Walmart overnight parking

[rmkrum]

Rule of thumb in our family: if any of us think a place is sketchy even a little bit, we keep moving.

Daughters intuition is very good at detecting sketchy....

And if the dogs sound off, it’s definitely sketchy, they use their base instincts and body language to draw their conclusions. We don’t ignore their reactions.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Man. I am #sheltered [emoji50]

Copy that!



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweaker

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Man. I am #sheltered [emoji50]

You sure as hell won't remain that way, if you start Wallydocking.

I hesitated to bring it up. In our politically-correct world, I get bashed for not being pro-user. A trillion-dollar law enforcement failure here in America, global crime syndicates killing tens of thousands of people, traffickers hard-selling dope to our school children, and I'm supposed to have excess sympathy for the core of supporters of this system who are alternately dealing and passed out in the parking lot at big box retail outlets.

They're also the reason why certain federal lands (which comprise a whopping 2% of our state acreage) are not more open here in Texas. I've had discussions with law enforcement as to why I can't boondock. The answer is the same: too much drug crime, and if it's occurring in a wilderness area, law enforcement can't respond fast enough due to the distances involved, and so they have to keep EVERYBODY out.

[delrossa]

If you get the Allstays app it will show the Walmart’s that allow parking. The W is different colors. Red signifies no parking.
Allstays also shows Cracker Barrel’s, Flying Js, ect that have RV parking spots.
Great app highly recommend it.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

What the heck is a tweeker?

I had to wiki it. Meth heads. I guess I have led a sheltered life too.

Al

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

......("tweekers") ... also the reason why certain federal lands (which comprise a whopping 2% of our state acreage) are not more open here in Texas. I've had discussions with law enforcement as to why I can't boondock. The answer is the same: too much drug crime, and if it's occurring in a wilderness area, law enforcement can't respond fast enough due to the distances involved, and so they have to keep EVERYBODY out.

Surely that is the expressed personal opinion of individual LE officers being offered as "official" reasoning? If that were the real reason, then it would be a published, public-policy and would have to apply to all similar public lands... There'd be no boondocking allowed anywhere.

(In fact, the definition of boondocking would include the remote distance from any L.E. or other oversight.) I'm calling B.S. on that narrow response from the officer with whom you visited.
Perhaps only public lands which are "close-in" to metro areas might attract druggies/miscreants and therefore be subject to a general ban on boondocking..?? (not to mention opposition from commercial RV parks in metro areas... a much more credible explanation, in my view.)

[gypsydad]

Not sure why anyone would be offended by a fellow ASer staying overnight in a Walmart parking lot anyway? As several have said, it surely doesn't bother most all of us in anyway, except to cast judgment? Many reasons to use vs pulling into a costly campsite late at night and waking everyone, or finding the campsites full, or going from point a to b to start vacation, without wanting to go to an unfamiliar back road RV camping area...I have done it once, but most of the time I try to scout ahead around 2pm with my trusty navigator/camp site finder....(Gypsymom) who has the patience and cell phone with on line apps to help locate/call/confirm where we will pull in around 5-6pm....works for us. But nice to know, the Walmart's and Cracker barrels are there if you need to use.

[Oh_this_guy]

Personally if you parked in one of my lots and did not buy something over 20 bucks I would Hassel you too just out of principal. If you park set up go in spend a few bucks. When the night watchman stops by invite him in. Even the signs are posted on private property which is a catch 22. You with an airstream are a liability to the businesses. You trip on your own steps help you spill your hot coffee in your lap.
Long story short there going to walk up to you there going to knock, so get them to crack a smile and ask them to wake you up and you will make them breakfast. I bet they park right next to you.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

. . .
But nice to know, the Walmart's and Cracker barrels are there if you need to use.

Your entire comment is very well said, thanks.

[moosetags]

The rvparky app also provides the locations and information for Wal-Marts, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, etc. There are also reviews of these places. Some of these are quite interesting.

We spent the night before last at the Wal-Mart in Perry, Florida. We were on our way to Dade City via the back roads. It was getting dark and we decided to call it a night. There were 11 reviews on rvparky. There reviews were okay, so we decided to give it a shot.

This Wal-Mart was a little sketchy. We judge this by two factors. We walk through the store and get a good look at the evening customer base. Then we go into the parking lot and check the diameter of the oil slicks in the parking spots closest to the building. We have found this to be a good assessment of the neighborhood you are in. The oil slicks at this Wal-Mart are still with in the parking spot lines, so we figured we were okay.

We spent the night with three other RV's, a small TT, a B+ and a B. We got Lucy a slightly upgrade spot along the far edge of the parking lot. The night was fairly quiet. There were some early morning semis, but nothing too bad.

Yesterday morning we gassed up the truck and the generator at Wal-Mart before continuing our journey to Dade City. Before we left the Perry Wal-Mart, we ran into Birddog, another Forums member who recognized Lucy.

Brian

[Joannadannna]

As a solo female traveler I’ve used the hospitality of many Walmarts and CB pads. I’ve had a couple of sketchy incidents but continue to stop throughout my travels. My policy is to always patron the store and leave the lot better than I found it: round up nearby stray buggies as I haul to shop for instance. I recall one Carolina Walmart stopped allowing customers to overnight park and they found they lost revenue. They went back to opening their pave and seem better for it.

Moreover I’ve met some great people in such places and an occasional down and out junkie. The same can be said for some paid RV facilities.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

the tweekers.

If you end up at Wallyworld and there are tweekers anywhere in the parking lot, consider yourself screwed.

In my world, Tweakers are meth users. They can't stand still.
I wouldn't want to stop at a WalMart that had anyone like that in the lot.
There's a big difference between WM in<pick one> Baltimore and another WM is the middle of Kansas. I wouldn't consider staying even to shop in the urban WM.

[Joannadannna]

The worst WM I’ve ever stopped at was North Nashville. It’s a SuperWalmart however they close at 11:00pm due to the crime. It overlooks the skyline of Nashville but both patrons and employees are very rough around the edges. Lots of panhandling and meth heads. Security seems to congregate instead of securing the area. Rude, dirty and racially tense. IMO this specific WM should be avoided if at all possible.

On the other side of the WM tracks, Destin Fl WM is the cleanest most hospitable Super-center I’ve been to. They are the gold standard of the Wallyworld. Overnight is loud due to the Emerald Coast Hwy which fronts it. But employees and store are better than some WholeFoods or Trader Joe joints.

The best WM and CB have been in smaller towns. Any incidents I’ve had were always in larger cities.

[blkmagikca]

I should add that whenever I overnight at a WM, I always park in such a way that my AS door faces the WM store. They have security cameras on all their store buildings that overlook the parking area. If anything should happen, it would all be recorded for the authorities to view.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Surely that is the expressed personal opinion of individual LE officers being offered as "official" reasoning? If that were the real reason, then it would be a published, public-policy and would have to apply to all similar public lands... There'd be no boondocking allowed anywhere.
...

It's official. To understand the reason why, think of it in context. Only 2% of Texas land is federally-owned, and we have 30 million people. In contrast, the feds own 47% of land in the West. What happens in Texas with tweakers and other criminals is like what happens to fish in the Amazon basin when the rainy season abates. The water pools (federal land analogy) get smaller and smaller and the fish get more and more concentrated into increasingly-vanishing pools. Demand pressures become enormous in both scenarios. If people weren't categorically excluded from a lot of our federal lands, they'd simply run away with what's available. Those places would descend into a state of fish-flopping anarchy.

It doesn't matter in the West. Whoever wants to be by themselves doing their business can spread out so widely that they won't typically be noticed.

[featherbedder]

I will take the heat for my posting about leeching and cheapo. I should have clarified as to meaning being the people that only stay at places mentioned for entire vacations etc. and boondocking etc. I realize many stay for over nite but not camping out. I have stayed in 1 rest stop for 6 hrs. yrs. ago, now wife wants trips planned for shorter drives and things to do and spend time at stops not quick in and out.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Oh_this_guy

Personally if you parked in one of my lots and did not buy something over 20 bucks I would Hassel you too just out of principal. If you park set up go in spend a few bucks. When the night watchman stops by invite him in. Even the signs are posted on private property which is a catch 22. You with an airstream are a liability to the businesses. You trip on your own steps help you spill your hot coffee in your lap.
Long story short there going to walk up to you there going to knock, so get them to crack a smile and ask them to wake you up and you will make them breakfast. I bet they park right next to you.

Curious; do you have a Walmart? Just saying...why is everyone so judgmental...back off and be glad there is this "free" option. You don't typically get hassled or bothered by Police from what I know and posts on this thread. If you havn't tried it, perhaps you might need to at some point, and would be glad this safety valve is there....just saying.

[wave man]

True that caveats are needed but the negatives don’t need to be dwelled on surely...and the disparaging remarks?
Not helpful. If the business permits it, it is not abuse to avail yourself of their hospitality when caught in between destinations.

I’ve done some traveling, and seen some Walmart properties that looked like they were a set in a dystopian sci-fi movie. I agree it’s a disgrace to a filthy rich mega corporation like Walmart. I’m embarrassed for them.
I’m more embarrassed that there are places like that in America at all.

My point is this is not the norm so why disparage the corporation or the people in the down and out areas that need sympathy (and a wary eye) but not our derision. I don’t like where that goes and I’ve personally found that no one wanted to grow up to be a drug addict or be chewed up and spit out by life when luck or bad choices derailed their futures...

Just sayin... sure some places aren’t safe and they ought to be avoided but let’s not paint them all with that brush.
Most Walmart properties are fine with basic precautions and common sense. Though I admit I’m not a fan of heavily built up and asphalt jungles, I’ve still ventured in when I had to get to the other side [emoji38] and let’s face it, a positive attitude does improve the view.

[gypsydad]

Hadn't considered that some WM's are perhaps in seedy unsafe areas...I wouldn't want to risk that either...I do remember the Walmart in Helena, MT couple years ago had some "longer term" hippie type campers with real broken down looking TT's set up camp with lounge chairs also...when I asked the manager what was going on, he said they had been traveling from WM to WM or other parking lots until they are forced to move on by police...That would be a WM I would have thought twice about pulling into seeing those folks, even in an emergency, for sure...guess if your not familiar with where your going, can get a bit dicey without some input from the experts here... But, other times when I have shopped there in Helena, just normal big rig RV's and normal overnight TT's at that location.

[Rocinante]

Our friends over-nighted at a WM in Medford, OR. Their experience was so bad and scary with late-night miscreants roaring about the parking lot, yelling and such, that they swore off ever stopping at a WM again.