safety of Walmart

[RV_]

Jim  thanks!

I fixed it. (That was just weird)

It's been changed to the right link: http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/index.html

 

[RV_]

Thanks Jim,

Glad you let me know. That came out of the blue. And Amazon sent me this email:

"Important Information about your Amazon.com Account

Hello,

We’re contacting you to let you know that our website inadvertently disclosed your email address due to a technical error. The issue has been fixed. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to change your password or take any other action.

Sincerely,

Customer Service

http://Amazon.com

I called them and they said that is all they know and can't tell me ehy or to who my email was released.

[Ray,IN]

On 11/28/2018 at 8:30 AM, GeorgiaHybrid said:

OK, didn't want to do this because Newnan is a Georgia city but to checkout a town, go to this link:

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ga/newnan/crime

Newman is already selected for that map but it is NOT a good area. The average city in America has a roughly 85% chance of being safer than Newnan and your Walmart is right on the edge of the most dangerous area of the city. If it were me, I would find another place to overnight.

One other thing to keep in mind about that statement to go somewhere else, I am armed wherever I go and I wouldn't stay there.

 

That website is really off-base. The nearby city where I was born is listed a 10 out of 100, it's a large college town(40,000+ students), artist community, the majority of the workforce is white-collar, etc.

The only time one hears a siren is when you see a fire company or ambulance enroute to somewhere. To the best of my memory the last robbery or homicide was over 30 years ago.

[JimK]

I just took a 15,000 mile, 4 month trip visiting a large number of States.  I have made numerous similar trips in the past and I had an initial RV period of full time travel for 2 years.  I very, very rarely stay at RV parks so when actually traveling which is frequently, I look for Walmart Supercenters.  At this point I would guess I have stayed at least 200 nights in Walmart parking lots in almost every State.  I have never had any security/safety issues.  Not once!  Some lots have visible 24 hour security.  Most just have cameras.  Lighting is excellent.  At Supercenters there are employees and customers coming and going 24 hours a day.  At most with all those stops I have seen maybe 2 panhandlers, not counting the recent annoyances from the approved Salvation Army volunteers.  A couple of times I have encountered noise conditions usually from a nearby highway.

As to Newnan, I have never visited but would not be hesitant at all.  City Data has excellent information and it does not appear at all like a ghetto area.  In fact according to the CD data, crime is lower than the US average.  Again that makes little difference with the security and lighting provided.  Certainly an RV park in that area would be no safer.

I do have a couple of recommendations for picking any Walmart parking lot.  First make sure it is a 24 hour Supercenter.  Second have a backup plan.  I have skipped a couple of stays due to construction or semis parking and idling all night long.  Once in a long while you will find lots that are posted as no overnight parking.  You may want to stay anyway or move on.  I have usually stayed.  The no overnight parking is not a Walmart policy, but some local ordinance.  The police do not patrol private parking lots and have no rights to do so.  They can only become involved if there is a disturbance or Walmart asks for help.  Nor can the local manager decide to prohibit overnight parking.  Walmart has a strict corporate policy to welcome RVs and anyone else needing to stay overnight.  The only change to this policy is prohibiting semi trucks.  In some areas dozens of semi trucks staying overnight created problems.   In any case, backup planning should not be an issue.  There are several other Walmart Supercenters fairly close.  In addition there are some nearby truck stops where you could stay. 

[Chad Heiser]

5 hours ago, JimK said:

The police do not patrol private parking lots and have no rights to do so.  They can only become involved if there is a disturbance or Walmart asks for help.  

JimK provided some good feedback on Walmart stays.  I personally choose not to stay at a Walmart but that is just a personal choice.  I will, however, point out one thing he said that is not necessarily true as a blanket statement.  His quote above depends how the local ordinance is written.  In my city there is no overnight parking/sleeping in vehicles allowed.  This includes private parking lots that allow public access.  My department regularly addresses these issues within our city (even without a complaint).  We do not have a Walmart in our city, but we do have other big box stores and other businesses with large parking lots that people sometimes try to overnight in.  The lots are posted with signage and the ordinance information to let people passing through know.

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, JimK said:

Nor can the local manager decide to prohibit overnight parking.  Walmart has a strict corporate policy to welcome RVs and anyone else needing to stay overnight.

https://www.walmartlocator.com/rv-parking-at-walmart/From Walmart locator on their website:

Quote

Question
Can I park my RV at a Walmart store?

Answer
While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers. Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws. Please contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV.

1

 

[JimK]

OK, can anyone name a single Walmart Supercenter that prohibits overnight RVs when there is no local ordinance?

[Sehc]

Can anyone find any Walmart in a location were there is no local ordnance against sleeping in a vehicle? The issue is;  What is Walmart Corporate Policy, and what authority do the local managers have?.

[Kirk W]

9 minutes ago, Sehc said:

The issue is;  What is Walmart Corporate Policy, and what authority do the local managers have?.

Walmart Frequently Asked Questions

Quote

Quote

Can I park my RV at a Walmart store?

While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers. Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store parking lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws. Please contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV.

1

 

 

[FL-JOE]

On ‎11‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 11:38 PM, docj said:

Actually, data shows that only ~30% of Americans currently own guns.  Most people in the US are not "raised with firearms".  I personally don't have a problem with people owning firearms, but let's not portray for these potential UK visitors that the majority of Americans they meet will be armed.

The Demographics of Gun Ownership

Okay, but we should not sugar coat it either.  Do you really think that the 20,000 to 30,000 scum bags in Chicago who illegally have firearms are showing up on some survey?

Anyone from the UK thinking about visiting the Chicago area needs to understand that it is still the murder capitol of the U.S. even though Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.  Just a UK visitor listening to the local news from the Chicago area will soon get and idea how dangerous that area is and how many shooting occur each and every day.

Of course then a UK visitor could be out west and see someone practicing open carry and they would soon start thinking the data about only 30% of Americans owning guns was very wrong.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

10 hours ago, JimK said:

OK, can anyone name a single Walmart Supercenter that prohibits overnight RVs when there is no local ordinance?

Kimball, TN just west of Chattanooga on I-24. The owner of the shopping center is now requiring all semi trucks with or without trailers and all RV's to be off the property between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

There are no local ordinances against parking there and the manager can't override the property owner. It is now posted no parking and they have a security guard there to make sure you leave. Give them any lip and the cops are called.

By the way, the Lowes store behind Walmart will allow parking. They own their property.

[FL-JOE]

On ‎11‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 12:09 PM, JimK said:

I just took a 15,000 mile, 4 month trip visiting a large number of States.  I have made numerous similar trips in the past and I had an initial RV period of full time travel for 2 years.  I very, very rarely stay at RV parks so when actually traveling which is frequently, I look for Walmart Supercenters.  At this point I would guess I have stayed at least 200 nights in Walmart parking lots in almost every State.  I have never had any security/safety issues.  Not once!  Some lots have visible 24 hour security.  Most just have cameras.  Lighting is excellent.  At Supercenters there are employees and customers coming and going 24 hours a day.  At most with all those stops I have seen maybe 2 panhandlers, not counting the recent annoyances from the approved Salvation Army volunteers.  A couple of times I have encountered noise conditions usually from a nearby highway.

As to Newnan, I have never visited but would not be hesitant at all.  City Data has excellent information and it does not appear at all like a ghetto area.  In fact according to the CD data, crime is lower than the US average.  Again that makes little difference with the security and lighting provided.  Certainly an RV park in that area would be no safer.

I do have a couple of recommendations for picking any Walmart parking lot.  First make sure it is a 24 hour Supercenter.  Second have a backup plan.  I have skipped a couple of stays due to construction or semis parking and idling all night long.  Once in a long while you will find lots that are posted as no overnight parking.  You may want to stay anyway or move on.  I have usually stayed.  The no overnight parking is not a Walmart policy, but some local ordinance.  The police do not patrol private parking lots and have no rights to do so.  They can only become involved if there is a disturbance or Walmart asks for help.  Nor can the local manager decide to prohibit overnight parking.  Walmart has a strict corporate policy to welcome RVs and anyone else needing to stay overnight.  The only change to this policy is prohibiting semi trucks.  In some areas dozens of semi trucks staying overnight created problems.   In any case, backup planning should not be an issue.  There are several other Walmart Supercenters fairly close.  In addition there are some nearby truck stops where you could stay. 

Jim, I agree that it is probably never a Walmart policy not to allow overnight parking, but usually some type of local ordinance.  However, your blanket statement "the police do not patrol private parking lots and have no right to do so", is way off and just wrong.

Police patrol all public and private parking lots, why in the world wouldn't they?  Can you imagine if local police were not allowed to enter parking lots of large businesses how many crimes would soon start taking place there?  Actually, in most states there are even certain traffic violations that can be enforced in private parking lots, driving under the influence is one example.

[2gypsies]

8 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

Anyone from the UK thinking about visiting the Chicago area needs to understand that it is still the murder capitol of the U.S. even though Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.  Just a UK visitor listening to the local news from the Chicago area .

OP:  Again.... this post got side-tracked.  I hope you're not cancelling your trip by now reading all of this chatter.  In our large circle of RVing friends none carry guns and we've never had a reason to be concerned.  Just use common sense.  The WalMart you questioned would be just fine with us.  Sure something 'could' happen. It could happen in anyone's home town.  It's unhealthy to dwell on it or you'd never enjoy yourself and will be constantly looking over you shoulder or suspecting the person you're talking to of bad dealings.  Relax and enjoy your trip.

FL-JOE:  Chicago is not close to the top.  https://bismarcktribune.com/news/national/the-cities-with-the-highest-murder-rates-in-the-us/collection_85921a38-c5e1-5cdc-82b9-d1246c065352.html#31

[sandsys]

We had one bad year where Minneapolis was described as Murderopolis. It's the exceptions that make those headlines. In reality Minneapolis is a lovely city with lots of parks and a way above average number of theaters.

Linda Sand

[FL-JOE]

5 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

OP:  Again.... this post got side-tracked.  I hope you're not cancelling your trip by now reading all of this chatter.  In our large circle of RVing friends none carry guns and we've never had a reason to be concerned.  Just use common sense.  The WalMart you questioned would be just fine with us.  Sure something 'could' happen. It could happen in anyone's home town.  It's unhealthy to dwell on it or you'd never enjoy yourself and will be constantly looking over you shoulder or suspecting the person you're talking to of bad dealings.  Relax and enjoy your trip.

FL-JOE:  Chicago is not close to the top.  https://bismarcktribune.com/news/national/the-cities-with-the-highest-murder-rates-in-the-us/collection_85921a38-c5e1-5cdc-82b9-d1246c065352.html#31

If I stated "highest murder rate per population" then I am sorry for misleading anyone.  What I intended to get across was Chicago has the most murders of any city in the U.S.

It is interesting though that East St. Louis was listed in the site you quoted as the city having the most murders per capita.  Hoping anyone from the UK realizes that East St. Louis is another Illinois city.  

The OP shouldn't dwell on it.  Generally speaking our country is very safe.  On the other hand there are certain places they would not want to wonder into to have a look-see either.

[OregonJim]

58 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

If I stated "highest murder rate per population" then I am sorry for misleading anyone.  What I intended to get across was Chicago has the most murders of any city in the U.S.

Murders "per capita", IMO, says nothing about relative safety.  If my town, pop. 300, had just ONE murder, it would jump to the top of the list for the entire nation - if the metric is per capita.  Had that study been fair and capped the minimum population to 1,000,000 or so (apples to apples), then Chicago is indeed #1.