When I first decided to fore-go the standard lifestyle, and move into a bus, I did so for many reasons. The economy was tanking, my industry in particular was in deep trouble, and I saw that there was simply no way that I could continue a 'standard' lifestyle. I did not want to become a burden to my family and friends, I did not want to add to the Governments growing pile of dependents, and I wanted to in some respects, be in charge of my own destiny. I knew there would be downsides, but I sure did not see all of them.The Government: One would think that by being responsible, and by NOT going on welfare, I would be treated with respect. Not so. Governmental agencies simply will not accept a PO BOX as an address. They want my "physical" address. Asking them "what time?" does not help, not much of a sense of humor here. I even had a local police officer classify me as a vagrant. Maintaining an excellent credit score, never being late on my billls, and not becoming a statistic has little influence on anyone. The system simply believes you must have a real house to be a real citizen.
Other companies: Insurance companies, bank (if you owe them money) Credit unions, credit card companies, all of these people get quite uptight when they find out you do not have a 'real' house. Even the local library will not allow me to check out books, as if somehow tires on my house make me a higher risk for a three dollar paperback.
People in general: "You live in a bus?" "Oh, I am so sorry, times are hard." rarely do I hear anything positive about this.
And lastly, women. As a single guy I have an interest in the fairer sex. I'm smart, articulate and handsome (oh, and humble) I might add, but women treat me like the plague when they find out about my living arrangement. Somehow, moving out of the house into a bus has made me less. Some do not even realize that this bus might be a million dollar coach, which of course it is not, but its just the attitude, that a responsible (don't forget handsome) guy like me can't be much of a catch. Maybe it has to do with that security thing, who knows. Or, possibly, I have just yet to find that green eyed, 5'3'' brunette (nature lover please, grin) that can think out of the box, or in it so to speak.
I love my bus. I love what it allows me to do, I love that I am not late on bills and can still have a great car, a nice bike, and a almost done kayak without all of the stress that would have came with the house. A Tiny house is the way to go...
I am not changing a thing :-)
Here's something positive! You and your bus are awesome. :) Most people find comfort in what they already know and understand to be true. Choosing an alternative lifestyle challenges that. It's easier to think what you're doing is weird so they don't have to go through the uncomfortable process of questioning the direction of their own lives.
ReplyDeleteI found this article about living without a physical address to be helpful:
http://cheaprvliving.com/Communications.html
I know there are private mailbox companies that will rent you boxes in their shipping stores. The address will read like an apartment building number and not like a P.O Box. Perhaps you can find one of those places near you. Or, another thing you may try, if you have a friend who is cool with it -- slap a mailbox on their property with the same address and add a 1/2. I did it on my property when I created a rental and no one thought twice about it. If you unsure about that, place a box there, address an envelope and see if it comes to the box. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I'm sure. The mail carrier couldn't care less.
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