This bus owner may be closing a Sams / Wal-Mart parking lot to RV's.

Mex-Busnut · December 22, 2011, 04:12:50 PM

Dear Friends,

I certainly don't mean to cause any problems by this post, and hope it is understood in the spirit in which it was written.

We made another bus-less run up to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to meet our precious daughter over Christmas break. She leaves for India January 2, and we will not get to see her again until July.

While here, we have been shopping several times at this huge Sams / Wal-Mart shopping center (dozens of other stores as well) East of Collins intersection on Interstate 20, East-bound service road. Anyway, while my dear wife and daughter deplete the various stores' inventories, I like to walk the parking lots to get exercise.

I noticed a large Van Hool converted bus on the North side of their parking lot, with New Mexico plates. At first glance, it looks like a tour bus, but looking through the windows, it is definitely an RV (plus the trailer hitch on the back).

So I got to talking to the security guy and told him I was a bus nut, and wouldn't mind meeting the owner of that bus. Mr. Rent-a-cop said he and the Sam's manager would also like to meet the guy, because the bus nut never asked permission of either the store manager, nor the security people to park there, and he had already been there several days. Yikes! And the security man was not in any way rude.

We returned two days later, and the bus was still there, nobody in site.

Whoever this fellow or sister bus nut is, may be very well-meaning indeed, but needs to be made aware of the rules of over-nite parking in commercial store parking. The same security man told me he also personally covered the Mesquite Sam's Wal-Mart North East of Dallas (I have no idea which one that might be.), and those stores had now definitely forbidden all overnight camper parking due to this kind of abuse, according to him.

How does five days without asking permission qualify as "overnight parking"?

Thanks for hearing me out.

Be VERY blessed!

Mex-Busnut · December 22, 2011, 04:32:28 PM

By the way, Sam the security guy says that parking an RV in the Mesquite Sam's Wal-Mart WILL get you a ticket from the police, so don't even try it!

FloridaCliff · December 22, 2011, 04:42:24 PM

Steve,

That takes a lot of something to leave a vehicle in there parking lot that long without asking permission.

Lucky for him I am not the manager, it would have been towed. Bus or not....

Cliff

luvrbus · December 22, 2011, 04:47:11 PM

Hey guys it is a VanHool probably broke down

Boomer · December 22, 2011, 05:06:09 PM

That's an ex Red Carpet charter bus out of OKC. Even still has the IMG sticker on it. Probably a rogue charter bus "operator". Really sucks to leave a rig sitting on private property like that without asking. They should tow it.

Busted Knuckle · December 22, 2011, 05:30:04 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on December 22, 2011, 04:47:11 PM
Hey guys it is a VanHool probably broke down

LOL! Yes an an ex- Red Carpet VanHool @ that! I ain't say'n they don't keep their current fleet up. But I've seen many of their ex-buses broke down in parking lots or on the side of the road.
Seems to me that once they decide it is being pulled out of service they either quit maintaining it, or just before they sell it they strip any known good parts off and replace them with parts that are well worn or of questionable quality.

Around N. TX, OK, E. NM, and AR you see them scattered everywhere.

BK

ted01 · December 23, 2011, 04:17:15 AM

Maybe he parked there and died or somthing, they really should do something to check it out.

Busted Knuckle · December 23, 2011, 07:30:13 AM

Quote from: ted01 on December 23, 2011, 04:17:15 AM
Maybe he parked there and died or somthing, they really should do something to check it out.

While quite possible it's more likely that he just "parked it" there with out even thinking anyone would care.

Of course it also makes it harder to check up on him with it being abandoned in the Dallas area w/NM plates.

BK

ccbmster · December 23, 2011, 06:48:53 PM

I tried to buy that bus over a year ago but couldnt get the price down to my liking.

It is owned by a really nice older guy that probably just is not aware of the proper etiquette. From what he told me he usually does most of his parking in National parks and such.

I will take a look and if I still have his email addy I will give him a heads up.

gcyeaw · December 24, 2011, 06:23:10 AM

I stopped at a Wal-Mart in Flagstaff Arizona in September. The lot was small and shared with other stores. It was not a Super store although when we called ahead they said there was plenty of room and overnight stays were allowed. The lot was real tight and pretty full. We decided to just do some food shopping and find another place to overnight. I pulled along side an old dilapidated schoolie blocking his exit. I asked the occupant (who's appearance matched the condition of the schoolie) if he was leaving soon as I was just shopping and would not be long. He said "no problem, I live here!" I noticed another small trailer, unhooked, and realized they lived there as well! My wife went in and did the shopping while I stayed and watched after the coach...