San Diego 282

Last night marked the first time since moving into my van in San Diego that I experienced knocks on my window. It was around 4:30 AM when I heard a man shout, “This is the city of San Diego.” However, this claim seemed off. Peering out, I noticed they were in plain cars and dressed in everyday clothes, not what you’d expect from official personnel. It looked more like a community watch group, unnecessarily patrolling a random parking lot. The encounter left me more puzzled than alarmed. Among them were three women, who appeared to be in their 40s and 50s, fitting the Karen stereotype, and a tall, white-bearded, fat man. Interestingly, they all wore 3M orange vests, except the man. After a while, they moved on, knocking on other vans, and I eventually drifted back to sleep.

I’m curious to find out who they are, mainly to understand why they were out knocking on van doors at such an early hour instead of being in their beds. Weird right? I understand that van life can sometimes be disruptive to local areas. The presence of vans can lead to littering, and they aren’t always the most sightly. However, the spot in question was a public gym parking lot, where the same three vans, including mine, have been harmlessly parked for the past three months. They’re all normal looking vans not those vans you see with trash piled up in the front seat and mountain of trash strapped to the roof, and I’ve never noticed any mess left behind. In fact, I’d take it upon myself to clean up if necessary, just to maintain harmony for everyone.

So, who could these late night little visitors be? Perhaps they’re part of the notorious Encinitas community watch, targeting vagabonds and van lifers who choose a path they might not agree with. Tonight, I think I’ll avoid the area, let things settle a bit. It’s all part of the van living experience, a sort of playful cat-and-mouse dynamic. It adds a bit of thrilling paranoia to the lifestyle, keeping things interesting.