Life As Nick Starr

Last night was a bit of a chaotic night to say the least. It wasn’t even more then 1 day since I had read up on Andy Bussell and his ticket for sleeping in his car.

I pulled into one of my regular spots to sleep, the main one in fact. I got there a bit earlier then normal, and typically I park elsewhere on Tuesdays based on where I am during most Tuesday evenings. There was a large SUV with a big boat on it’s trailer very close to where I was, which was quite a bit abnormal.

Within about 2 minutes of me arriving, I saw a car pull up, go in the SUV, stay a few minutes, then leave. A bit strange, but I just hid in the shadows.

Since, it was earlier then most nights, I decided I would pull out my laptop and work out my current expenses and see how long it would take for me to buy a truck. I also started watching 24, and surfing online through my bluetooth Blackberry.

About 5-10 minutes in, I see a car light again, but this time the light seemed to move around. It was a cop car. He looked over the SUV and boat, then drove down to where I was. OH CRAP! He shined the brightest light I’ve ever seen right into my car, practically blinding me.

He walks up to the car and asks that I roll down the window. My keys are in the passenger seat, and I’m in the drivers seat (which is rare, but I wasn’t ready to head to bed yet, which turned out to be a saving grace). I didn’t want to search for my keys, so I just opened the door. He started yelling, “Keep your hands where I can see them!” Oh brother.

He asks what am I doing there? I said I was working on a few things on my laptop. I decide to make up a story about getting into a fight with my “significant other” and coming out to the park area because I tend to go to the park during the day to relax. He asks if I am living out of my car, and I lied and said no. He asks about the laundry in it’s basket in the back seat and I tell him I had just done my laundry (which is true if “just” means Sunday, but time is relative).

By this time another cop had arrived at the scene. They had run my license and tag, all clean of course. I had given him my license, registration, and insurance information. He asked if I had been drinking, which I tend not to, but Tuesdays is bowling and I have been known to have a few while there. Fortunately tonight I hadn’t. I was even offered a drink by a team mate, but I was feeling down last night so I didn’t feel in the mood. He had me follow his finger, then had me step out of the vehicle….OH CRAP.

Another of Pinellas Park’s finest arrived at the scene, this time with a police dog. I don’t have anything illegal in my vehicle, but it is a bit messy. I didn’t really want them going through my car with a dog. The whole time this dog is barking up a storm too.

He asked about where I worked, my address (which my old one was on my registration, so I gave that one). Then he asked the name of my “significant other.” I try explaining that it wasn’t a physical fight, just an argument. He keeps demanding a name, and I try to tell him that it isn’t important. I don’t know what I’m thinking, that they might call and confirm the story, who knows. I eventually whip out a name of an ex girlfriend, and that’s the end of that line of questions. Thank goodness.

The other 2 cops are just standing off in the distance. The cop had told me to keep my hands out of my pockets, which I am quite prone to do while just standing around. I was also cold and nervous and shaking quite violently. I’m surprised they didn’t get the dog out to sniff for drugs or have me do a drug test, I was literally shaking all over.

He finished writing in his little notepad, and said, “Get out of here.” No ticket, nothing. ::wipes brow:: I get in the car and search for the keys, and can’t find them. Oh crap. After about 2 minutes, he knocks on the window and says, “Were you online out here?” I am thinking they are going to try to write me a ticket for stealing wifi. I had checked if there was wifi there, and there wasn’t any. I told him I was online, through the bluetooth connection on my cell phone. He didn’t get it. I showed him it was a Blackberry, and he said, “Okay you are free to leave.”

I don’t know if there are going to be notes in the Pinellas Park police records that I might be living out of my vehicle, but who knows. This only goes to enforce the need for me to get a truck, so I can sleep in the back undetected. Looks like I will be searching for a 2nd job today.

As I drove off, I asked why the need for all of this? Was I on private property or something? He says yes, and I apologize and drive off. I went to my normal Tuesday night spot and spent the night there undisturbed. Looks like I need to find a new spot outside of Pinellas Park to sleep.

[Cross posted on my homeless blog / video podcast No Free Refills]

Crazy as it may sound for the past 6 months now I have been living in my car. I’m 26, and have a great job, but I’m just sick of dealing with landlords, and huge deposits. I don’t see a reason for it. I’m trying to save money and this seemed like the way to do it.

Here’s the crazy part. If you don’t read my tech blog, NickStarr.com, you don’t know this, but I’m a huge Apple fan. I’m big into technology and love writing about it.

There is another guy who the same age as me, WORKS for Apple, and is living out of his car as well. He’s been doing it for 19 months now.

He seems to have it down quite a bit better then I do. He has a truck with a dome roof that he put a matress in. I’m still in my car’s passenger seat. He also has black felt up on the windows to prevent anyone from peering in while he is sleeping.

We do share a number of the same type of ideas. Order out or buy small qty. Shower/brush/shave at the gym. He has a storage unit like I do for all of the things that obviously won’t fit into the vehicle. He even doesn’t like coffee, but still goes to coffee shops for the wifi, just like I do.

Check out these articles about his story, and also his blog.

Friday - Last Monday started off with me losing my wallet, and the week didn’t seem to get any better.

On Friday I go to Storman’s Palace for a free poker tournament. Typically there are 3-5 games and the first game, after being busted out, I went to play pool in the back room with one of the dealers. There was no one else back there, and a private party of about 40 people upstairs.

I took off my $300 Prada sunglasses and put them on a table while playing pool. After we finished the game we walked back over to the poker game. 5 minutes pass and I remember my glasses….and guess what…THEY ARE GONE.

I walk upstairs thru the private party to see if someone there is showing them off…no luck. Management didn’t like me being up there either. I looked around every table and every inch of the back room…they were gone.

Saturday - I head to the movies in the afternoon. Before I go, I stop to fill up with gas. I see The Prestige, a film I was highly anticipating, but didn’t turn out to be all that great in the end.

After the movie I decide to get a bite to eat at the Applebees in the parking lot of the theater. I reach in my pocket for the $100 bill I had gotten earlier that day, and it was gone. I fly back to the theatre and get an attendent to go back in with a flashlight to check around my seat. The next showing had already started so we could only look under the feet of the people sitting there.

It was in the darkest part of theater so if they swept up during the intermission of the two showings, they might not of seen it.

So there goes another $100 down the tubes.

Total losses for the week are around $600. It wouldn’t be so bad to of spent $600 and had something to show for it, but this is down right thru theft and misplacement.

I hate my life.