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Surely some non-destination cities or towns successfully encourage supermarkets and shopping centres to offer their parking space to travellers passing through - and spending money as they do so - for an overnight sleep-in-car stay.
I've failed to persuade my city to do this, aided as
it would be by modern advance-booking technology; security guards provided etc. Even with 24-hour shopping I see thousands of spaces available every night.
Perhaps I've overlooked some reason why the scheme won't work.
As it is now security guards are under orders to move on any car with sleepers in it. Is that the rule everywhere?
Why not welcome them instead with an overnight pass and an info- package about local shopping?
[link]
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Erect a small playground and showers. The security guard could also perform wake-up calls and for a fee, put a newspaper on the windshield. |
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Trouble is the liability of the carpark owner. |
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Before you know it some guy has a heart attack in his car and there is no-one checking up on him. |
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Or insufficient toilet facilities so people end up crapping in the carpark. |
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Or people want a lie-in when the carpark starts filling up in the morning. Or the thing starts looking like a campsite as tramp-like figures are cleaning their teeth into the gutters with a bottle of water, as other people are trying to load their shopping into the car. |
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Sorry. Probably a load of liability concerns as well. |
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Wal-Mart (U.S.) has a policy of non-harassment for anyone sleeping in vehicles in their parking lots. At many stores, they have even put power outlets on the light posts for RV "campers" to plug into. No internet connections yet, but I expect them someday. |
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When I traveled through Europe I slept in my car most nights and no one seemed to mind. I would just park up outside a supermarket and in the morning use thier facilities to freshen up, then I'd go and buy something for breakfast, maybe a newspaper (for the pictures) and some chocolate and then I'd be on my way. I never once had a problem with any authorities. Though if I did I would have to have just shuggged my shoulders and said "Anglais?" |
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What exactly is new a about this idea? |
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Isn't that what motorway service stations are for? |
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I've slept in my car many times, it's always horrible and that's why this won't work. You sleep in your car because you have to and you can't go on any further, no one (that I know) ever plans to sleep in their car, much less plans where they want to do it. |
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[kinemojo] you've reminded me of a story: |
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I have a friend (yes a friend, not me) who, feeling tired whilst driving, pulled into a motorway service area, found a quiet corner and parked up, switched the engine off and settled back for a power nap. |
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A while later he woke up, saw the fence he'd parked by right in front of his windscreen and panicked, thinking that he'd fallen asleep at the wheel and was about to hit a fence. Of course he did what any of us would do and... |
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...dived out of the car, ruining his suit in the process. |
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How I laughed when he told me! |
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Anyway - for that reason, this idea wouldn't work - everyone would be waking up, frightening themselves and diving out of their car, cracking their head on the car next to them (which would wake the owner up, who would then do the same), and gradually the hospitals would be overrun with head injuries caused by leaping from stationary moving cars! |
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