mrc,

Do you live in the US? You don't need an address to pay taxes here. I sent the IRS a check every 3 months. If I had a normal job, they would've taken the taxes out of my paycheck automatically, it's called tax withholding.

If you have a job in which it's easy to cheat on your taxes, it won't make it any easier or harder to get away with if you don't live in a physical street address.

If it's not your thing it's not your thing, that's cool. Your definition of a "good life" is obviously different from mine.

I'm not the one who brought up the tax issue (personally I say don't pay your taxes if you can get away with it). I know if your working over the table or claiming your poker winnings then good for you.

My point is not being able to shower,**** and shave first thing in the morning is not a good way of living. Unless you enjoy being dirty and smelly then it wouldn't matter if you have a home or not.

If you enjoy living that lifestyle then good for you. But it's def not my idea of a good life. Just make sure to keep up on your van so you don't end up stuck in a 3 room cardboard house (yes I have seen one of these).

how come no one ever moves into a box truck? seems roomier than a van

maybe just a box?...

nuisance did you miss the part where op showed with dumpster milk jugs and shaved with a tree? morning routine was not a problem imo

In the UK. We have income tax then council tax. Council tax pays for the police/street cleaning etc - everything the local government provides.

All I am saying is that without an address you don't pay council tax. And those that chose to live in the mobile accommodation we are discussing here don't have an address, but have a greater need for the services everybody else pays for. This is the hidden cost I am just bringing it to light.
There are actually at least 2 people enjoying the freedom of living in caravans on different pitches at my allotment site for the princely sum of £20 (30USD) a year at the moment.

Were you going to go with "What, you couldn't afford a van?" That was my first idea, I think the post I went with is vastly superior.

It's gotta be LA/SD or other So Cal. Has to be.

By my count, we have one former and one current van inhabitant, and now a former tent liver. I also think we've had several people who flirted with The Van Life but iirc they didn't follow through.

This is what's great about OOT and why we should be as inclusive as possible as long as people are trying.

OP, do you think you are/were mentally ill? Have you ever had any professional mental help? Was it useful? How long ago did you leave Tent City, what're you up to now, etc.

FYI I do think it's an interesting story and can sometimes help people make money with interesting stories (although the OOTer who jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge has the best life story I've heard in quite a while and I wasn't able to get anybody interested, so I might suck at this). But you need an ending, preferably a positive one. If it involves you finding Jesus I know people who'd definitely want to hear more.

I would be surprised to hear that it's not illegal to have no address, then.

A van is actually plenty of room for me personally. The main reasons box trucks are not as popular is that you'd spend way more on gas, and you wouldn't be able to park it anywhere, at least not without attracting more attention from cops than you already would in a van.

For me, showering and ******** was simply a $30/month membership to 24hr Fitness. And I had an electric cordless razor that I could plug into the cigarette lighter. You could also shower at truck stops or a ymca, or public pools or whatever.

LOL.

I'm not hating on the way anyone lives. My first point was people are just trying make being a bum (OP was a Bum) sound more socially acceptable then what it really is.

OP did you panhandle?

There are 4 other senses.

Could explain why people are tentative to walk by you, even though you don't have any bad intentions.

Nice


I agree this is why I read and post here more than any other forum

I think Gambling addiction may actually be considered a mental illness.

That was one of the first thread I read in OOT that was def a great story.

Fair enough but like I said you weren't a bum just homeless.

Super interested in any handicapping advice on the puppies. Have a dog track pretty close to my house and have always wondered how ppl could beat the dogs.

The track I'm speaking of was thought to be the top dog track in the country for the better part of 3 decades, then casinos moved in. Wasn't old enough to gamble before the decline but I do remember the traffic as a little kid. Dad told me nightly pools would often exceed $3-4 million. I'm sure you probably know the track I'm speaking of.

Anyways, I need handicapping advice

I'd rather read a book of this guy's stories than a single post of yours. Think of that before you laugh at somebody who comes on here to share something interesting.