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I was wondering if you all could give me input on a potential move to San Diego from where I am in Canada.
Now my situation is probably unlike any you have ever heard of and some of you quite frankly might judge me as a bum (which I am most definitely not) but stereotypical judgments of me aside, I would very much appreciate advice on making a move to San Diego.
First my present situation that makes a move South almost a neccessity for me.
I have been living in my truck for the past four years in Canada. Winters and all. I have built up a successful window cleaning business during that time but now that my truck has finally broken down I can no longer pursue my business and shortly will not have a place to sleep in (i.e. my truck). I have until Dec 14 to move my truck off the street or I will be ticketed for not having vehicle insurance (which is good till Dec 14).
I don't have enough financially to last a few weeks until a regular paycheck and even then, I would have to use a substantial amount of whatever I make to pay to rent a spot in someone's driveway to park my truck or otherwise. I am doing okay financially and have been doing window cleaning by bus for a week or so but it's not enough to get me beyond a week at this time of the year (most people are not doing window cleaning in sub-freezing weather not to mention that by bus I can only do one story bungalows ).
I am a bona-fida US citizen entitled to all the benefits and obligations of said citizenship, whatever they may be .
The only thing I got going for me where I am is free health care but I figure that is not worth staying for at the expense of quality of life. I'll take my chances without health care if I can go somewhere where it will be reasonably warm!
That's the background.
Here are the things I would appreciate advice on regarding a move to San Diego.
Can one sleep outdoors in a tent in San Diego weather? All during the winter? I would probably want to do that until I get a job and get better situated such that I can afford a vehicle again. Bear in mind that I have slept in my unheated truck down to -40 C, so nights at 30-40 F are just fine .
Are jobs such as dish washing and other low end jobs that I could get quickly readily available? How about daily work, daily pay jobs? I am 49 and in reasonably good shape but I ain't no spring chicken either . Do illegal immigrants take most such jobs? What kind of pay are we looking at? A daily work, daily pay job might give me enough right away to afford window cleaning equipment allowing me to go around by bus again and start window cleaning there.
I have done window cleaning out of sleeping in my truck for years so...if anyone thinks it can't be done and that people won't hire me...I've done it. Now I am doing it by bus! And figure I might be able to do the same initially in San Diego.
Is the bus system a good one such that someone could get around readily and even get to the outskirts of the city such that I could set up a small tent and sleep in it behind a small hill somewhere until I can go back into the city to work again the next morning.
How about the subway system? Is it any good?
If there is such a thing...how much does a monthly bus/subway pass cost? Allowing unlimited travel on such during any given month?
Are there a lot of homeless persons in San Diego? I've always worked and fended for myself. I don't believe in panhandling or in not paying your own way. But generally speaking how homeless persons are treated in a location gives me some indication of how I might fare in an area (even though I have never actually been on the street as a true homeless person without a place to lay my head).
How much does a very small storage unit cost? Like at U-Haul or some other such place. Such that I could rent one right off the bat, store what little I bring with me in it, and "live" out of it for a while. Not as in sleep in it but rather as in coming to it every day to get what stuff I need out of it.
Are there public gyms available where I could buy a monthly pass and take showers at? In the city where I am there are ten such gyms. I can use any one of them to take showers at for a measly $43 CA per month.
I will most likely have about $200 in my pocket when arriving in San Diego (if I go through with this and pawn my laptop and camera equipment before I come down).
How is window cleaning there? Anybody know? I charge $3 a window pane in Canada. That may be high or it might be too low for California. I've heard some window cleaners in California charge $7 a window pane though it seems to me that illegal immigrants doing window cleaning might be putting downward pressure on such high prices.
Any other input that might be considered relevant would be most appreciated.
I know I have asked a lot of questions and perhaps, if I had several hours to spare, I could find some or all my answers over the Internet or even on city-data but I just don't have time and must decide what to do very quickly so any input or comments would be very helpful.
Feel free to ask me any questions or otherwise comment on what I have said. I don't have much of a chance to get on the Internet every day so if I don't respond right away to any comments or advice left...please be patient. I will respond but it may take me a day or two.
I don't know what to call what you are planning to do other than "living like a bum" but I can assure you there are many people here who do it successfully, some for years on end. You'll be joining a group of mostly meth addicts and some illegal aliens who live in RVs and in canyons. Don't expect a warm welcome from the residents of the neighborhoods you choose to call home - for the most part you will be greeted with calls to the police and the occasional arrest.
Moving to Southern California in your financial shape and with your present job description would not be advisable.
Unless you get a job paying MUCH MORE money you will be miserable.
Because this county of San Diego is relatively well off financially, most locals look down on people with little means of support. Especially living out of your truck you'll attract attention.
You will probably bump heads with the police because people will call them on you, even if you are breaking no laws.
If you look down-trodden you will be discriminated against.
But you can succeed if you get a better paying job.
In the end its better to be poor in SoCal that in Canada.
At least you won't freeze to death !
Bro go for it. Do what u need to do and get warm homey. Screw the haters around here. SoCal can be great. My advice is to set some realistic goals and strive for a little more than a tent on a hill. Just work a lot, you'll find work right away if you stay clean looking. Work hard for a few months and get a place man. 49 aint ancient, get it together. I think staying in a truck for that long has got to get old. If you look decent you will be fine in San Diego.
Thanks for the input ya all though I have to say it was overall more of the incredibly stereotypical...oh no...another homeless bum...the kind we don't want around here...so please don't come here type of input.
Not a single one of you would ever know I was living in a tent or a truck. Not a one of you!
I have over 200 window cleaning clients who are wealthier than most of you and probably than a great many of you combined! And not a one of them has EVER cancelled on me or even questioned my integrity or even had an inkling that I have lived in my truck. I just did a million dollar home a couple of weeks ago. The homeowner left me alone for hours in his house. It's the third year running that I have done window cleaning for him. Many of my clients are that way.
So if I may say so...get real folks! Stop being so stereotypical judgmental of anyone who wants to live in a truck. It's a lot cheaper than trying to keep up a great big mortgage.
I don't do drugs. I don't cuss. I don't chew tabacco or even smoke. I absolutely will not panhandle or beg or steal. I work for what I get and if I can't afford something...I just don't get it. I would not steal a penny from one single person or company and if I did my conscience would bother me to no end until I confessed my thievery. That's because I am a committed Christian such that I value my relationship with God more than anything I could gain by stealing.
Most of you have little to no clue as to who I am but because I said I want to initially live out of a tent or that I have lived in a truck for close to four years...you judge me of being this or that. Things that don't even describe me.
I am sitting here with my laptop and portable internet. Wearing gap clothing. Well dressed. Well groomed. And not looking at all like the homeless person some of you have pegged me to be.
As for the police? Unless the police in San Diego are absolutely ridiculously unprofessional and downright rude and mean I wouldn't have a problem with them either. Police have stopped me often because it looks a bit suspicious to have someone in an old beater truck working on a laptop like I do and to date not a one of them have been as rude as some of you paint the San Diego police to be.
My brother who is a top notch lawyer in his section of the US would sue the dickens out the police you all describe. He routinely does that when the police get above the law and start acting in a rude and mean manner.
I guess we will see. I sure hope the police there are more professional than some of you make them sound.
Anyway thanks for...well I guess for your input...though I must confess to being a bit frustrated that hardly anyone had anything to say about my specific questions.
My previous post was not directed at all of you who responded. Just some.
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Originally Posted by SD Observer
Unless you get a job paying MUCH MORE money you will be miserable.
Money is not my goal in life SD Observer. If I have enough to get by and a little more I am content. I have other things related to my relationship to God that are far more important for me than making money. Just saying is all. And if I can be warm on top of that...it would be like heaven on Earth to me .
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Because this county of San Diego is relatively well off financially, most locals look down on people with little means of support. Especially living out of your truck you'll attract attention.
Understood SD Observer. But rich folks is who I like to cater too. They pay the best for professional window cleaning . They have the most discretionary income to spend.
As for knowing how rich or poor I am...unless people in San Diego are really, really nosy and ask me all kinds of unusually intrusive questions I don't think my little means of support will be a problem. Most people...see a professional business card, a professional web site associated with it (I can develop my own), a professional sounding business name, a professional looking person when approached, and they don't usually ask me how much I make, where I live, or how I support myself as a basis for determining whether they will hire me or not .
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You will probably bump heads with the police because people will call them on you, even if you are breaking no laws.
If you look down-trodden you will be discriminated against.
I do not in the least look downtrodden. Heck...I was even taking a shower every day until my truck died on me a week ago. Now I take a shower every other day to save time (it takes me close to 3 hours to go to the gym by bus, take a shower, and back again).
I even brush my teeth daily though I must confess to not using them new fangled tooth whiteners. I'd rather keep my naturally colored enamel thank you LOL.
Oh...I do occasionally pick my nose but I try not to do that in public
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But you can succeed if you get a better paying job.
Thanks very much SD Observer but wordly success means next to nothing to me. I'd be happy to explain that in more detail if you care to know why.
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In the end its better to be poor in SoCal that in Canada.
At least you won't freeze to death !
Regarding the poor part I would say it's better to be in Canada. You would be shocked at all the ways in which Canada cares for it's poor though I don't use any of those means these days prefering to fend for myself as God provides for me.
One would have to work hard to starve here. Free medical care for all. Loads of money to give away to those who can come up with something that might qualify them for it. Even bottle picking is profitable up here.
But the cold is really getting to me these days. I've had enough of it. I want to live somewhere where I can go out and hike in the woods, work on my vehicle outdoors, not have to wear 4 or 5 layers of clothing, trudge through deep snow, and have icicles form over my mustache .
I think staying in a truck for that long has got to get old. If you look decent you will be fine in San Diego.
Thanks for the encouragement wenzit420.
As for living in my truck getting old...not really. I find a great deal of freedom in it. In fact my goal this Spring...until my truck breaking down interrupted my business and my life..was to get a UPS style cube van and convert it into a luxury one bedroom apartment LOL. With my business name on the side I would have been totally incognito...well except for my loud snoring LOL.
There is tremendous freedom in such a lifestyle. Not to mention great opportunity to save money or not have to work as much so that one can do other things in life besides work only to turn around and give someone else the money just to have a roof over one's head.
I find the North American obsession with material things and with getting these great big houses to live in that are way bigger than one really needs to be such a waste. I am listening to a song right now on my headphone which says it kinda beautifully....everything we are is dust in the wind...how appropriate I think. Though I would add that there is an eternal perspective which adds real meaning and purpose to any life. Even one of poor means .
Carlos
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