So how long have you been
living out of your RV?
October 2017 and
talk to me about your story.
Like what led you here?
I mean, I'm assuming you had a house
or an apartment or something. So.
So just talk to me about your story.
Moved out here.
Uh from Central Florida? Uh.
The other end of 2015. Um, we had a
house in Capitol Hill.
We're paying 2700 bucks a month for
a 2 bedroom. We couldn't afford it,
so we ended up subletting it.
Uh, I made an apartment in the basement
and we rented 2 rooms upstairs.
Um, that wasn't kosher with the lease, so.
And at the same time, they ended up
raising the rent another 300 bucks almost.
There's gonna be 3000 a month and we
just couldn't, couldn't do it, you know,
so that mixed with the subletting thing.
We, uh, we lost the House and I didn't have
a safety that my dad is older and on fixed
income and she doesn't have any
family at all. They're just used.
My mother's deceased and, you know,
learning strange part of the country that
neither of us have been through divorce.
So, you know it's no safety Nets and no real.
Of, you know, ability to do so, we. We.
Uh, bought an RV for 500 bucks.
Um. And lived in that one for.
You know, six months and then it got.
Impounded by city for tickets overdue
tickets lived out of my Camry for.
Another couple of months got another RV.
That one also impounded for tickets. Um.
You can see it just broken her shoulder
at that time, literally two days prior,
and they kicked us out on the street.
Um with her, with a broken,
broken shoulder and.
Yeah, that one was tough.
And we lived, uh, I had a Tahoe then.
We lived out of that for about
six months through the winter.
I ended up getting pneumonia.
Uh then she, uh, she had a.
She had a.
Of lawsuit for the Takata airbag thing.
And she finally got paid for that
while I was in the hospital for pneumonia.
So they've got this thing here,
and that was the beginning of 2020.
Um, and then that right about that
time they stopped being such a.
Umm. I can't see that on camera.
They said they they were a little more
laxed with the the tickets and stuff,
or at least at least impounding.
Because if you gets impounded,
I mean you can pay, you know,
it's like $1200 a dollar.
So yeah, they we've been
spared that this time so far.
Although they had the when we
had to move a couple of days ago,
they had the tow truck there already.
Couldn't get it started,
finally got it started.
You know, because they sit for
periods of time and you know,
it's like anything it needs.
Move to keep things. All other stuff.
So that's why these things are
so Darrell at all the time,
because they just don't move. Yeah.
Or, you know, can't afford to have
people anymore. What's the biggest
misconception people have about?
People who live in their RV's.
Umm, I guess we're never.
Normal at one point or
we we, um, you know, didn't have like.
Conventional lives at one point,
you know, I have never experienced such
just vitriol and just like blind,
just disgust and hatred by the
general public. Whatever it's like.
It's bizarre. Like, I I just,
I've just to be treated in such a way
by people that don't even know you.
It's just like I. I mean,
I can't confess them treating
someone like that. And
you know, the the nicest,
most generous, kind people
I've dealt with are fellow.
You know, homeless or RV dwellers,
you know that. I mean,
always there to help you out,
always there to Linda. And you know,
I can't see them about books.
I mean. You know, I actually had a.
Umm. Have conversation with the
police officer the other day and
he was actually treated me with.
You know, kindness and decency.
And I was like,
I got emotional and I was like,
I was I when you're done talking, I was.
I was like, sorry,
I just want to thank you for
treating me like a human being.
I was like, I really appreciate that.
Kind of caught him off guard, you know?
He didn't expect me on that.
You know, it's just like that,
just to be treated.
You know with any kind of
respect or just just a normal
you know interaction like that,
it was profound to me and.
You know, I didn't know you kind of
it made me think I was like really
like that's that's the, that's.
This is acceptable now like
that's the. You know that.
Someone coming up to you and
talking to you like you're a person?
Yeah, there's a. It was a very
profound moment and had been
a while since that happened,
you know. So. That was cool.
So where do you see your life in
a year or five years or 10 years?
Let's see. Uh. I'm. I guess.
Well, both lucky enough and uh.
Also, unfortunately I I just got to
the hospital a lot of two weeks ago.
I was in for a month and 1/2 my
kidneys shut down and I got to be
on dialysis three times a week.
And my dad has a.
Let me live in Tennessee,
so. That's my escape route.
That's my. You know, ticket
out of this mess with this for now,
you know, I mean, I'm a
reasonably intelligent person,
I think, and I can.
You know, I can I I see.
I see myself. Umm.
I see my future in a positive light.
I think they're a good thing
for me in the future. And
I think that I can make, you
know, whatever transact on
the world I think I need
to or I'm destined to, and I think that.
I think that the future is good for me,
but. I'm lucky there, you know.
I know it took a medical thing and you
know how terrible, you know. Medical
what's happening to to make that
happen for me but. You know, like
I said, I mean I if anything, that's just,
that's a that's a blessing. Most of these
people out here don't have them because
they won't be able to have that and.
I don't know. I don't know
what the answer is. You know,
everyone that everyone always wants
to, you know, you need to do more and
we gotta, you know, you know. I
mean, I don't I. I would say.
Um, the the mental health factor
is a big one. Um, that used to be.
That's probably #1.
A lot of people would rather.
Tramas that's a huge thing
that everyone out here.
Is it out here because?
They had a good upbringing usually,
or they had a, you know, a.
Trauma, free childhood, you know, every.
I think that's universal.
There is someone like my my
mother died when I was young.
You are.
My dad kind of wasn't there for
a lot of my childhood because he.
That's not good for a teenager.
Umm. You know, and she.
But usually she was a kid, you know,
I mean, that's that's universal.
So I think mental health is.
You know, I mean,
you can't force people to to
get therapy or treatment.
I mean, you can certainly
make it more accessible,
you know, so.
Because that is navigating
that whole thing is just.
They don't make it easy, that's for sure.
They really don't.
And I can see they're trying to do that,
but it's. And then #2 is drugs.
It's the truth, you know,
people want to say, Oh no, no, drug addicts.
You know, I mean, everyone out here has
something researchers, I don't care.
I mean, maybe some of the older
people or something maybe,
but it's that is a huge issue.
And fentanyl is like just it's like
everywhere around the country. It's,
it's branding here and it's.
There's a problem.
There's no, it is wrong.
I've never had more strangers come up.
If I could get them.
This is insane, you know?
I mean, I'm talking.
Clean cut. You know, white
kids from the suburbs.
That's when you know.
People start paying attention,
you know, and then it starts
to affect that second so.
Uh. Huh. Yeah, so whatever.
I mean, I don't think punishment is the
is the answer there either. I've been
in trouble not for that, but I.
Umm. You know.
I did a little time a few years ago and.
First thing I did when I got out was go.
First thing I did, you know,
I mean this is the, the,
the, the reality of of that
particular disease, you know.
You had it. Been offered some sort of.
You know something?
You know, while I was. Umm.
Locked up, you know, who knows?
They could have done. You know
that. They don't. So you would
say parking your RV is like the
least of your worries? Ohh,
I mean they're making it more of an issue.
Lately, you know, they started cracking
down on that because, well, I mean,
you see it on the news, you know? Businesses.
And, and a lot of them rightly so.
I mean I I get it, you know when the
generally with the RV's comes messes and.
Of people being. Disrespectful and.
Because everything else,
you know, I mean, I get it.
Um, some of it is obviously,
you know, unfounded. I mean, I.
It's. But I mean a lot of it.
Is is true, I mean. It's complicated.
It's very complicated.
You know, but they,
what they they do is they just,
you know, they put up these things here,
these concrete things.
And then they're like,
Oh well, you can't park here.
And then it grew up with signs
and you can't park. It's like,
OK, where do you want us to go?
I mean, and so then we get.
It's just it's so stupid. It's.
I mean. Oh, what they're trying
to do. But I mean. I mean,
I've already lost
2/2 of my homes because I
parked in a spot.
That wasn't being used for
anything else too many times.
And I was on the street
for that, like. That's just cruel.
Like I don't understand.
I literally not affect like not
affecting anything not not in the way of
anything out of I mean just Oh my gosh,
it's just you're tagged.
Every time I think about it I'm.
Ohh. Yeah. Um, Old
Town. But thank you so much
for sharing so much. Yeah.
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