# Breaking the law?



## Stewart007x (Mar 4, 2017)

Hi, I thought I would try and put something a little more contentious than 'Hi' as my first post.

Anyway, am I the only person who feels that when they pull up in their motor home and decide to stop for the night, that I am doing something illegal?

We have stopped in a few places in the UK in my old camper van and now a motor home and I can't stop the feeling I am doing something wrong.


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## Caz (Mar 4, 2017)

I always feel guilty of something when I see a police car come up behind me; I also feel like a shoplifter when going out of a shop with those sensor things in the doorway and as for going through customs............

I think it's natural for law abiding citizens to feel nervous about these sort of things. We know we are not doing anything wrong but can't help worrying that others may not see it that way.


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## n brown (Mar 4, 2017)

Stewart007x said:


> Hi, I thought I would try and put something a little more contentious than 'Hi' as my first post.
> 
> Anyway, am I the only person who feels that when they pull up in their motor home and decide to stop for the night, that I am doing something illegal?
> 
> We have stopped in a few places in the UK in my old camper van and now a motor home and I can't stop the feeling I am doing something wrong.


funny, the more i think about it , the more i think this is a very British attitude. if your van's legal, the parking spot is legal, and you're not on the run for some heinous crime, then relax.


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## phillybarbour (Mar 4, 2017)

Hi and welcome along, don't get that feeling these days but did when I started.


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## jann (Mar 4, 2017)

If there are not signs saying you can't then you usually can.Use common sense.
Police aren't interested unless you are being a nuisance. We often chat with police if we are somewhere where they do their rounds.They are always friendly.
We prefer to park in out of the way places where no one disturbs us.


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## GreggBear (Mar 4, 2017)

Stewart007x said:


> Hi, I thought I would try and put something a little more contentious than 'Hi' as my first post.
> 
> Anyway, am I the only person who feels that when they pull up in their motor home and decide to stop for the night, that I am doing something illegal?
> 
> We have stopped in a few places in the UK in my old camper van and now a motor home and I can't stop the feeling I am doing something wrong.



Hi Stewart, feels naughty don't it?! That's half the fun. Just have fun, stay legal and keep on keeping on matey.:welcome::drive::wave::camper::have fun::cheers:


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## Deleted member 34243 (Mar 4, 2017)

Caz said:


> I always feel guilty of something when I see a police car come up behind me; I also feel like a shoplifter when going out of a shop with those sensor things in the doorway and as for going through customs............
> 
> I think it's natural for law abiding citizens to feel nervous about these sort of things. We know we are not doing anything wrong but can't help worrying that others may not see it that way.



Know that feeling. Wilding in Wales, police car came by and reversed into small layby on other side of road. Starting to worry. Policeman came across to wish me good morning and explained they were hiding the to catch rush hour speeders.


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## antiquesam (Mar 4, 2017)

I stopped last night in a car park somewhere in Blackburn and Darwen. A panel conversion was parked up when I arrived. An hour or so later he left and parked in a layby on the main road. The next morning he came back and parked next to me. He said he doesn't overnight there because he got a ticket for overnighting. As there were no signs I asked how one was supposed to know , he said tbey told him it was on the web site. That doesn't sound very convincing to me. Then he mentioned the generator. So no I don't feel guilty if no one tells me I can't park. I'm in Kirkby Lonsdale tonight with 5 others.


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## n brown (Mar 4, 2017)

*everything which is not forbidden is allowed*

Everything which is not forbidden is allowed - Wikipedia


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## trevskoda (Mar 4, 2017)

n brown said:


> funny, the more i think about it , the more i think this is a very British attitude. if your van's legal, the parking spot is legal, and you're not on the run for some heinous crime, then relax.



Or start to whistle & run,its sure to get you a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning.:idea:


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## trevskoda (Mar 4, 2017)

Parked in a we village top off wales for kip one night,piggys came and saw n/irish plates and moved of promto.:scared:


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## Moonraker 2 (Mar 4, 2017)

I understand where you are coming from.
When I first started three years ago I felt nervous...not of camping on my own but nervous of doing something wrong!!
Now, I check carefully for signs and if there is nothing prohibiting me then I am fine. Relax.

By the way is it against the law to sleep in your van in a residential area? Must it be in a layby.


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## n brown (Mar 4, 2017)

Everything which is not forbidden is allowed - Wikipedia 
please- sleep in residential areas,and trading estates, in fact sleep anywhere you like that doesn't have a legal sign forbidding it . there's people living on loads of streets in my city- because there's no law against it !


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## witzend (Mar 5, 2017)

n brown said:


> Everything which is not forbidden is allowed - Wikipedia



Now it's getting complicated.  The French have a saying  Il est interdit d'interdire ("It is forbidden to forbid") We used to walk with some French friends who never stopped for any private land signs or no entry signs and just quoted this 

May 1968 events in France - Wikipedia


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## Deleted member 775 (Mar 6, 2017)

n brown said:


> Everything which is not forbidden is allowed - Wikipedia
> please- sleep in residential areas,and trading estates, in fact sleep anywhere you like that doesn't have a legal sign forbidding it . there's people living on loads of streets in my city- because there's no law against it !



when we had our van we wilded exactly where we wanted , we even slept overnight at the back of kings cross station one night and made brekky next morning on the back roads. when were living in our van we parked in many places  car parks laybies , whilst visiting a friend we knew that dident have space at his place to park we even stayed after asking of course on a night in Merthyr leisure centre for over a week ok we left during the day though ,and never felt guilty once ,why theres nothing to feel guilty for . mind you at my age ive stopped feeling guilty about anything ,not realy worth it . i have a caravan now but if i decided to park up on a night the odd time in a lay by or a industrial site i would ,no two ways about it realy ,as long as i dont put the  corner steady jacks down  and leave it attached to the car  there's no real law against it , on our travels we met many people in caravans that were wilding  no not gypsies just normal people enjoing themselves .putting down the corner steadies is different ,its then classed as a semi permanent dwelling .


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## Deleted member 19733 (Mar 6, 2017)

Hi and welcome to the forum, have fun


:welcome::camper::have fun::cheers::cheers::dog::scooter::boat::drive::goodluck:


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## yorkslass (Mar 7, 2017)

Hi,:welcome::wave::wave:


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## Mountain (Apr 9, 2017)

*Drunk in charge of a vehicle....*

Hi....I was talking to my brother in law who's a traffic cop and i mentioned we asked the landlord of a public house if we could park our converted Sprinter van in his car park after a nice meal and a few jars.... Happily he agreed so i mentioned this to the Police and he said if he had knocked on our door and smelt Alcohol on our breath we could have been arrested for being drunk in charge of a vehicle....The only way around it was to leave the keys behind the bar but how do we lock the van or leave before the pub opens again....Ideas or experience welcomed...Thanks Keith


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