if you have to sleep in your car because you are homeless, where is it legal to do this?

Walmart will tow..

I have a nice spot :)

I can put most of the stuff in my car into lockers at work, making space :) well, enough space.

Truck stop or casino.

Going to anyways...

I am going to take a shower and then get some dinner. I'm sorry you don't want to join me.

I have friends who slept in the car of Walmart parking lots during road trips and used their bathroom in the morning. I hope this is a very temporary situation for you.

Some Walmarts have overnight parking. I have used them at some marathons where all the hotels are booked for 50 miles around.

Casinos also have 24 hour parking. And bathrooms and free drinks.

Some big hospitals have their own parking lot with overnight parking.

Some parking ramps only charge $3 a day on the weekends.

Some airports also have free public parking.

Maybe some truck stops. Probably noisy.

It's not bad, it keeps me really productive and on a sleeping schedule. I have practically no commute too. Best part is that I am finally paying back my student loans and buying stuff I've really wanted for a long time. If I spent $1400/m on rent I wouldn't be able to do any of that. I'll get a place, but I want to be out of debt first.

I've had nights where I had nowhere to go and had to sleep in my car. In High School I used to park at a local mall in the back with the overnight cleaning crew. I covered my self up with coats and sheets to make it look like the car was empty but just filled with a lot of junk. Never had a problem with that one. Also use to sleep in some parking lot at a bar that was open late. I figured they would just think the owner of the car had been too drunk and took a cab or something with intention to pick up the car the next day. I figured if someone tried to tow me, I'd probably wake up real quick and just drive off anyway.

Don't know what kind of area you are in, but I figure that a big city would be easier to find some place to park then a rural area which is probably more strict. Also might need to be close to a restroom in case you have to pee or worse yet poop in the middle of the night. If you live in a big city just find a street and where 24 hour parking is legal and park on the street. I can't see why that wouldn't be legal. Better if you can find a street near a gas station or something else open with a bathroom you can use all night in case of emergency.

I don't tell people because they'd think I was nuts. But honestly, it's the smart thing to do considering the cost of living and pay transition I'm in. I also don't want to pass up experiences like traveling with friends. I'll be able to fix my car, get my teeth fixed, ...

I wouldn't have the funds to do any of that if I spent it on rent. How many years could I go waiting to get some raise to be able to afford past expenses that have built up?

I'm happy too.

I did it for a month recently. I rotated store parking lots and found safe public places to park.

One of the reasons I'm proud of myself is because I came up with creative solutions to questions like where to go to the bathroom and how do I get dairy in my diet if I don't have a fridge? It's amazing what you come up with. I use my hair straightening iron to iron wrinkles in my clothes. I couldn't afford a car wash and only had windex - used the starbucks paper towels and it worked fine...

The hard days were the ones where I felt like I wasn't moving forward in life.

I'm going to write this and it's not meant to hurt your feelings, just to explain. You were the only reason I felt exhaustion. Remember how the only thing that makes it really hard is when you aren't moving forward. When I thought of you for too long and how out relationship was going nowhere, it made me feel very tired. My body rarely hurts from sleeping in the back. My old mattress at home causes me pain. I feel rested, surprisingly. I have a mat and blankets so there is cushioning but it isn't too much, which i think was causing me back problems in the past. I think the Japanese figured out that mattresses that are too padded aren't good for the human body.

My teeth are brushed and I'm ready for bed. If you were here I'd give you a kiss goodnight.

You could ask the owner/manage of the business if it's okay for you to stay in their parking lot.

what state are you in?

Optimus wrote:

You could ask the owner/manage of the business if it's okay for you to stay in their parking lot.

Yeah, and tell him/her you'll mop the floors or clean the toilets. Then maybe eventually, if you stay long enough, you'll get a full-time gig and be able to afford your own place, or at least a roommate share. I speak from experience

I've always had good luck in busy hotel parking lots. An extra car at night never looks out of the ordinary, versus business lots that are normally more empty at night. Covering up with a sheet is a good idea.

I haven't been homeless, but I travel a lot for work, and I'm too cheap/broke to spend money for a hotel every night.

Here's what I've found: WalMart/other stores are terrible places to sleep because their Loss Prevention or security people will always wake you up and ask you to move on. The same applies to most business parking lots, even hotel parking lots. I was once woken up by a police officer who threatened to fine me for "loitering".

I will continue by saying that I live in TX, which as one can imagine can be very warm overnight, especially during the summer months. It's impossible to sleep without running your engine to keep cool. This obviously complicates matters because you can't sleep surreptitiously.

I have found, then, that truck stops are the best places. Not only do you get 24-hour access to bathrooms/showers/laundry, but you get added security because there are many people doing the same thing you are doing: sleeping overnight, with the truckers obviously doing that, but also many regular folk. A lot of the larger truck stops have places where RV's park, and I have found that to be the best place to park. It takes you away from all of the noisy diesel engines, but you still get the security of constant hubbub. It's security in numbers.

My experience is that rural truck stops are a whole lot better than urban ones. This removes you from the crime element associated with cities.

Next, buy something that can give you privacy. I drive a pickup, so I only have to block my windshield and side windows. (The rear window is tinted darkly enough where people can't see in). Sun visors work well, but I have also seen other motorists use towels/sheets to cover their windows. You'll be surprised how much less people are apt to bother you if they can't see you. (Nobody has bothered me since I started blocking my windows. Before that, panhandlers would.)

Lastly, TX is a concealed handgun state, so I have no problem packing heat. Even in the financial situation that you may be in, it's a great investment for you to do the same if you live in a gun-friendly state. And if you don't, buy a baseball bat. You just need others to know that you're ready to defend yourself if need be.

OP, good luck with your situation, and I hope that this is only temporary.

rest areas off the interstate