You never know who may park next to you at WalMart

[rgatijnet1]

This is sort of an interesting story about a guy in a 1978 Volkswagen camper staying at a WalMart in Dunedin, FL.
Van Man

[rexlion]

He's a nice, sensible guy with some eccentricities. Certainly not an idiot. Most of us would draw our comfort zone boundaries differently, but those are valid personal choices.

[2oldman]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
After getting a $2 million signing bonus and receiving a $500,000+ salary he is now pitching for the Detroit Tigers.

I didn't read the article or know who this person is until now. No, he's not future homeless... unless he handles his money as poorly as MC Hammer.

[toedtoes]

First, he was directed to the Walmart by the police - he didn't say "hey, why don't I go live at Walmart". Second, he took a 2 week trip to Florida and this is his last stop for the time being. Third, if Walmart had a problem with it, they could make him move - obviously they see a benefit in letting him stay there, so it's really nobody else's business.

He has also never said anything about it being glamorous. It's about being yourself in a world that expects you to be like everyone else. Whether I would do it or not, or you would do it or not, is not the question - it's how he wants to live now. Considering how many times "we live in a free country", "we fought so you can do as you want", etc., gets spouted around this forum, it's quite ironic that people are bashing an American for trying to live his life as free as he can.

He is NOT homeless. Homeless is about being poor...about not being able to support yourself. This guy is simply choosing to live in a manner that keeps him grounded - if that means sleeping in a camper van, then so be it. He has a support group - Homeless people do NOT have support groups. He has a $2 million investment portfolia - Homeless people do NOT have investment portfolios. He is not out on the streets begging for food. He goes out and buys his food when he's hungry. And like no one else has ever opened their fridge and thought "hmmm, I wonder if that is still fresh?"

I think this is a kid with a good head on his shoulders. He's not making mistakes, he's not going along with the crowd. He knows exactly what he's doing and why. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he finds peace with his future.

[jfkmk]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Paint it anyway you want the guy's an idiot. Walmart parking lots are NOT for people to LIVE in them period.

Add to the fact that he supposedly HAS money to stay in an appropriate place just adds to the fact he's got problems. Don't care what he does for a living I wouldn't want him living in a parking lot near me.

Just saying, tired of people giving high fives to people living in a parking lot. You want to go off the grid? There's thousands of acres in the mountains and/or remote rural areas for doing that. Not in a public parking lot.:R

Thank you! Try as I might, I can't imagine what people find so glamorous about living in a broken down can behind a dumpster in a Walmart parking lot eating questionable food.

[rgatijnet1]

msmith1199 wrote:
So everybody living in a car because they can't afford a house is no longer homeless as they have a home?

Read the article you posted. The guy is living like a homeless person by choice. If that town were to do a homeless count he would get counted as homeless.

Does a VW Westfalia look like just a car to you? I mean it has a stove, bed, the top pops up to give extra headroom. Have you ever heard of a Class B RV?
His permanent home is in Tenn and during Spring training he lives in his camper, much like all RV'rs do that travel South for the Winter.

[MrWizard]

X2
his HOME is in Tenn
he has money in the bank
leisure time is spent camping, traveling in the jungle, aka faraway places
the VW van is how he preps and lives during spring training
once the baseball season starts, he travels with the team

[NCWriter]

Two Jayhawks wrote:
Good for him different strokes. I would think he would want to be a little more careful with proper nutrition than dumpster diving though.

The way I read it - He lives by a Walmart dumpster but was rummaging in his own cooler and shopped at a grocery store.

Great article.

[bigbaddad]

Sounds to me like "improvise, adapt, overcome" by the type of person that worked hard and loved it while developing this country from east to west a long time ago. All in all a pretty admirable type.

[gbopp]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
Has he ever taken a normality test.....:B

Do you think anyone on the forum is familiar with a normality test? :B :B

[Cloud_Dancer]

He certainly is NOT the richest weirdo on the planet. Has he ever taken a normality test.....:B

[msmith1199]

So everybody living in a car because they can't afford a house is no longer homeless as they have a home?

Read the article you posted. The guy is living like a homeless person by choice. If that town were to do a homeless count he would get counted as homeless.

[rgatijnet1]

He is also far from homeless. He is living in his camper, not sleeping on the sidewalk. His camper might not be as flashy as some RV's but it is his choice. He could obviously afford a Prevost but he chose a VW camper as his HOME.

[msmith1199]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
This kind of proves a point a lot of us have tried to make and that is many homeless people are homeless by choice. Whether like this guy they just want to live in a van, or whether it's a pattern of bad choices in their life, they are homeless by choice.

He is far from someone making bad choices in his life. He knows exactly what works for him and his statistics speak for themselves. If he continues to pitch like he has and signs a mulit-million dollar contract, perhaps some other young pitchers may consider these methods.

I read the article. You did not read what I wrote. Try it again. No where did I say he made bad choices. I said he's homeless by choice. But nice try.

[FormerBoater]

Wisdom, a rare commodity these days!

[buta4]

msmith1199 wrote:
This kind of proves a point a lot of us have tried to make and that is many homeless people are homeless by choice. Whether like this guy they just want to live in a van, or whether it's a pattern of bad choices in their life, they are homeless by choice.

To paraphrase something else that I read on one of these forums ...

He's not homeless, he is houseless.

(His home is not a house, it's his van)