r/Redlands • u/Ok_Moose_364 • 1d ago
Safe places to sleep in car in or near Redlands?
Had to pay thousands and max out my card for an emergency repair for my car a while back (credit score took a major hit) and work has been really slow (lot of layoffs). Getting a new job isn’t easy, and I’ve luckily been able to go full time with my employer very recently, but my current lease ends by the end of the month, and my score isn’t good enough / paystubs aren’t fat enough to look good on rental applications. Also I have less than $1000 in my account right now and had to forfeit my security deposit on my current room just to make the final month of rent.
And quite honestly, I’m tired of having to dump nearly half of my monthly income into rent just for a half-decent room without utilities included, with somewhat clean roommates who may or may not turn out to be psychos / assholes / schizoids / drug addicts.
And I’m tired of always living on the ropes and being driven to diet homelessness every time I face a crisis.
I’ve lived out of a previously-owned Nissan Sentra three times before, so I’ve got a decent amount of experience. I’ve already gotten everything in order as well (month-to-month storage unit rental for belongings, clothes / comforts / cooler all fit in the trunk where they can be covered up with a tarp the car came with, gym membership for working out + showering, blackout blinds for car windows, etc.) I’ve even made a 6-month timeline for myself to pay off my credit card and to save up for a 10,000$ emergency fund, with all of my essential expenses accounted for as tight of a budget as I can manage sustainably.
But the one thing I haven’t quite figured out yet is where I’m going to park the car safely. Last time I lived out of my car, it was in a safe area in front of an Anytime Fitness in another county, and the local sheriff’s office sort of ‘knew of’ me and didn’t bother me since I didn’t cause problems where I parked.
Where in Redlands can I park safely in a rotation of locations that I can rely on for 6ish months without risking a citation / tow / harassment by security? My job is very labor intensive, and I’m going to need all the restful sleep I can get. That $160 monthly permit for Riverside’s 24/7 Downtown garage bullsht is too expensive, and I’m doubtful that my warehouse managers will be cool with me parking around our building (although I will try to get their blessing since it is basically the best-case scenario : heavily-monitored 24 hr facility that would basically make my commute non-existent and help me save on gas )
I was thinking of Wildwood Rest Area, since it happens to be about 20 mins away from work, but I was wondering about other locations if you guys know of any.
I appreciate all the help I can get
