Every year or two a local community, sometimes at the urging of a campground owner takes issue with RVers overnighting at Wal-Mart. I was reading Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal blog and he reported Medford, Oregon is enforcing a parking ban at their local Wal-Mart. Nick has added Medford on his RV Unfriendly Cities list. He posted the City Manager's email for anyone that wanted to contact them. CMO@cityofmedford.org You may recall a few years ago Lake City, Florida also banned RV parking and a massive amount of emails and press coverage resulted in a change. I emailed and received a reply that because of undesireables, and acts of lawlessness, including shop lifting, that Medford at the urging of the Wal-Mart manager enacted the parking ban. We all know that the "one percenters" abuse all rules including respectful parking at Wal-Mart, but I find it hard to believe this was instigated by Wal-Mart.

45% of OR. Walmarts don't allow overnight parking.Does Nick post the email address for the other 13 stores??Or is he just picking on this one?

Triker33 wrote:45% of OR. Walmarts don't allow overnight parking.Does Nick post the email address for the other 13 stores??Or is he just picking on this one?Hard to tell because once on his list you stay on his list! Lake City reversed their policy and WalMart parking has been allowed for over three years now, but they remain Nick's "Unfriendly" list.I have e-mailed Nick three times, once with the information including an article from the local media, and the list remains unchanged, and therefore inaccurate.

Every year or two a local community, sometimes at the urging of a campground owner takes issue with RVers overnighting at Wal-Mart. I was reading Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal blog and he reported Medford, Oregon is enforcing a parking ban at their local Wal-Mart. Nick has added Medford on his RV Unfriendly Cities list. He posted the City Manager's email for anyone that wanted to contact them. CMO@cityofmedford.org You may recall a few years ago Lake City, Florida also banned RV parking and a massive amount of emails and press coverage resulted in a change. I emailed and received a reply that because of undesireables, and acts of lawlessness, including shop lifting, that Medford at the urging of the Wal-Mart manager enacted the parking ban. We all know that the "one percenters" abuse all rules including respectful parking at Wal-Mart, but I find it hard to believe this was instigated by Wal-Mart. Rouge River is an incredibly nice campground and only a few short miles from Medford. Go there! Enjoy yourself and don't waste time wondering who is doing what at Walmart.

Nick seems like a reasonable curmudgeon. Maybe for some reason he didn't see your emails but I bet it gets corrected soon. I think Nick is a member of this forum.

Okay, because the city doesn't want RV's to camp in parking lots, that makes them RV-unfriendly? It's very possible they started enforcing the ban because of the actions of a few, or they got tired of a WalMart "campground". I've not been there so I don't know, and if I was planning on going there this would not deter me.

Medford Oregon Parking Ban | Good Sam Community

Triker33
Explorer
May 24, 2015
45% of OR. Walmarts don't allow overnight parking.
Does Nick post the email address for the other 13 stores??
Or is he just picking on this one?
Dog_Folks
Explorer
May 24, 2015
Triker33 wrote:
45% of OR. Walmarts don't allow overnight parking.
Does Nick post the email address for the other 13 stores??
Or is he just picking on this one?

Hard to tell because once on his list you stay on his list!

Lake City reversed their policy and WalMart parking has been allowed for over three years now, but they remain Nick's "Unfriendly" list.

I have e-mailed Nick three times, once with the information including an article from the local media, and the list remains unchanged, and therefore inaccurate.
jmtandem
Explorer II
May 24, 2015
Every year or two a local community, sometimes at the urging of a campground owner takes issue with RVers overnighting at Wal-Mart. I was reading Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal blog and he reported Medford, Oregon is enforcing a parking ban at their local Wal-Mart. Nick has added Medford on his RV Unfriendly Cities list. He posted the City Manager's email for anyone that wanted to contact them. CMO@cityofmedford.org You may recall a few years ago Lake City, Florida also banned RV parking and a massive amount of emails and press coverage resulted in a change. I emailed and received a reply that because of undesireables, and acts of lawlessness, including shop lifting, that Medford at the urging of the Wal-Mart manager enacted the parking ban. We all know that the "one percenters" abuse all rules including respectful parking at Wal-Mart, but I find it hard to believe this was instigated by Wal-Mart.

Rouge River is an incredibly nice campground and only a few short miles from Medford. Go there! Enjoy yourself and don't waste time wondering who is doing what at Walmart.
floridaguy
Explorer
May 24, 2015
Nick seems like a reasonable curmudgeon. Maybe for some reason he didn't see your emails but I bet it gets corrected soon. I think Nick is a member of this forum.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
May 24, 2015
Okay, because the city doesn't want RV's to camp in parking lots, that makes them RV-unfriendly?

It's very possible they started enforcing the ban because of the actions of a few, or they got tired of a WalMart "campground". I've not been there so I don't know, and if I was planning on going there this would not deter me.
winnietrey
Explorer
May 24, 2015
At some point, businesses just get tired of getting beat up by crime, litter and the rest of the things that go along with this sort of situation.

I would bet, this law was not enacted, because they got tired of retired folks spending money in their town, and parking at the local Walmart. So I would think it was probably directed at another group of folks that are camping at walmart

Having some experience with this sort of situation (because of where my office bldg. is), I would say although I want to be compassionate, I will say as the years went on, my compassion tended to fade.

So I can understand Medford's decision.
floridaguy
Explorer
May 24, 2015
I think it's misguided to to believe stopping RVers from stopping overnight will reduce trash, crime or any of the other things that low life's will do.
jimh406
Explorer III
May 24, 2015
Yes, a local government preventing a business from allowing RVs does make that local government non-RV friendly.

Btw, I'm ok with local governments choosing to be non-RV friendly. If there is a crime problem at Walmart, then let Walmart change their policy.

I did camp in a Walmart once in Washington and was turned away at an Oregon Walmart once. In case you are wondering, we would have gladly paid for a spot but didn't realize how little availability there was, but couldn't find a park open that had availability. That's in 20 years of RVing.
winnietrey
Explorer
May 24, 2015
floridaguy wrote:
I think it's misguided to to believe stopping RVers from stopping overnight will reduce trash, crime or any of the other things that low life's will do.

I agree, I would guess the overnight RV group, has zero to do with why this law was enacted. It was enacted because of the "other group" I would guess.
Dog_Folks
Explorer
May 24, 2015
floridaguy wrote:
Nick seems like a reasonable curmudgeon. Maybe for some reason he didn't see your emails but I bet it gets corrected soon. I think Nick is a member of this forum.

I like Nick also, so no disrespect meant.

I read his blog daily.

Just stating the facts.

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