How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

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How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Backroads4me » Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:11 pm

As we all know, most WallyWorlds allow overnight parking. Even though it's clearly posted that it's not allowed (town ordinance), my local central Wisconsin store is pretty darn lenient about allowing semi truck and RV overnight parking. When asked, management is of the opinion that as long as the overnighters are quiet, respectful and are, of course, potential paying customers, no problemo. You really have to make an ass of yourself to get the boot.

Lately, there's been quite a few characters that crossed the line, and with the help of the local cops, have been asked to "just move along". There was what my fellow coworkers called "the hippy bus",---bright blue, beat up, 60's era school bus full of young, long haired/bearded guys and apparently soap deficient,----who spread their chairs, bbq grills and other stuff all over the lot around the bus. When they weren't sitting around the bus, they were sitting on top of it. Or aggressively panhandling and scaring little old ladies.

While overnighting in the lot, you're going to get noticed if you run around, not wearing ANY pants. :shock: I kid you not, heard this from an assistant manager. Apparently drunk and disoriented, this guy got the official police invitation to stay overnight---downtown.

Then a few days ago, "boat man" showed up again. Two years ago, he spent over a month, parked out towards the edge of the lot, next to a tree and shrub filled landscaping bunker. Lived in a pickup truck with camper shell, had a boat and trailer which he unhooked and left parked there. He came and went, sometimes with the boat, or just the truck or on the bike he also had. I parked and would walk past him every day, figured it wasn't my place to say anything to management. He kept to himself, was quiet.
When he left though, there were broken glass bottles, two busted up concrete blocks, assorted pieces of 2 X 4's, and what looked like from a distance---EEEWWWWWW piles of used toilet paper in the landscaping (nope, I wasn't going to take a closer look---but let the maintenance guy know to be careful when he got sent out to clean up whatever that mess was). Well, this time I notified management that boat man was back, and sure enough,---they were in the process of getting the police to send him on his way. We're a 24 hour store, we do have operating bathrooms, but he got caught squatting and doing his business in the landscaping. Good grief!

We often have people staying for lengths of time in the lot, but most try to fly under the radar, move their vehicles to different areas, are tidy. Frankly, since I spend more than enough time there already-----having the sun come up over a WallyWorld sign in the morning is something I don't ever want to see when I'm camping. Hopefully, the antics of these clowns who are sloppy, loud, disrespectful, etc. won't eventually ruin it for the folks who want to overnight park.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby S. Heisley » Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:28 pm

A couple years ago, we had a guy take a shower outside his RV, in the local WM parking lot, in the nude and without a shower curtain! :o Da po-po got him, I think.

WM camping is not for me! :no:
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How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby GerryS » Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:58 pm

I don't know what it is about walmart....it seems to collect those types. I won't even shop there. And that was before they aggressively encouraged supplies to offshore production.

It amazes me....people get bent out of shape at camping world for charging prices (high) that people are willing to pay, and tolerate mediocre service. Yet love WM cheap junk and ...ummm...entertaining clientele.

You could not pay me enough to sleep in that parking lot....
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby wincrasher » Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:01 pm

Overnighting at a Walmart or other shopping center type place is only for the purpose of sleeping as a stop-over on a long journey. It's safer and most likely more comfortable than a highway rest-area or a truck stop.

It is NOT for destination camping or for staying in a town while you visit friends. These kinds of uses will quickly cause us campers to wear out our welcome and ruin it for everyone. People doing that are why local private campgrounds get upset and lobby their local governments for ordinances to outlaw the practice.

If I have a multi-day journey, I really hate to shell out $35-40 to just stay 6-8 hours to sleep and move on.

But as evidenced in the posts above, there are always wing nuts who are hell-bent on abusing whatever opportunities are afforded the public. I think instead of jail, I'd be transporting the guy pooping in the bushes to the local looney bin.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby PKCSPT » Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:25 pm

Haven't done it yet and hope never too. But if I am ever too tired to safely drive on I hope I find one to stretch out a couple of hours. Nice to know it is there in a pinch
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Java Jack » Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:03 pm

Since you are on the subject of walmart...this is always fun to watch...

http://youtu.be/YvxNgdFeWqM
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Vedette » Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:41 am

We have stayed in Walmarts on a few occasions(as a matter of fact our first night ever on the road with Miss Piggy ended up in a Walmart parking lot) as they are easy to find and usually have clean washrooms. :thumbsup: If it is getting late and you are tired and still on the movetowards your ultimate destination......Walmart is the perfect place to catch some shuteye, and pick up a few grocery items, snacks, ice, and wine.
Don't knock it unless you have tried it,
We have heard that is not accepted as much in California......but, we have not had any troubles in Washington or Oregon so far.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby stumphugger » Thu Aug 07, 2014 7:57 am

Most Walmarche campers try to stay under the radar, except for one that is located in a small Warshington town on a main highway that enters the U.S. from Canada. The far end of that parking lot had fancy big motorhomes with Canadian license plates, and awnings out, chairs out, but neatly done. I believe that particular Walmarche exists because of Canadian shoppers, so that style of camping is acceptable there. Up the road about 40 miles is an or was an independently owned department store that had a parking lot for campers way before Walmart appeared. They are only 5 miles from the boundary.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Backroads4me » Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:38 am

If you type in "Walmarts that don't allow RV parking", many websites come up,----but not all have the same stores listed. One website mentions Dodgeville, Wi (logical as Governor Dodge State Park is three miles down the road), but this site doesn't:

http://www.walmartatlas.com/rv-parking-at-walmart/

All of the Wisconsin "no OV stay" listings on that site are big city Walmarts, except for Wisconsin Dells and Minocqua (which are touristy, campground filled areas anyway).
If you call ahead to verify that a WalMart on your route does indeed allow OV camping, I suggest you ask for an assistant manager or higher for that info., and get their name. If a store is experiencing an associate turnover problem, you don't want to get a "Uh, yeah, sure, I think so" from some brand new uninformed associate that happened to answer the phone.

One more "overstaying their welcome" story from my local store: Two large campers, unhooked and parked across many diagonal parking spots, one across from the other. They were parked at the very back of the lot, though. What got them booted was everything they unloaded----BBQ grill, two family's worth of folding chairs, kid's bikes, toys, and other assorted camping stuff---In the parking lot's road between all the slots they were hogging up. Geez, what the heck were these people thinking?
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby bobhenry » Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:02 am

Java Jack wrote:Since you are on the subject of walmart...this is always fun to watch...

http://youtu.be/YvxNgdFeWqM



OMG! :shock: do they really exist ?
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Backroads4me » Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:19 am

Why yes, they certainly do-----I've seen it all in my 20+ years employed with WM, nothing surprises me anymore :shock: ---but that's fodder for another thread, another time. :lol:
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby pjo129 » Thu Aug 07, 2014 7:51 pm

As an OR trucker hauling for WM, I stayed overnight at many WM stores. Mostly quiet, always clean. Just park, get your break in, and get out.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Arne » Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:21 am

I have stayed at many Walmarts East of the Mississippi (and 1 Crackerbarrel)... with nary a problem... Usually when on the road for long distances and just plopping down for the night.. Plan on doing it again whenever the need arises.. I consider them to be a very safe place to crash. I travel from CT to Lexington, KY each year for sheep dog trials, and Walmart 'camping' works very well for me.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby Malamute » Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:42 pm

I've stayed at wal marts several times. I bought a Winnebago in the Midwest and drove it back West after a detour though Minnesota. I looked online and used a highliter to color every town with a wal mart along the way in my road atlas. I stayed mostly at wal marts when travelling that trip.

I stayed at one another time in the back of my truck. It was not a good idea to try to find a motel room within 100 miles of Sturgis while it was going on. All the motels I stopped and asked about a room, they mostly laughed and said they were booked a year in advance around Sturgis time. Was glad I had that option available though.
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Re: How to get thrown out of a WallyWorld parking lot

Postby GerryS » Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:09 am

Maybe if I had a full size RV...self contained. Being able to get up, splash water on my face, use the head, maybe even cook a quick breakfast, get into driver seat and go....without having to crawl around and go outside. I would probably do that.

But teardrops don't have black water tanks, indoor sinks or room to move quickly if the need arises.

Not to mention TD trailers tend to get a lot of curiosity...
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