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Old 03-20-2010, 03:44 PM
 
Location: United States
2,497 posts, read 7,474,533 times
Reputation: 2270

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OP- A good friend of mine in the Ventura area told me the city recently lifted the ban on sleeping in your vehicle. So in Ventura you can legally sleep in your car due to the high cost of rent. Many are working people who simply can not afford housing and have to live in their vehicle. If this were me I would get a nice used conversion van and make myself comfortable.
If your gonna be homeless do it where it's warm. Freezing to death is probably not the best way to die. lol. Good luck to you!
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Old 03-20-2010, 03:57 PM
 
2,963 posts, read 6,260,120 times
Reputation: 1578
...I don't get it, why not go to a homeless shelter? Or maybe tent city in Sacramento?
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:30 PM
 
Location: Denver
9,963 posts, read 18,492,357 times
Reputation: 6181
California-Secession,

If I were you, I would join some volunteer farm that allows you to trade work for room and board.

Check this out:
WWOOF - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

California Farms:
http://www.wwoofusa.org/farms?filter...t=Search+Farms

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Old 03-20-2010, 05:38 PM
 
Location: Mountains of Oregon
17,633 posts, read 22,626,536 times
Reputation: 14388
Quote:
Originally Posted by California-Secession View Post
No joke. I'll spare you the details because I am not here to whine. I just have a question:

I am about to be homeless but have a car. I am going to be staying in Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Palm Springs for varying periods of time. Never having been in this situation I need to know where I can safely sleep and what the laws are regarding this unfortunate situation (for which I am entirely to blame).

I know it is a weird question. I am not a troll. Hmmm...possibly sleeping under a bridge? That makes me a troll. Let me rephrase that: I am not a troll in the online sense of the word.

In Sacramento right now so Sactown folk step right up please.

Thanks!

I don't know the current laws in CA but years ago you could park in casino parking, Maybe a rest area to get some shuteye.

On cold nights some towns allow you to sleep the night in an Armory building or maybe a gym.

Folks used to boonie camp at the 'SLABS' between San Diego & Yuma.


Best of Luck to you Bro.

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Old 03-20-2010, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
206 posts, read 416,461 times
Reputation: 125
I have slept overnight in my car often in the Sierras. But that is the middle of nowhere and you still need a blanket in summer.

In L.A well maybe west L.A/Santa Monica. Plus if you get a library card, you can use the library/internet etc. for free. Where I live is all apts and many people park their cars outside. Now I did get a ticket one night at 1.30 for parking in a red zone! But otherwise , if you are parked correctly-I am not sure they check to see if there are passengers inside?

I would advise you to be careful in Oakland. Some areas are real nice-but some areas like west oakland-well you just might hear gun shots. Which is true in L.A too. Just find a nicer area of town.


But otherwise as someone mentioned, wal-mart parking areas have always been good to campers. maybe you can just park behind one and you should be fine.

Good luck and hope you land on your feet soon. One of my close friends who is 55 lost everything. He had an old broken down RV. He was laid off, lost his wife to cancer, lost his house and so now has taken his old RV and is living campsite to campsite . At least that is the last I heard of him-he does not keep in touch. Tough times for many..
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Old 03-20-2010, 06:36 PM
 
2,437 posts, read 8,180,958 times
Reputation: 1532
I lived in my car, actually it was truck with a shell for sometime and I really rather enjoyed it... better than being on the street or in a shelter because you'll still have a sense of personal space and the freedom to move around. There were several good suggestions on here which I'll try to re-iterate and/or add to. Use campgrounds when you can as a way to feel like you have your own land and some real amenities - NF/NP campgrounds are by far the nicest and often the cheapest too. You can leaglly stay in BLM land for up to wo weeks, but you'll have no emenities at all and you may or may not be allowed to build a fire there, depending on the place and the time of year. WalMart parking lots and rest areas work in a pinch but they'll root you out if you're there for days. The best thing is finding a quiet, light business area... Not high rises and urban hubbub but a low key business district with warehouses and non-retail business parks that will be uninhabited at night and just employees in the day... You'll need a place with legal 24-hour on-street parking but no houses around where neighbors will notice you at night and call authorities. Even then you'll have to find a few good spots and rotate around to keep folks from easily noticing. If you're near water, marinas are good places to poach a shower when needed, because you'll just blend in with the boat residents who pretty much look homeless themselves. If you can afford to join a gym, that's your best bet for a regular shower. Starbucks is a good place for a clean, free and easily accessible restroom to use (but not to bathe in) where no one will hardly notice if you come in and leave without buying anything. If you keep yourself relatively clean (esp. the clothes) and shaven you can get away with a lot more if you just look like a derelict. I hope it goes well for you and that things improve for you soon.
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Old 03-21-2010, 04:51 AM
 
418 posts, read 487,602 times
Reputation: 149
CouchSurfing - Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time
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Old 03-21-2010, 04:54 AM
 
Location: Declezville, CA
16,806 posts, read 39,928,986 times
Reputation: 17694
If you find yourself in the Fontana area needing a temporary safe place to park, you can park on my property. I have plenty of room and I'm right down the street from a couple of truck stops.
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Old 03-21-2010, 02:18 PM
 
Location: Florida
3,359 posts, read 7,323,347 times
Reputation: 1908
Quote:
Originally Posted by California-Secession View Post
No joke. I'll spare you the details because I am not here to whine. I just have a question:

I am about to be homeless but have a car. I am going to be staying in Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Palm Springs for varying periods of time. Never having been in this situation I need to know where I can safely sleep and what the laws are regarding this unfortunate situation (for which I am entirely to blame).

I know it is a weird question. I am not a troll. Hmmm...possibly sleeping under a bridge? That makes me a troll. Let me rephrase that: I am not a troll in the online sense of the word.

In Sacramento right now so Sactown folk step right up please.

Thanks!
I've been homeless before, and lived in a van...for around 10 months...
It wasn't so bad...at times it was very peaceful and quiet...

It's not the end of the world for you...

When I was homeless, I carried myself with dignity...I was always clean...in other words, I was homeless...but I wasn't 'street'...

I learned a lot about myself and others, during that time...

I was even attending school, while homeless...and still got A's....
Just look at it as a phase...and not something perminant...and you'll be ok....

I would sometimes park outside of shelters, but never utilized their services...

As long as you have a plan or goals...you will make it...and above all else, stay away from negitave people....

If you have a specific question to ask me...than do...I'll answer...cause I was there...
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Old 03-21-2010, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Living on the Coast in Oxnard CA
16,289 posts, read 32,330,688 times
Reputation: 21891
If you can join a Gym hopefully one that you can visit other locations in the state. In the morning head over to the gym, work out and shower. That way you are doing something good for yourself, your body, and your mind. You are clean and ready for the day, and it gives you a feeling of belonging to something.

One thing I have not been is homeless. My oldest brother was for a long while, but he had an old Volkwagan Van to live in, one of the camper van versions. A friend from years ago used to live on the beach. They have a shower there and he would use it in the morning, get ready for school, and head over to the local Junior College. After school he went to work and in the evening returned to his "home" on the beach. A friend of one of my brothers is also homeless, but makes over $100,000 a year. He is homeless by choice, but then his company sends him all over the world and for now he just doesn't see the value in buying or renting a place. For most of the month he is away and ends up either sleeping in his car, or getting a hotel room.

Good luck with your new adventure. Hopefully your situation will improve.
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