Get out of Texas
this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2025
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A number of years ago, I was doing delux van life and had a wonderful, very stealthy trailer tiny home.
Then someone stole my home. It was annoying.
I feel you.
I could see that being annoying. The lock on my van broke several months ago, so I don't really like to leave it, since I can only lock the deadbolt from the inside. I can lock the door in the bulkhead, but everything next to that is built such that someone could easily get into the cargo area with a screwdriver. The illusion of safety.
As someone who grew up in Missouri and has had countless guns pulled on me for defending my property, I guess I would have still gotten out and dealt with the situation there. No sense in being scared and abused. At least that's kind of how I feel about life on this planet. Maybe just get out of Texas? Or get a gun. I don't really have any helpful suggestions I guess. I am sorry that you had to deal with that though. That's fucked up.
Damn. I'm so sorry. Do police even care?
Not even about people who live in fixed housing.
🫂
I am so sorry. You deserve so much fucking better, dammit!! Fuck that jackass. I hope they get what they deserve somehow. I hope you do, too. 🫂💖
Don't mince words; how do you really feel?
I'm sorry you experienced this, OP. As a European who has never been to the States it's hard to imagine just how fast the US is going down the drain. It seems to me it is accelerating, bit entirely on the wrong direftion.
What are your options for leaving Texas? And would it realistically be better elsewhere?
I mean, I'm a Swiss citizen, but my Pass is expired, and getting to Atlanta when I just lost my job covering federal grants for green energy for obvious reasons is ... let's just say this is a Schweinerei.
If you have your biometric data registered, chances are you might still have access to Swiss consular services. May want to contact them and at least stay updated, before someone decides to, for example, preemptively deport you to El Salvador. Stay safe.
Sadly, I don't. Pass expired before biometrics became part of the process, necessitating the trip to Atlanta to get that squared away. That's the only consulate that allows you to register that information in the states.
My U.S. passport is also expired, since I've not made enough money to take a vacation, let alone an international one, since 2007. I'm not too worried about deportation, as I've got the rest of my papers in order given what we're facing. Police have tolerated me thus far in my spot, but I can't rely on that being a constant.
I don't get it, how can someone drive into your home without breaking their car? And even if you're non-confrontational, did you get the plate and call the cops?
I'm homeless and live in a van.
Ah, that's kind of important info that should probably be in the post.
So that means someone deliberately crashed into your van? Should be straightforward to investigate, plenty of cameras in industrial areas, plus paint residue on your van as evidence and such.
What did the cops say?
The state of my living situation is somewhat widely known, so I didn't care to be redundant.
Cops have been useless for property crime in Austin for several years. There was no point in calling.
I also wasn't getting out of the van while they were still around. What good is getting a license plate if it comes with a bullet? This is Texas, and they were already happy to risk damage to their vehicle by ramming into a stationary Class 5 commercial vehicle.
If you were in the vehicle it's not just property crime mate. I wish you had hung them out to dry for hit and run.
Oh, I was absolutely in the vehicle. I just didn't want to die by doing anything about it. This is the state of Austin policing: No chance of justice, and you really don't want to roll the dice with whoever has already chosen to attack you.
Please consider calling the cops. If they ask why it took you so long, tell them it was because you were afraid that the attackers would retaliate.
You're looking to get CCTV or other camera footage of the incident. It's possible someone else reported it. If you can get proof, you may be able to get restitution.
It's just a suggestion, but I would still report it after the fact and see if there were any traffic cameras or nearby businesses that might have caught it on CCTV.
Was this intentional? Like a targeted assault or robery? Did they fully penetrate a wall?
I believe OP is homeless for quite some time now, so I'm inclined to assume that they are perhaps living in their car or something of the like. Which makes this pretty cut and dry - the pickup 100% did it on purpose and its baffling and disgusting.
Edit: I should refresh the page before replying, OP already elaborated whoops
I have no fucking clue what this was all about. I was sitting in my van when I was suddenly hit. I wasn't going to find out if asking would get me shot.
Sry this happend to you. How bad is the damage to your car?
Seems minimal. I'll have a better idea when the sun is up.
Be thankful for small favours, I guess. Still sucks that this happened, but at least the car and you are OK.
Are you okay? How bad is the damage? Are the police doing anything?
If you've pissed someone off that much all I can suggest is bollards and/or a ditch around your property. You shouldn't need fortifications like that but it seems you do.
I own no property. They drove into my van roadside. And the road has extensive shoulders, so it's about as good as I can get. I mean, being able to afford housing would have prevented this, but ...