Ravenwood - 07/13/05 06:00 AM
Wal-Mart just seems to have a big bulls-eye on their back. Now campsite owners are pushing for legislation to block Wal-Mart from letting RVs park in their parking lot overnight. Wal-Mart has always been RV friendly, and many campers would rather park at Wal-Mart for free, than pay the nightly fee at camp grounds.
Here we go with the class envy:
Critics of the practice � especially campground owners who feel they are losing money because of [Wal-Mart] � argue that people who can afford to drive vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars across the country surely can afford to pay the $20 or $30 nightly fee for a campsite.Camp grounds do offer services that Wal-Mart doesn't, like wireless internet access, power and water hookups, and a place to empty the shitter. But campers apparently don't think those amenities are worth the cost. Rather than add value to their offerings, campground owners are looking to the government to force people to pay up.But RVers say it's not always about saving money. Most Wal-Marts are easy to find, the lots are lit up at night and usually have security cameras. Campers can restock their supplies, get something to eat and be back on the highway with ease � which is important to people who have someplace else to be.
"If you look, the areas where staying at Wal-Mart is not allowed are generally places like Florida, Arizona, Southern California, where you get winter snowbirds who would go in and occupy parking lots and there would be no room for cars," he said. "Also, there are small towns where campground owners go to the city council and say it's hurting their business."In Jamestown, N.D., campground owners pushed the city government to ban parking in the Wal-Mart lot earlier this year, but the issue was dropped when local residents argued against it.
"Shitter's full!"
Posted by: Thibodeaux at July 13, 2005 9:38 AMDumb question, but how exactly would they ban it? Zoning laws?
I was under the impression that Wal Mart owned the parking lots in question. Thus, if they don't mind people parking there, it should be none of the local government's business.
Oh, wait, I forgot. We just borrow the property from the government.
Posted by: Heartless Libertarian at July 14, 2005 8:45 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014