I know you can stay in their parking lots without a problem. I could probably plug in to a light circuit in a minute or two but that's stealing power. *whistle*
Is it steeling if your sitting in the McDonalds or Starbucks and plug in to charge your phone or laptop? The rooms are wired with outlets at almost every table and even provide special charging stations. It has been my experience that if a company does not want people hooking into their system, they remove the access.
That's not stealing power. Accessing a light circuit might be frowned up though. I know a guy with many many special sockets to do just that.
Yes @Asia-Off-Grid Wal-mart is a free camp ground for the poor. It used to be that big rigs and campers could park over night but now they allow people who live in there cars to stay there. It is horrible. There was this one family I left food for. They had kids and it was so awful to see. So many complain about what they want and don't have. I tell them to go check out a Walmart parking lot some evening. It is heart breaking.
Being poor nowadays is much more difficult than when I was young. Back in the day most poor folk would do any work available for a meal. Nowadays so many are posing as poor folk (just sitting at almost any corner) that you can't hardly tell the difference. If they are not asking for some type of employment, I've been withholding my donation. It's a sad state of affairs when the able bodied attempt to pass themselves off indigent just to drain society. JMHO.
Most commercial lighting circuits are 277v. Might even be full 3 phase 480v 4 wire circuit in some of the light junction boxs depending on how everything is wired up. Better know what you are messing with.
NOT all Walmarts allow camping. Sometimes it's store policy, sometimes certain municipalities ban it, in order to steer the campers to the local campgrounds. There have been lowlifes abusing the "Wallydocking" priviledge, staying many days or more, setting out their tables and chairs, and making a real nuisance of themselves. Best to ask management first, and buy some snacks or drinks.
Good info. I'm used to something different but good rule is always check with a voltmeter first. Of course protective gloves as well
Here is a Brit 'report' on the 10s of thousands of Americans living in Walmart car parks. Locally, the Muni is trying to ban the practice. Seems the local RV parks can't gouge the tourists as long as Wlamart is an option. When I got our 1st pull behind (for here in AK) I made a point to stop at a Walmart on the way home to get a pick of the rig in the parking lot with the WallyWorld sign in the background. In looking across the net, I see where some (in the report above) have been living in their car @ the local walmart for years. How sad.
When I would be traveling across country for work I always pulled into a Wally World to crash. Pull in, pop open the slides and crash. Get up, walk into the store, use the restroom then pick up travel goodies for the day/night. While they were icing down I'd take a quick shower in the RV, button everything back up and be good for another 800-1,000 miles if needed. Saved a lot of overnight fees getting in between jobs. I know a lot of construction types that do it. Doesn't matter when you stop/go as almost all are 24/7. Many are patrolled by rentacops so it's usually safer than a deserted rest area in the middle of BFE.
It was my impression in the vid that the vast bulk of the down-and-out "car dwellers" had a severe dope or drinking problem (or both) - hard to help someone who doesn't want to change their 'lifestyle' or is unwilling to relocate to be able to work to support themselves. "Trapped in the Welfare sinkhole" is mostly mental, sad to say. My only contact with 'street people' was in the ER when they were scraped up out of the gutter and brought in near dead.
We are fairly unique in the Homeless regulars @DKR, UP HERE IN Alaska... Most of our Homeless disappear about September... and head south, or at least to the nearest Big City... ANC, SquareBanks, and Juneau get a few winter diehards, but the smaller villages get down to just Regulars, pretty Quick... and we all know who runs those Towns... Demoncrats....
Worse yet Bruce, My tax money goes to put these bums up in a heated apt so they can drink and smoke dope in the 'comfort' of their own place.... Despite trying to vote out the Dems, I'll never win at it - the place (Los Anchorage) is lousy with Union types who just love the Dems....
The US holds no monopoly on that. I previously lived in the Philippines (11 years). I had an apartment, but would often hire people to do work on the landlord's property. We had a great business relationship. One of my best landlords ever. Anyway, sometimes, I had Filipino guys come up and beg for money. I would tell them I wouldn't give them money. But, I would pay them a very good wage (double the going rate) if they wanted to work. They would shake their heads and walk away. They wanted money - but didn't want to work for it. So, screw 'em. They obviously didn't need money. Foreign aid needs to stop, too. We need to look after our active, disabled and retired military, along with our homeless and starving, before pissing money away by giving it to other countries.
It's easy to be judgmental on people you don't know ,more so if you've never been in their shoes . What's bad is people that have the means, but don't mind abusing programs just because they can. I have no objection to helping people that are in genuine need . Having been on the short end of the stick I know what it's like. Having worked in christian thrift stores and handed out food and assistance I know the game fairly well , I generally don't hand out money, but more often then not, I give beggars a can of food, or a McDonalds gift card . It's what ever the Lord leads me to do.. It's usually SOP to keep water and a can of food on the bike, or in the car, just in case something goes down and my own times get thin.
