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They tried to make life on the road some spiritual journey of freedom from the "system."
Yes because the system sucks and is very abusive to so many people who fall thru the cracks. I actually thought they were pretty restrained on that part though.
As for the spiritual part, I thought that was pretty restrained as well but the idea isn’t unrealistic because when I was on my trip I kept running into people and situations that made me feel that I was fulfilling a spiritual mission. It’s hard to describe but things just kept happening that felt like I was dealing with a higher power.
I’m about 2/3 of the way thru the book but skipped ahead a bit to see whether it addresses the experiences of those who are not white folk and there was nothing. I have a strong hunch that it would be a completely different experience for People of color and an example is a thing that happened to me in Kansas one night.
I’d had a harder time than usual finding parking for the night and I’d had to vacate my perfect little camping spot because they were burning fields nearby and the smoke was getting closer, rather than further away. I headed to the nearest small town, which was pretty cool, and drove around looking for the perfect spot to park and then went to bed. An hour later I got the dreaded knock....apparently someone was watching my movements pretty closely and had even followed me out to the cemetery. I explained what I was about and asked very sweetly if I could please stay the night and after he checked my identity he said I could stay the night as long as I moved on in the morning. I’m pretty sure that the experience of a nonwhite person would’ve been entirely different.
I wish that had been addressed in the book because I met some black women at the RTR, though they were very few in number and I joined them at their campfire but I became uncomfortable because they seemed to have pretty big chips on their shoulders, which I read as a sign that their experiences on the road were completely different from mine so I didn’t take offense.
I’m about 2/3 of the way thru the book but skipped ahead a bit to see whether it addresses the experiences of those who are not white folk and there was nothing. I have a strong hunch that it would be a completely different experience for People of color and an example is a thing that happened to me in Kansas one night.
I’d had a harder time than usual finding parking for the night and I’d had to vacate my perfect little camping spot because they were burning fields nearby and the smoke was getting closer, rather than further away. I headed to the nearest small town, which was pretty cool, and drove around looking for the perfect spot to park and then went to bed. An hour later I got the dreaded knock....apparently someone was watching my movements pretty closely and had even followed me out to the cemetery. I explained what I was about and asked very sweetly if I could please stay the night and after he checked my identity he said I could stay the night as long as I moved on in the morning. I’m pretty sure that the experience of a nonwhite person would’ve been entirely different.
I wish that had been addressed in the book because I met some black women at the RTR, though they were very few in number and I joined them at their campfire but I became uncomfortable because they seemed to have pretty big chips on their shoulders, which I read as a sign that their experiences on the road were completely different from mine so I didn’t take offense.
I am sorry this incident happened to you. I apologize. I have watched the RTR on YouTube on many different vlogs including Bob Wells. I remember seeing Black women at the RTR. They all seemed to be friendly on camera. When you mentioned these women had big chips on their shoulders, what experiences would they have experienced that you did not have? I am just curious. My husband and I camped in the 1970's and we received the dreaded knock in middle of night many times during our travels. We drove in a truck and camper and we parked on residential streets or parking lot of restaurants. We were just traveling through a area. If you feel uncomfortable responding to me you can always respond to me privately. I believe your hunch is right on. Hugs.
I am sorry this incident happened to you. I apologize. I have watched the RTR on YouTube on many different vlogs including Bob Wells. I remember seeing Black women at the RTR. They all seemed to be friendly on camera. When you mentioned these women had big chips on their shoulders, what experiences would they have experienced that you did not have? I am just curious. My husband and I camped in the 1970's and we received the dreaded knock in middle of night many times during our travels. We drove in a truck and camper and we parked on residential streets or parking lot of restaurants. We were just traveling through a area. If you feel uncomfortable responding to me you can always respond to me privately. I believe your hunch is right on. Hugs.
I believe that at the very least I would’ve been asked to move on. That doesn’t sound so bad but I was probably fifty miles from the nearest Walmart and I was exhausted from driving all day and it would’ve been rough to be sent down the road but if I had I would’ve just tried the next town. If I were black I probably would’ve driven to the Walmart for safety instead. Cops are generally pretty sweet to me because I appear so harmless in their eyes and I’m grateful for that but I wish every other harmless person enjoyed that as well.
There is a travel guide that I’ve heard of that alerts black travelers to the hazards that might be encountered while traveling thru the US and apparently my home state, MO, is featured in there pretty strongly. I believe it’s called The Green Book and was originally started during the age of Jim Crow and segregation to let them know where it was safe to go but after desegregation it was no longer needed. But then with the race riots and all the incidents you hear about in the news and racism coming back out into the open, because of course it never really went away, it’s been revived. And I think we’ve all heard the term “driving while black” and I believe that if I were a black woman I might be discouraged from living van life and that’s sad because it’s a wonderfully satisfying life and very affordable compared to all the other choices we might make.
I’m not trying to offend anyone with this and I sincerely hope that I haven’t but I feel it needs to be brought into our awareness because many more people are being forced thru circumstances to move into their vehicles and I want them to be as safe as possible.
I wish that had been addressed in the book because I met some black women at the RTR, though they were very few in number and I joined them at their campfire but I became uncomfortable because they seemed to have pretty big chips on their shoulders, which I read as a sign that their experiences on the road were completely different from mine so I didn’t take offense.
Why are you describing it as a "chip on their shoulders?" If you recognize that their experience is most likely different, that isn't a "chip." It's their reality and it's a negative reality. Not a chip.
Why are you describing it as a "chip on their shoulders?" If you recognize that their experience is most likely different, that isn't a "chip." It's their reality and it's a negative reality. Not a chip.
They seemed angry with me but since I was pretty sure I hadn’t said or done anything to offend, I labeled it as such. I stayed for awhile to see if the mood would turn but it didn’t so I left. I will say that I’m kind of an empathetic person so I will pick up on negative feelings and sometimes I will think those negative feelings are directed at me when in fact they’re not so that was probably the case there. But that doesn’t actually change what I said, which made me wonder if they’d had an experience that they weren’t talking about. I guess what I’m saying is that I really didn’t know how else to label it.
They seemed angry with me but since I was pretty sure I hadn’t said or done anything to offend, I labeled it as such. I stayed for awhile to see if the mood would turn but it didn’t so I left. I will say that I’m kind of an empathetic person so I will pick up on negative feelings and sometimes I will think those negative feelings are directed at me when in fact they’re not so that was probably the case there. But that doesn’t actually change what I said, which made me wonder if they’d had an experience that they weren’t talking about. I guess what I’m saying is that I really didn’t know how else to label it.
I wonder if it was partly the cultural differences. My last 5 years of work was with Native American Reservations. They were a reserved people until they really got to know and trust me. That actually took a couple of years. It could have been the same type of situation.
They seemed angry with me but since I was pretty sure I hadn’t said or done anything to offend, I labeled it as such. I stayed for awhile to see if the mood would turn but it didn’t so I left. I will say that I’m kind of an empathetic person so I will pick up on negative feelings and sometimes I will think those negative feelings are directed at me when in fact they’re not so that was probably the case there. But that doesn’t actually change what I said, which made me wonder if they’d had an experience that they weren’t talking about. I guess what I’m saying is that I really didn’t know how else to label it.
I think you're reading way too much into this. They didn't know you. So, it couldn't be personal. However, I can imagine if they had negative experiences on the road around race, then they would be a bit apprehensive since they wouldn't know what to expect from you.
We see videos almost everyday of some racial incident or another. I'm sure van life folks would need a certain amount of caution in order to stay safe.
I wonder if it was partly the cultural differences. My last 5 years of work was with Native American Reservations. They were a reserved people until they really got to know and trust me. That actually took a couple of years. It could have been the same type of situation.
I think that’s probably right but I did feel a subtle undercurrent of hostility. If I were an outgoing person I probably could’ve got the party started but I’m not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal
I think you're reading way too much into this. They didn't know you. So, it couldn't be personal. However, I can imagine if they had negative experiences on the road around race, then they would be a bit apprehensive since they wouldn't know what to expect from you.
We see videos almost everyday of some racial incident or another. I'm sure van life folks would need a certain amount of caution in order to stay safe.
I did not take it personally. You’re generally going to have more “chemistry “ with some groups than others and I did find a group that I blended with better on the next go-round. But it did lead me to wonder what might be the experiences of those nomads who don’t fit the mold of which race is “preferred.”
I mean, if you live in a van, you’re already suspect lol. If you’re carrying weed you drop some notches. I was, but never got searched and good thing because even medical marijuana is illegal to carry across state lines.
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I follow some of the Nomads on YouTube
