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Sunday, January 17, 2010

$100 fine for sleeping in your RV in Boulder

In Boulder, Colorado, you can be fined $100 for sleeping in your RV. The ordnance, passed in 1980 and listed under miscellaneous offenses, states that no person shall camp within a park, recreation area, open space, or other property without permission. In 2009 353 tickets were issued for camping without a permit.

A homeless woman is bringing this ordnance up for debate at this Tuesday's city council meeting (4 - 6 PM, Boulder Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway) where she plans a rally urging the council to decriminalize sleeping in public parks or other places.

The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center in Boulder is supporting the effort.
"Sleeping is a human need," said Carolyn Bninski, a member of the center. "If you don't have a place to live, you need to sleep outside."

This is an issue that could affect boondockers, since the definition of camping is not defined and is at the whim of the police. If a homeless person sleeping in a park can be defined as camping, then certainly a person sleeping in an RV anywhere within Boulder city limits could be considering camping.

This practice could set a precedent for boondockers, since to some police they may appear as well-off travelers that could be readily tapped for a hundred bucks to help pay the city's bills. Could they start ticketing RVers that spend the night in the local Wal Mart or K-Mart parking lot? That could make an enroute overnight stay in Boulder--and anywhere else where this idea conjures dollar signs in the eyes of city officials--an expensive way to spend the night.
Posted by at 1/17/2010 04:26:00 PM
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11 comments:

  1. You say the ordnance says, "without permission." Whose permission? If a WalMart employee gives permission you might be OK? Please, keep us posted if you learn more.
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  2. Ask yourself ... Does the Walmart employee have the authority to give permission when it is against the law?
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  3. The permission that the city council refers to is actually a city permit. Anyone can apply for a permit, but you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get one. City spokesman Patrick von Keyserling said requests for a permit must state where someone wants to "camp," for how long and the number of people staying--all that if even for just one night while passing through, though it is doubtful that such a permit would be issued. But, Keyserling adds, no one has ever applied for such a permit.
    One report stated that the police banged on the window of a van in the middle of the night, where someone was sleeping, that they broke the window.
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  4. Boycott Boulder Colorado
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  5. Sounds to me as if Boulder is going to make a few bucks in fines, and lose hundreds in community shopping and such, as many RVers will boycott the city.

    At the very least, they need to clarify the ordinance. I can understand them not wanting people camping in the parks after hours, but to fine someone for parking in a Walmart or other "private" establishment seems a bit excessive!
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  6. Most of the people in Boulder would probably like it if campers boycotted the town! It's not an RV friendly place.
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  7. I will support the people of Boulder and boycott their city in my future travels spending money elsewhere.
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  8. in 1992 my wife and i were otr truck drivers after spending over 100.00 in a wal-mart in dayton oh then parking along with 11 other trucks to sleep a policeman woke all of us up and drove us to the police station 100.00 ea could not leave until pd in cash police were rude gloating that this happened nightly when i asked where the sign was he promply took us to the rear of wm after that we refused all loads to ohio
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  9. Boulder doesn't and probably never will have a Wal-Mart... however considering The Republic of Boulder" - it figures. Another thought, isn't Boulder on the way to Rocky Mountain National Park, which hosted over 2 million visitors last year - many RVers?
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  10. This is nothing more than another attempt to garner funds at the expense of many. A few years ago we were in Colorado Springs for the annual "Balloon Fest" and I parked ( Our Jeep toad) in line with many--many other vehicles, next to a "No Parking" sign, as we were the only vehicle that had out-of state plates, I was not surprised to find a PARKING TICKET attached to my windshield. No one else had one. I checked! Another $50.00 bucks to the city coffers. I wrote the city, the sponsers of the festival and never received a reply. So much for attending another one. I did pay their ticket but protested vemently to no avail. Hmmmm- - - - -

    The Boonie Rat
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  11. "No one has ever applied for such a permit." I love this quote. The reason no one's ever applied is because there is no permit or process get one. We tried, but no one in Boulder government had a clue where or how to get one.
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