At least weather wise, anyway! Still breezy but not very cold. I scurried around this morning making final preparations for my quilting student, Jeane, who arrived promptly at 9am. We started by practicing before loading her actual quilt. 
Our lunch of chicken and wild rice soup with a Cesar salad and homemade bread was delicious. Jeane agreed with me—the fruitcakes are delicious!
The cowboy was recycling today—he had built some large wooden storage boxes years ago for keeping “treasures” out of the weather. Now that he has the new shed, those boxes weren’t needed. He took the wood and used every bit of it for shelves in the new shed—such a good recycler!!
We all took another walk up the hills after Jeane headed for home and now we are sitting with our feet propped up—a good start to November.
Brian and Heidi aren’t having such a good time on their way to AZ. Heidi came down with the flu delaying their Denver departure. They were planning on stopping at the Las Lunas, New Mexico Wal Mart—getting a few groceries, filling the truck with fuel—leaving some dollars in the community. Nope, they were told they had 30 minutes and would be ticketed if their rig was still in the parking lot. Well, now—don’t think we will be visiting Las Lunas, New Mexico anytime soon!
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I hope they didn't leave any money there
ReplyDeleteWell then. I won't be leaving any money there either.
ReplyDeleteRather short sighted of that town. The powers that be forgot to take into the account the extent of Internet information.
I just don't understand the policy of these local councils prohibiting RVs in a Walmart parking lot. And if WE go shopping at Walmart it sure as hell takes more than 30 minutes. I hope the news about las Lunas will spread FAST. They don't deserve RVers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun play day you had...!! Lucky Jeane!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm..........I was hoping Paulette wouldn't see the photo of your Millennium longarm sewing machine but I see I'm too late.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it with RV'ers and Walmart? I just don't understand it. I don't think Safeway allows anyone to overnight in their parking lots but no one seems to care about that. How come?
There you go again Rick--assuming everyone in this big ole wide world is the same! :) I don't understand people who like to park side by side in a tight RV park but it's their choice--we don't have to make it our choice. I don't understand people who think RV parks next to freeways and railroad are OK--but it's their choice and we don't have to make it our choice. The city of Las Lunas, NM chose to make a RVing person feel unwelcome, it's Brian's choice to head on down the road whether it be Wal Mart or Safeway who made him feel unwelcome--it's his choice.
DeleteThere you go again, Janna, jumping to conclusions without reading what I actually said. I think you've completely misunderstood my question. Of course everyone has a choice and of course some folks like RV Parks and some hate them, Some like Wally-docking and some hate it. I've got no argument about that at all.
DeleteMy question was only in relation to Walmart vs Safeway. How come folks are so upset about an RV parking ban in Walmart but never mention Safeway? That's all - why just blame Walmart?? I've yet to read an RV'er wanting to bypass an entire town simply because they couldn't overnight in a Safeway parking lot. Why aren't RV'ers upset about Safeway? That's my only question here.
If it had happened at the Safeway store, Rick, I wouldn't have been any more understanding and would have said, "Brian and Heidi stopped in the Safeway store in Los Lunas, NM......." It isn't the parking ban, it's the attitude. It isn't the Wal Mart vs the Safeway or the Lowe's, its the attitude. Brian and Heidi had stayed at the Wal Mart in Los Lunas before and expected to be allowed to again.
Deleteo.k. thanks. Like I said, I've got no problem with Brian's choice to head down the road, he's free to do that. If you look at my original comment all I was wondering about is how come no RV'ers ever complain about not being able to park in Safeway lots overnight. That's all. Reading Brian's subsequent comments he talks about an "arrangement" between RVers and Walmart so that's really what I was interested in.
DeleteThe deal with Walmart is this; It really is about Freedom. Walmart and RVers have had an arrangement that benefits BOTH. Walmart gets some considerable business and the traveling RVer gets a safe and reasonable place to stay overnight. We have everything we need. We don't NEED the hookups of an RV park. It is an Agreement between us and Walmart. It is Nobody else's business. Period.
ReplyDeleteNow... These bans are almost EXCLUSIVELY pushed by RV parks that feel they're losing business to Walmart's parking lot and so they push city gov't to ban it. Their thinking is; "We'll MAKE them use our badly overpriced RV park We'll legislate it." What they, the city fathers and the rest of the town's businesses miss is that we WON'T. We fire up the engine and go down the road to spend our money in the restaurants, hardware stores, grocery stores and tire shops that EARN our business, not try and force it. The town that insulted us and stuck their noses into our private dealings with Walmart lose ALL the store revenues, and ALL the Tax revenue we spent down the road instead. So, in the interest of trying to force use of an RV park in their towns, they lose business in ALL the other establishments.
IF... we had the same agreement with Safeway or any other company and arrogant people stuck their noses into what is none of their business we WOULD be just as riled.
I think I understand your position perfectly and I've heard it said before by many avid boondocking RV'ers. It just troubles me a bit as I think the Freedom thing is a bit of a 'one-sided' opinion only - from an RVers point of view.
DeleteFreedom works for everyone, even for city council members who have been freely elected by the citizens of their respective communities. They have the absolute right and responsibility to enact zoning bylaws and regulations that enforce community standards on all property within their jurisdiction - both public and private. That is the business of local government otherwise people would have auto-wreckers or garbage dumps built in their neighborhoods.
I suppose that's how these parking bans in Walmart in Los Lunas came about. The voters of Los Lunas have the freedom to kick these guys out of office at the next election if they disagree with the laws passed. I also expect that the members of council have considered the pros and cons, the risks and benefits of their decision to ban overnight parking in Walmart and are o.k. with whatever consequences there may be. They've made their choices.
It's not only small towns like Los Lunas that do this. How about places like Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Mesa, Yuma, San Diego, Palm Springs and far too many cities in Florida to list who also ban overnight RV parking in Walmarts. All of these cities are extremely popular RVing spots and I imagine a lot of RVers who stay in these citiies hold the same opinion about Walmart overnight bans as you but they seem to have been able to 'rationalize' their thinking in order to enjoy the amenities these places have to offer.
What you say is true enough except for the part about politicians weighing the pros and cons. They weigh the cost in votes and not much else. They are politicians. Show me an honest one, and I'll show you a virgin hooker. Those towns have that right I expect it's true. And I have the right to take my business down the road in response to their actions.
DeleteNow... Comparing parking in a parking lot to building a wrecking yard or a garbage dump is a bit of a stretch... don't you think?
As for those towns you mention; I fail to grasp the rationale that; Because some towns manage to violate the basic principles of economic freedom, and survive in spite of their behavior, then that violation should be accepted across the board.
Your comment that I/we "Rationalize" our thinking is sort of a left handed assertion that we are otherwise irrational. It's a little bit like being politely rude. I cannot fight them all. I can, and do, take my money, as much as is possible to be spent in places that treat me with the respect I treat them. Sometimes, simple economics forces me to endure the distasteful necessity of buying my supplies or repairs from those unworthy of their liberty. I as much as is possible avoid those situations. But I'm sure that my unwillingness to silently endure the rudeness and arrogance of city fathers, and pompous do gooders who know better what's good for everyone, small town or otherwise, will be used as a bright light to illuminate my many terrible failings. It is what it is.
one lil' clarification. I'm not torqued at Walmart. These things don't come from them. It comes from City ordinance. My friction is with a government and a society that thinks it has the right to stick it's nose into Everyone's business and affairs.
ReplyDeleteIf we were dumping waste, trash, in the lot. If we were making noise that affected the neighbors negatively etc etc... THAT they have a right to complain about... But... their complaint is that we are Parking... in a... Parking lot! and THEY (the RV parks) aren't making any money off of us... they ignore the money walmart is, the Panda restaurant is, the tire shops, the starbucks, the clothing store et al. It is that arrogance we get riled over... not the Name of the Parking lot's owner.
Well, that is one Wal Mart we will not shop at. I have a quilt top that John's mom was unable to finish prior to her death. Wondering you are going to be in Q in January. Would love to talk.
ReplyDelete