

Personally, my interest is in learning positive information or "god forbid" a useful skill.

How about, where it is legal to Park a RV overnight for free story line?
 
Interesting how today's media audience is more interested in Negative stories. Just quickly look at Youtube or Media in general. Its all about Negative story lines.
Is it just a recent thing? I cannot remember a time when news was ever about "Feel Good" or "great things happening". That was what made Paul Harvey so unique.
 
I will toss out a guess for you then. Most of the time when an RVer gets booted for trying to dry camp where it is prohibited is when they pull into a Walmart or similar business to sleep and there is a local ordinance against it.

Many second shift officers (3-11pm) are busier than their relief officers (11p-7am), so this "improper" parking may go unnoticed until after 11pm. If the officer knocks on the RVers door at midnight or 1am I would suspect he/she would simply tell them that there is no RV overnight parking allowed and they have to leave. As long as the RVer is compliant and makes an effort to move along I am guessing in 90% of the cases that would be the end of it. However, if the RVer decides he wants to verbally debate the issue or possibly refuse to move along then I am guessing a citation and possibly even a tow truck could be in his/her future.

I'm wondering if you post your question on some other RV sites if you won't actually find some folks this has happened to?

This makes a lot of sense. I have pulled into a Walmart late (after midnight), and was followed in by an officer. I got out to talk to him, and he said that although "legal", he would strong advise against parking there. He cited some very recent gang related activity and that they were stretched far to thin to patrol that area. He suggested that I follow him to the city maintenance yard, and found me a great spot tucked alongside the maintenance building.

He did warn me that they start work early (6am), but that I could easily stay there until 8am. The nice thing about parking there, this is where the police cars refueled, so there was plenty of police presence, and I was legally parked. One of the best on the road sleeps I have had.
 

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