Asked to leave Walmart

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Bill N said:
Paul, I guess I just put that in there as my opinion based on the two occasions I have seen Walmart stores being picketed by a couple dozen people with preprinted signs referring to that food stamp claim and other signs referring to the "poor" people working at Walmart.  On both occasions the "picketers" arrived in a rented bus and were paid in cash as they got off the bus and each protest lasted almost exactly 1 hour and then they loaded back on the bus.  The organizer was wearing his union badge as were some of the picketers.  Actually, a couple of the Walmart workers who were on the job that day were laughing at the pickets.  It is a well known 'fact' that the unions have been trying to organize Walmart for many many years - without much success.  So I guess that's where that came from.

Ok, thanks.  Just not sure how that fit in with staying at WalMart overnight.
 
In the late  fall and early spring, there are not a lot of campgrounds open in New England that are along the highway.  Rather than doing a round trip of 100 miles to the nearest open one along my route, I stay at a Walmart. 
 
In my  5 short years of fulltiming, I've never understood the thrill of camping in parking lots at Walmart. I have never camped in one and I don't plan on it either.

I travel on a super modest budget and folks tell me over and over I need to be camping at Walmart to save money.

DUH?????

I still don't get it. My goal isn't to see as many parking lots as possible. No thanks. I want to see beautiful nature.

I am a fool. I budget my time and money for campgrounds and arrive before closing so as not to irritate the staff. I like to pick beautiful places to stay and many are no where near a Walmart.

Last fall I was traveling and super sick. The campground I had stayed at for several days had no more room, so I had to shuffle along. About a half hour into my trip, I realized I couldn't continue much longer. Another half hour and a A Flying J appeared on the horizon, so I pulled over. I planned to nap and try to patch myself up to locate and move to a campground. It was before 11am (yes that is morning, before noon.) Much to my surprise, the Flying J was FULL of campers who had their slides out, their steps out, several even had tables and chairs outside. I was amused to watch a couple sit outside eating their lunch while viewing the interstate.  A few had blocked some of the RV parking spaces by putting their slides out, preventing me or others from parking in those RV spots. Others had taken up multiple car spaces to cram in their RV's and toads.

I was ashamed to be an RV-er and embarrassed I had pulled over at all.

A few RV-ers had parked over on the separate truck only side in spite of the numerous signs that read trucks only. Matter of fact, I think one RV-er might have upset some truckers. He parked in the middle of empty open spaces on the truck side. About 10 minutes later, I noticed two truckers pulled in on either side of him, parking ridiculously close to his RV, so close, I don't think he could have opened up his entrance door more than a few inches. Middle of the day too!

I am in an old 20 year old Class C rig, yet these folks were in very expensive new looking Class A's and fifth wheels. It makes me think some of these folks can afford the rig finance payments but can't figure out how to budget in RV parks.

For good measure, I topped up my gas tank at Flying J before parking, I would never dream of asking to stay without spending some money. I managed to back into a corner car spot that was up against a grassy trashy area and a fence, so that I was only taking up one car parking space since the 2 spare RV spaces were both blocked by slideouts in the out position.

To my right (entrance door side) was about a dozen car spaces. Within the hour, a truck pulling a 40 foot fifth wheel came in and took up 8 parking spots. I think they could have fit in 6, but they wanted the extra room of taking of 8 so that a car could not fit at either end between the lines. We are talking NOON. And the car side of the parking lot is crammed full of RV's with only a hand full of cars able to fit in.

If I were the restaurant manager, I would have been hopping mad. In my brief stay there, I saw many cars enter the lot, circle around looking for parking then leave again. After awhile the cars couldn't even circle around because an RV-er parked right down the aisle, not in any spaces at all.

I think it's a miracle Flying J puts up with this kind of foolishness but I am super grateful I was able to rest up some in view of my own illness. After my nap, I found an RV park less than an hour away that had plenty of room. It was more than my typical overnight budget, because it was a resort type place,  but I was sick and needed to rest, so I paid and stayed several nights. That's what emergency funds are for, well emergencies, like getting sick on the road.

I guess you could say I am NOT boondocking at parking lots so that leaves plenty of room for everybody else who loves that. It's just not my cup of tea to go out see all the parking lots I can see.
 
Very inconsiderate, though I have done it myself, parking outside a private residence or in a private parking lot without permission. Suggest you be a bit more creative next time or get permission up front.
 
DearMissMermaid said:
In my  5 short years of fulltiming, I've never understood the thrill of camping in parking lots at Walmart. I have never camped in one and I don't plan on it either.

I travel on a super modest budget and folks tell me over and over I need to be camping at Walmart to save money.

DUH?????

I'll explain it to you.

You are correct in one respect. Walmart is not a place to "camp." However, it is a perfectly suitable place to "park."

In my younger days, I would drive nonstop, where ever I was going. I can't do that anymore. After 8 or 10 hours of driving, I need to get a few hours of sleep. It is generally dark by then, so I don't expect to be seeing ant scenery. I don't need any hookups, or any of the other amenities found in camp grounds. I just need a place to park. I will do my camping when I get to where I am going.

If a camp ground were to offer basic "parking" spaces at a reasonable price, I would be happy to stay there. However I object to paying $40 or more for a space equipped with electricity, water, sewer, & cable tv hookups. Then there is the rec room, play ground, pool, etc. I won't be using any of them.

Interstate highway rest areas work too. They are usually more scenic than Walmart, but in the dark, I don't care.  If they weren't so noisy from all the trucks running their engines all night, they would be my first choice. Truck stops frequently have the same problem.

Given my needs, a conveniently located Walmart is a perfect place to park while getting some sleep.

Joel
 
jje1960 said:
Rutt-roo... here we go.....  ;)

How are you Paul?  Long time!  Hope ya'll are doing well, thaw'in out here in WV, can't wait to hit the road this year, been a heck of a winter here.... Almost 12" yesterday...

As for Walmart.... Love that place, both local store and the half dozen or so we've stayed at on the road.

We are well and enjoying our winter in Arizona. I see it has been a rugged winter for many across the USA.  We are thankful that we are able to escape the cold and snow.

As far as WalMart goes, we have stayed over night at a couple as sometimes when we travel we drive well into the evening so we can get to where we need to be on time.  I dont consider it "camping" at WalMart if all one does is park for the night and be on your way in the morning.

Paul
 
LOL. Any Walmart discussion eventually devolves into a debate between those who do and those who do not. As with anything else that is done out of personal choice, all the reasoned arguments in the world aren't going to change anybody's opinion on the subject. Folks have various reasons for using parking lots instead of campgrounds and that's just the way it is.

For ourselves, we stay in parking lots only on rare occasion. If there is a campground reasonably close to our route and under $30/night, we will always choose that simply to have the comfort of electric power and a more peaceful venue. But if not, a parking lot will be considered as an alternative.
 
We are leaving FL in 2 weeks and making our way back to NH. We are taking a side trip to visit a cousin in Arkansas. I just mapped out my route yesterday and marked where all the Walmarts are on the route. We will be stopping after dark and will be back on the road before 5:00 AM. Much easier than a campground. Oh Yea. I will be asking the store manager if it's OK to park for a few hours.  ;) :)

PS: You can find Walmart's and Sam's Club by going to a Walmart and in the book section, pick up a Road Atlas by Rand McNally. At the top of the cover there will be the words "Includes Walmart and Sam's club store directory". All the states are listed in this book. I just map out my trip in the various states and highlight where the Walmart's are.  I also mark out where all the Flying J's, Pilot and Cracker Barrels are.
 
John From Detroit said:
Wal*mart improvershes workers at at least 3 classes of stores..

We haven't stayed overnight at a Walmart but if we ever do I would be sure to talk to the store manager on duty first.  That will most likely be an assistant manager.

As far as Walmart impoverishing its employees I question the source of information.  I am a field rep for a company that supplies merchandise to both Walmart and Target stores.  In my area the starting wage at Walmart is higher than Target, Penneys, or Macys.
 
My first stop after I take off on a trip is WM.  I go in and get everything I forgot to bring.  Then as soon as I'm rested ready to take off again, I seem to remember something else I need.  If I could remember everything I need, not forget anything, then I would not need to stop.  But it always seems that if a WM is not handy, I end up paying at least 50% more for those things I need. 

I wish setting up at a CG was easier, and I'd use them more often.  But unless I'm going to stay a couple of days, it seems to be too much work to set everything up.  At a WM, Casino, RA, I just stop, shower, bed, breakfast, gone.  Seldom are these kind of stops over 8 hours.

One recently though, I was trying to fix my front TV.  I was back and forth in the store buying tools, cables, etc..  But once I got the TV fixed, my adrenaline was pumping too much for me to sleep, so I made it another 3 hours before I stopped. 

Now if I could just figure out how to take my S&B to Lowes, it would save me so many trips on a project!  ;)
 
Too bad we don't have boondocking/dry camping areas at more campgrounds. Prior to the Olympics in Southern California, the state put in a bunch of dry camping sites at numerous state parks along the length of the state. They were intended for travelers who merely wanted a place to sleep with no frills while transiting to the Olympics. They were called "Olympic sites", and they became a site of choice for us when we used to tow our fishing boat to local waterways in the 80's.

The sites were gravel, no frills. Since we were on the boat fishing all day, we just needed a place to sleep for several hours, before heading out to fish again the next morning. The state park charged $5/night. They also had a small marina where we could rent a slip for the boat. The slip fee was $5/night and, if we rented a slip, they'd give us the dry camping (Olympic) site for free.

We used these so often that, as we turned into the entrance of the SP on Friday afternoon/evening, the rangers would have our registration form completed with our coach registration number.
 
We were driving back from Texas, and saw a billboard saying Walmart welcomes campers, then on the side of the building a large banner welcoming overnight campers. 

All depends.
 
Was it welcoming overnighters, or merely welcoming campers to shop at their store?
 
Tom said:
Too bad we don't have boondocking/dry camping areas at more campgrounds. Prior to the Olympics in Southern California, the state put in a bunch of dry camping sites at numerous state parks along the length of the state. They were intended for travelers who merely wanted a place to sleep with no frills while transiting to the Olympics. They were called "Olympic sites", and they became a site of choice for us when we used to tow our fishing boat to local waterways in the 80's.

The sites were gravel, no frills. Since we were on the boat fishing all day, we just needed a place to sleep for several hours, before heading out to fish again the next morning. The state park charged $5/night. They also had a small marina where we could rent a slip for the boat. The slip fee was $5/night and, if we rented a slip, they'd give us the dry camping (Olympic) site for free.

We used these so often that, as we turned into the entrance of the SP on Friday afternoon/evening, the rangers would have our registration form completed with our coach registration number.

That would be a great deal, that is where I would stop most of the time, even at $10 a night.  If it was quiet and secure, that's all I'm looking for in a place to park.  I've been a WM's where after shopping, I didn't "feel" secure, so I moved on.  I've been know to tip workers in the parking lot that are going to be there all night to watch my unit for me.  I sleep better that way.  The guards at WM that rove in those cars with the flashing yellow light are worth tipping if they're going to be there all night.  One they don't make a lot of money in the first place, but are trying to supplement their SSI, so, after talking with them a little, and finding out how late they are going to work, I'll give them 5 or 10 and sleep like a baby.  I even had one ask me when I wanted to get up, and at 06:30 he knocked on my door and had a cup of coffee for me from the McD's!  How's that for value.  I'm not a real "camper" in setting up, hooking up electric, water, etc., unless I'm at my destination.  So I guess one would call me a destination camper. 

But as I get to a CG I'm always amazed by ya'll senior RV'rs that are set up and rolling, and I'm still going over my check list, not even close to set up.  My average is about an hour, for a basic set up.  That doesn't include setting up the screen room and getting the furniture set up. 

So Tom.. How long until you have this network of Boondocking stations set up for all of us "destination campers?"  ;)
 
We made it back home today after our 2 month Florida vacation.    Yep, parked at a Walmart in Paducah, ky last night.

Just learned today an "Iron Skillet" truck stop on I-39 in Northern Illinois has a FREE dump station and parking places for RVs.  The RV spaces are also FREE for overnight parking.    They also have water and sell propane.

I always stop there and use their dump station before arriving home.  Dump station always was $5 plus a $5 deposit on the dump station key, but this time they only asked for the $5 deposit.  Could have been a mistake, how knows.

Hearing some of the replys makes me sad to hear how some people take advantages of certain situations.  The way it always is, a few ruin it for others.

Iron Skillet truck stops are well known for their buffet restaurants.
Jim
 
Back when he was starting Good Sam and founding his magazine empire, Art Rouse had the same idea that Tom suggested.  He started a bunch of places where campers could stop at campgrounds and only have a spot to park and it was inexpensive.  I think it was $5 but that was some time ago.  It seems like it would have been a great idea as many campers claim they would stop if they could pay a small amount that did not include all the services we don't need if we are just parking.  Apparently it didn't work.  Maybe some of you remember it better than I do but it went bust pretty quickly.  Not sure why but the idea sure seems to make sense.  A campground that offers  a lot where people can just pull in and park, and charges an appropriate amount, should be successful.  If they are near an interstate exit.
 
Art may have been ahead of his time.  Back then there were many more open spaces where you could park without hassle.  There also weren't as many city ordinances against said parking.  Heck, even the interstate rest areas were safer and not as full as they are today.  We parked in many places in the 1970s and 1980s that we would not or could not stay in now.  One of our favorite nights was on the Lexington to Concord road where the famous Shot Heard Round the World was fired.  It went through a lovely woodsy residential area and we joked about hearing the Redcoats coming.  We made sure the local residents who were out walking their dogs saw us picking up the beer bottles and other trash left behind by their local neighborhood kids.  They were all quite pleasant but I'm sure you can't park there today.

ArdraF
 
DearMissMermaid said:
It was before 11am (yes that is morning, before noon.) Much to my surprise, the Flying J was FULL of campers who had their slides out, their steps out, several even had tables and chairs outside. I was amused to watch a couple sit outside eating their lunch while viewing the interstate.  A few had blocked some of the RV parking spaces by putting their slides out, preventing me or others from parking in those RV spots. Others had taken up multiple car spaces to cram in their RV's and toads.

I was ashamed to be an RV-er and embarrassed I had pulled over at all.
I would have been ashamed too, with the behavior you described.
It sound like a shanty town, complete with Cousin Eddie dumping the grey and black tanks into the storm drain.

There is a WalMart in Fort Pierce, Fl., which fills up with Canadians mostly, but other RVers as well, who spend the night in the WalMart parking lot, which has a security patrol, because it's not in the nicest part of town, and then spend their day at Pepper Park Beach north parking lot, about 7 miles away.  The County doesn't allow overnight parking in the beach parking lots, but they are allowed to stay there all day, then retire to the WalMart parking lot at night.

They spend the winter doing this, day after day, week after week, month after month, to avoid paying the campground fees.  I always wondered where they dump their tanks, but maybe I don't really don't want to know, after all.

The County I live in (Brevard), is attempting to stop camping on the side of the 528 Hwy on the shore of the Intercoastal Waterway, between the Kennedy Space Center Causeway, and the Cape Canaveral AFS launch facility, and near Port Canaveral, which also has a very reasonably priced County campground at Jetty Park, in the Port, because they have observed the campers dumping their RV holding tanks into the Intercoastal Waterway at night.
It only takes a few to ruin it for everyone!
 
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