Parking Lot Camping

Just a random thing I've noticed.

Sometimes, I'll go sit in parking lots in the middle of the night to have a private moment alone. 

Last night, I was in a hardware store parking lot around midnight. I always try to pick those far-flung spaces that are not near the store. A homeless man popped up out of nowhere and began walking across the parking lot to approach me on foot. I didn't feel great about it since I was alone, he was going out of his way to approach me, and I had my purse on the passenger's seat in plain view with too much cash in it. I started the car and moved myself across the parking lot.  I then noticed what appeared to be a homeless guy pulling up really close to me in a truck and camping out in it. Almost like I took "his spot" or something. There were plenty of other spots available. I've noticed this at just about every large parking lot I've been to in the Irvine and S. O.C. area. They're all like informal campgrounds for vagrants.

Of course, you see this in the daytime, too. But it's more enhanced at night. This post isn't meant to be a slam on the homeless or bring heat to this topic. Just to make others aware that even in "safe cities", you should still keep your guard up when you think you're in a quiet place all alone.

SoCal said:

Just a random thing I've noticed.

Sometimes, I'll go sit in parking lots in the middle of the night to have a private moment alone. 

Last night, I was in a hardware store parking lot around midnight. I always try to pick those far-flung spaces that are not near the store. A homeless man popped up out of nowhere and began walking across the parking lot to approach me on foot. I didn't feel great about it since I was alone, he was going out of his way to approach me, and I had my purse on the passenger's seat in plain view with too much cash in it. I started the car and moved myself across the parking lot.  I then noticed what appeared to be a homeless guy pulling up really close to me in a truck and camping out in it. Almost like I took "his spot" or something. There were plenty of other spots available. I've noticed this at just about every large parking lot I've been to in the Irvine and S. O.C. area. They're all like informal campgrounds for vagrants.

Of course, you see this in the daytime, too. But it's more enhanced at night. This post isn't meant to be a slam on the homeless or bring heat to this topic. Just to make others aware that even in "safe cities", you should still keep your guard up when you think you're in a quiet place all alone.

Click to expand...

It's quite common.  The homeless live at the State Parks during the day, and then get kicked out each night.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/beach-740935-homeless-blackburn.html

One time I was driving on 10 going to Phoenix, and it was 11PM at night.  I stopped at a rest area near Blythe, and there was a whole group of people with RV's and pickup trucks and campers, just milling about.

It felt like a super tramp party...

LA Times Op-ed article about living in his truck for 6.5 years.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/liva...ess-in-vehicles-help-them-20170216-story.html

WTTCHMN said:

It's quite common.  The homeless live at the State Parks during the day, and then get kicked out each night.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/beach-740935-homeless-blackburn.html

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Interesting. So, it looks like camping in residential and commercial areas is banned in at least those two cities mentioned in the article - Dana Point & S.J.C. I wonder if res. & comm. camping is also banned in many other O.C. cities, too. I always go to commercial parking lots and that's where I see the campers. So either it's still allowed or it's just not enforced. Hmmm.

SoCal said:

Just a random thing I've noticed.

Sometimes, I'll go sit in parking lots in the middle of the night to have a private moment alone. 

Click to expand...

Girl...I don't think this is a very safe thing to be doing! I'd be scared!

traceimage said:

SoCal said:

Just a random thing I've noticed.

Sometimes, I'll go sit in parking lots in the middle of the night to have a private moment alone. 

Click to expand...

Girl...I don't think this is a very safe thing to be doing! I'd be scared!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I understand. I get scared sometimes, too. I just don't have any better ideas. I have contemplated renting a hotel room by the hour. However, "by the hour", i.e., "no-tell motels" aren't much safer. I'm not into drugs and prostitution. Industrial lots have private security patrol. Parks have police patrol. Since the '90s, I would go down to Balboa and park in the W. Oceanfront lot. It's safe enough but not very private. Also, a little further than I want to drive now that Mr. SoCal GPS tracks & finds me. If there was a better & safer option, I would consider it.

I volunteer my time and resources to assist with the homeless population and after many years I got to know a few families. Homeless needs help to survive. They are not all drunk, addicts or mentally ill. They don't want to be looked at as criminals or diseased. In Orange County they are different from those at DTLA skid row sometime sleeping on their own feces.

The Anaheim PlatinumTriangle is the ideal campsite for over 1800 families living along the the side of the Santa Ans riverbed between the 91 fwy and the Orange Crush . They want to be self sufficient without resorting to pan handling or stealing. Good samaritans see them daily on the 57 fwy on their way to work. Often they drop off foods, toiletries, tarps, flashlights, bags, clothes, water, food gift cards, blankets, backpacks and toys. 

The location of their campsite is paramount in autotomy from society. They rely on recycling money to survive on. Both Honda Center and Angel Stadium during events disposed a huge quantities of bottles and cans.

The local Anaheim Saddleback Church has a food pantry for community outreach. Pastor Warren's mother church at Lake Forest supports many homeless families living in cars or campers. Sightings of the transients along Foothill Ranch and Trabuco are common. They meant no harm.

Good dumpster finds at many of the local apartment dwellers population. Apartment dwellers dispose a vast amount of furniture from their limited space and frequent moves. Tables, chairs, beds, bikes, pots and pans, and bikes are among the discards. Homeless assemble bikes from parts and use them to get to work. They travel on the bike lanes along the riverbed rather than on the city roads. They don't like to be seen or be judged.

Access to many apartment construction sites is ideal for day laborer work and disposed construction materials are recycled at the camp for building homes and bonfire.

The Artic transportation terminal in Anaheim is where many got kicked off at the end of the train or bus line. Many are from others states hearing that the better weather in California and not far from the happiest place on earth make Anaheim the ideal transient home. For some being runaways Artic is the location where they could begin their next venture to another city.

Social services near by is a must for those to pick up their social security or government subsidy checks. They can cash them at many Santa Ana stores.

The "Irvine" location of the homeless camp was along the stretch next to the 57 fwy. This location was where the families received all the free stuffs. Those families living in obscured location have to walk a long way and by the time they arrived at the "Irvine" all the free giveaways were gone. Because of the recent rain and eminent danger of drowning the County of Orange vacated the homeless population and imported mound of fresh dirt to discourage the homeless from returning. The homeless are now at another location.

Homeless select public location where eviction would take a very long time due to government bureaucracy. The land behind the Angel Stadium is ideal for the moment. It is near numerous fast foods where homeless could refill their water jugs.

The concert goers and sport fans are very generous to the homeless asking for a handout. The local police are not pressured by local homeowners and politic to harass and ship the homeless out.

Many homeless have low paying jobs. There are squeezed out of their homes by the product of high RE prices. That translates all across the board even across the rent in so call cheap cities adjacent to Irvine. The homeless were behind on their rent and in a matter of just months with children they are on the streets. OC is the worst region in offering homeless shelters. Developers, residents and politicians' NIMBYism are driven by greed. No one want an affordable project in their neighborhood let alone a homeless shelter.

I find Todds apartment a relaxing place to get away when I need some peace and quiet.