is anyone here familiar it? I've been researching basically all types of free traveling, I basically want to hit the road in a few months with just a backpack and a lil cash, nothing big. It's been my goal since I was really young despite all the discouragement I've received from my family and such.... I realized it was popular among the punk scene, but I wasnt sure if it expanded to other people as well because it does seem fun and very efficient, but I'm not so.... Uhm.. Punk. lol Feel free to share any stories and experiences if you're familair with "Squatting" and no it is not the same as peeing outside!
In Holland it is still quite 'normal' to squat in the alterntive scene. Big cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht have many many squats. It is also more or less legal to squat a building which has been empty for over a year so that makes it easier. Are you looking for squats where you could stay for some days of are you interested in squatting yourself?
I'm considering it in a few months when I hit the road Im in the US though, hopefully eventually I'd end up in Holland, it would be amazing to be there
Back in the day there used to be some squatters in buildings that had been abandoned in the east village. They had no heat or hot water but they had roofs over their heads and they didn't have to pay rent. I always thought that they aught to open the doors to all the skyscrapers and office buildings in NYC at night to the homeless or anyone else who wanted a roof over their heads. All that room and warmth during the winter and protection from the elements during the summer and absolutely no one using it, all year around, after working hours. What a waste! I actually managed to get into the Empire State Building once when I was homeless and slept for a couple of hours before security rousted me and sent me on my way.
Well the problem with opening up buildings like that is not everyone is as considerate as we would like to believe. In a week the building would be torn apart and most likely infested with crack, not to mention all the trash. Would everyone chip in a clean up? Nope. Most would just leave their waste wherever they left it. I've always been in support of the idea of opening up large barracks with bunk beds from corner to corner and opening the doors at dusk and letting everyone out when it is clean the next morning. Use it as a soup hall during the day. Unfortunately someone would get busted upsomehow and sue to city because they were too stupid to realize that a stove is hot or that you should let your child sleep on the top bunk.... Basically people suck far too much to do anything nice for them. I stick with helping out who I can on a one on one basis. It's not much but this week I gave a guy a couple of quarts of oil in exchange for a 20 oz Coke. He needed them, I had them, I was thirsty, and he had an unopened drink. I hope it's not the last deed I do this week but if it is, I'm ok with it.
I don't know massal76. When I was homeless if I remember right, if a door to a building was left open and I went in and slept there, I made sure not to dirty the place. Didn't piss there, didn't crap there, tried not to even leave any garbage behind. I tried to look at the places where I slept as kindda like my own home and that whoever left the door open for me was like a benevolent landlord in as much as whoever it was didn't even charge me rent. Of course I always had to be ready to get up and go in case the police came around or even if some criminal elements wanted to bust on me. Not a pleasant life by any means!
Yes YOU did that. I've seen what homeless people can do and it's disgusting. Yes most people would be greatly appreciative of having a shelter it's the minority that is the problem. Until homeless come together and start disciplining thier own and stomping some dudes ass for doing things like shitting everywhere or leaving trash behind, they'll never have an opportunity like what we're talking about. Some dude takes a squat on the carpet in an office building you found, beat his ass with a length of pipe and see where he shits next time.
I don't know about all that massal76, but people do still have animal in them and sometimes they need to be trained just like you would train a dog. However, when I was small, if we had a dog that crapped in the house, we didn't go as far as to "beat his ass with a length of pipe;" sticking his nose in it and then throwing him out the door was good enough to make him understand. peace
ive never seen a clean squat, any Ive been too stunk, had to watch wear I steped, dog crap human crap piss.... alos I buddy of mine ferret contractic hep c after sleeping in a squatt and rolling over on a needle on the floor.... its dark you cant see, you dont know what left behind, its safer and its not safer then sleeping outside..... if your with a crew its easier... I had a squat on the roof of the tivoli theater on granville in vancouver, AId climb up the emergency ladder above the dumpster and scale the roof witha big ass back pack, that sometimes was dropped and I would have to retrieve before continuing but it was afe hard to get to sheltered, had a roof wear smokers would go during evening shows..... id be out of there no latter then 10 am. if you do find a squat make sure your the only one who knows about it...sharing squatts with kids you met on the street can get dangerous....even if you are just trying to be friendly...bieng friendly on the street isnt always the best idea. its survival. they are you are....remember that when it comes down to it survival of the fittest
Don't forget the concept of social Darwinism, my friend. It's a little less harsh then survival of the fittest. It was a concept that accidently got slipped into the college curriculum when I was part of that mess for a short time. I'm sure no one wanted it there! You were not supossed to actually learn anything in college.
