This is a fascinating look at the homeless who live in a car, van or RV in a Walmart parking lot. It profiles RVers as well as car campers who stay not just overnight but for years at a time at a single Walmart. It focuses mostly on the down-and-out rather than more affluent overnighters, most of them in RVs, who stop a single night for its convenience, and then move on.
##RVT815 ##RVDT1373
This portrayal of multiple homeless staying in a Walmart lot long term is a misconception. We have traveled fulltime for over ten years & have stayed in several hundred Walmarts all over the country. It is fairly rare to see any rvs that are obviously staying long term. Those staying in cars would be less obvious. We probably see a long term squatting rver in about one of every 10-15 Walmarts we overnight in. And most Walmarts that allow overnighting are strict about only staying one night.
In 2018, we pulled in the Flagstaff Walmart to get some supper and were met by a security guard that we couldn’t park there.
Not all of them allow it. You have to check with the manager of each store before **assuming** it’s OK. If they say no, it’s likely because they’ve had issues in the past.
I have never spent a night in a Walmart and in 40 years haven’t spent a dime there either. I’ve known 3 people that were homeless for a year or so and a couple others for shorter periods. Instead of looking for free stuff they looked for work. Not one had a “poor me” attitude or blamed the situation on others. All are doing well and have a real home.
I wonder if Joe ever thought of asking for a JOB at Walmart?
You have to have an address. HR checks your credit, your history, your references.
I agree about keeping the chickens being a health hazard for young children.
We have stayed at Walmart for one night at a time while going cross country, but if people really start staying there in large numbers for longer periods of time, it will ruin it for everyone.
Good for Walmart to allow these folks to stay full-time in their parking lot. I’m always amazed, though, when I listen to people like the woman and man and baby living in the old school bus. She places the blame for their situation on others. Does she not realize that keeping chickens and puppies in an RV is a health issue?! She left CA because the people there are racist and are anti-homeless?!
She can keep running from state to state but I doubt things will improve at the rate they’re going. Very sad for all of them . .
And very sad for the children who will no doubt deal with life long issues steming from circumstances beyond their control.
And grow up with those same attitudes.