Sleeping in my car in SD? (San Diego: apartment, rent, condo)

[peasantgirl]

I have a job that is under a nationwide contract and I have the opportunity to re-locate to SD. I am single, my son is grown, and I want a little adventure. The job pays enough for everything but housing. Would I find it very difficult to find safe places to park at night so I can sleep in my car?

I am totally fine with sleeping in the car; I'm planning to take out the back seat and then I can stretch out into the trunk. I am fine with living very simply, I don't need a lot of stuff. I will join a gym for daily showers. I dress professionally and you'd never know I was "homeless" if you passed me on the sidewalk. I just need to know if I would get hassled a lot in the car, either by cops or "bad guys" at night?

I won't be using the homeless resources; like I said I have a job. I just need some freedom.


Any thoughts?

[dragontales]

Just find parking right on the border of a nice neighborhood. If you park in a rich hood they will call the cops because they don't recognize the car.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by peasantgirl

I have a job that is under a nationwide contract and I have the opportunity to re-locate to SD. I am single, my son is grown, and I want a little adventure. The job pays enough for everything but housing. Would I find it very difficult to find safe places to park at night so I can sleep in my car?

I am totally fine with sleeping in the car; I'm planning to take out the back seat and then I can stretch out into the trunk. I am fine with living very simply, I don't need a lot of stuff. I will join a gym for daily showers. I dress professionally and you'd never know I was "homeless" if you passed me on the sidewalk. I just need to know if I would get hassled a lot in the car, either by cops or "bad guys" at night?

I won't be using the homeless resources; like I said I have a job. I just need some freedom.


Any thoughts?

This is an interesting question, I am sure there are plenty of quiet places to park and sleep overnight. I can think of a few in Mission Valley where no one will bother you.

But where in SD will your job be at?

[oddstray]

If you can find a public street near an apartment or condo complex, it'll just seem like you live at the complex but have more cars than parking permits.

Do you have some way that no one can look inside and see you sleeping?

[unquiltom]

You might be able to get away with it for a while, but eventually, you'll be found by the police and you'll get in the system. I'm not saying you'll be arrested right away, but you will be asked to leave where you've parked and your drivers license information will be on record. If you get caught a second time, then things get interesting.
Many of the parking lots down by the beach have posted signs about overnight parking, so don't even try there.

[sdurbanite]

Are you sleeping in the car where you live now? If not, why move to SD just to sleep in your car?

[beera]

I can't fathom wanting to do this, you really can't even just rent a room from someone? Depending on where it is it is affordable. Some people even rent out their living rooms and you can just put up a room divider.

[nmguy]

Seems to me you would be better off going somewhere that's much less expensive and living in an apartment. You need to deal with reality.

[oddstray]

I'm also doubtful about the OP sleeping in a car without eventually encountering law enforcement. I second the suggestion of renting a room from someone, for a temporary job.

At my work we had a contractor for a year or so who lived in a small trailer outside of work. But that was a few years ago, and the city has recently passed increasingly strict rules about doing things like that.

[peasantgirl]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback!

Dragontales: Thx, will keep that in mind.

Malcorub16: I thought Mission Valley was kinda rough...? Re: my job - I work online so all I need is my laptop and wifi.

oddstray: I have read of people sleeping with their head in the trunk and legs pointing forward and camouflaging their legs with stuff so that no one will realize there is a person there.

unquiltom: Yeah, I definitely want to stay under the radar. As soon as I can afford to I plan on buying a teardrop trailer and staying at a campground after that. I just need to sleep in the car long enough to get settled and get the lay of the land.

sdurbanite: I actually own my own home now and plan to keep it. I just want to go to SD because of the gorgeous weather and because I want to do something different. I am in a total rut right now and getting restless.

beera: I have thought about renting a room and that is still a possibility WAAAY back in my mind. I just like the independence of me and the car and nothing else. Like I said to unquiltom, I might buy a trailer and stay at a campground, but then again I might rent a room. Just have to see how it plays out.

nmguy: Who says I'm not dealing with reality? I have a house now, why would I want to downgrade to an apartment AND have to pay rent for it?? Noisy neighbors, bugs, fire risk, landlords, etc...been there, done that, no thanks. My reality is whatever I make it. I've chased the American Dream for 23 years and frankly I'm bored with it all.

I don't want to go somewhere that's more affordable, I specifically want to go to California, and even more specifically to San Diego. It has been in the back of my mind for years but I never had the opportunity before. If it doesn't pan out I'll come back home, no biggie. I'm not asking for advice on whether or not I should do it at all, I'm DOING IT. I'm just trying to do some research so I'm as prepared as possible.

oddstray: Yeah, I don't want to do it for a long time, no more than a few weeks until I can either buy the trailer, or find a decent room, or some other situation. It's just that I've never been there and I'll need to figure out the good/bad neighborhoods, etc. I surely don't want to be arrested.

I was even flirting with the idea of paying somebody $50/mo just to let me park in their driveway. Obviously I'd have to be real careful about who I approached with that idea; don't want to get robbed/raped by my new friend, lol.