Homeless people using Solar power

[wooferhound]

Homeless people have been living under the overpass ever since the built Interstate 565 here 15 years ago. They camp in tents between the pylons of the bridge each person with their own little yard. Last month I was traveling around this bridge when I spotted solar panels on a lawnchair feeding a tent under the overpass.

It was tough to get pictures as I was driving 50 MPH around the curve. I got these pictures on the third try.

The police station is about 500 feet away. I'm thinking that they are logging into the WIFI at the police station so they can get on this Otherpower Website and improve their system.

Come on out and tell us who you are. I would be interested in hearing your story . . .



W o o f -={(

[vawtman]

Thats my home just to the right of the tower.Finally got the tower done but forgot to put steps to get up to mount the blades.Using the neighbors solar for now but told him i will pay back.

[nothing to lose]

Wow, that looks like a nice place. Plenty of room to put in a small pen for my hogs

Maybe a few chickens too.

Where is that, I may want to move there very soon myself!

I have offers from friends, but I don't like to impose

Only question, what would I use for the address for a drivers lisence and insurance???

Third bridge under 565 exit 192 2nd tent on right?

I could live without most things, but really I need my drivers lisence, how do people without a home or real address get by in todays communist socailist USA world???

Actaully I would like to just ramble around and live in a Motorhome for the next 10 years without a real home or address, but just how would I maintain all the government required crap?

[coldspot]

Hey,

what is that green stuff

Our yards only have white

and that place looked like better sunshiine

than the 60` I have to use for tilt angle

ntl-

live in motorhome?

I've been thinking about selling boat and stuff to try n pick up one myself

Having been so broke from paying the 2 X's, (first one paid off in full! down to less than 4 years left on number 2)

 I don't see any reason not to buy something, a camp trailer minimum. Last place I lived with my brother, for 5 years rent @ $175. month, each!

 wasted away.

If my girlfriend didn't like me so much,

That would be my place shown here!

[richhagen]

The pessimist in me thinks:

     I hope no one is missing an amorphous panel.

The optomist thinks:  

     It is good that they are thinking of the environment instead of tapping into / and or shorting out the nearest lightpole as occasionally happens here.  We had a fellow living under a draw bridge here, he had tapped into the power lines and had a pretty nice place all things considered apparently he had been there a few years - no RE though.  http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_348111014.html  Another fellow had dug out a place along a river bank, and had ran an underground power cord from some nearby AC source he had tapped into.  They wern't the creative thinkers, solving there power problems as resourcefully as the folks that Woofer found though.  Rich

[tecker]

That's Birmingham and THAT IS MY PV I barrowed it from the cop shop they weren't using it . I got to go get it . Thanks for the heads up

[thefinis]

The gov and the post office are all making it harder and harder to be homeless or live the mobile life style. The gov is getting picky about P O boxes they want a real address. This can be a real problem if someone finds themselves homeless and has benifits they are trying to get so they can get a place to live. Ah well logic was never a government strong point. The post office in the past would let mobile travelers send mail ahead to a post office in a city to be picked up when you called at the window. Now they are not wanting to do this unless you have made pior arrangements with the post master there. Something about not wanting to hold mail at an office for a person not living in the community. Homeland security I am sure.

Finis

[tecker]

Kidding

[finnsawyer]

Hmm, 500 feet away from the police station?  You don't suppose that guy is a police plant?  Come in and watch TV with me, friend!  Tell me me what you're up to.  A few days later a little police raid.  Bring the guy in.  Make it look like you are harassing him, while he is actually reporting on what he heard.  Then he's back and the cycle repeats.  All the while his bank account grows and grows.

[JW]

It really makes me smile when I see this story on the front page.

Hats off to you Woof

I live in south florida, kendall- palmetto bay area, our area code is 305.

Seen some strange stuff round here lately. I got the shimping bug about 2 weeks ago. Anyhow, me and the Wife been driving down to the keys, tavanier(sp?) for the past couple of nights.

So check this out- they have this bike trail safely off the roadway by like ten feet. This dude with a camper hooked to his bike was going down the bike route. His camper couldent have been more than 3 feet wide, looked quite lightweight actually. Pretty sweet setup, I thought, as I was passing in the opposite direction at 45mph.

We had just planned to go fishing off a pier I knew of. We made it there and walked out and found a spot and started fishing. I lost my hook practically every time I casted and gave up in an hour.

 I then started to notice all these people with there shrimp rigs setting up. Now the week before, I got shrimp fever, and bought some lights and a dip net. Just a lantern and a spot light.(which are good for night fishing too) We went out to this place thats close to where we live and should have seen shrimp when there running(migrating). Nothing. We saw some shrimp, but they avoided my dipnet, by staying down in the sea-grass.

 So there we were,(on this pier/ where there wasnt supposed to be shrimp) astonishied to see shrimp swimming in the current in swarms, and we were just fishing, left the dip net at home, [arugh]. Everybody else is scrambling with there nets,  me and the Mrs are staring at each other with our mouths open.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I fashioned a shrimp-light from an 1157 bulb and an aluminum reflector with a makeshift clamp, we were back out there last night. the battery and shrimp-lamp ran well with a battery I nursed back to health, that I got for free.

 We got about a pound and a half of good size shrimp, in an hour so.

I think this type of thing should be considered 'remote living' catagory, but instead of '(housing) (heat) (light) (water)' there should be (recycling) as well.

You sould hear the story of how I whipped up a shrimp light system to make my catch.  

I got my belly full of shrimp for just the effort. Neat stuff...

JW