If you get "The Knock" (which is very rare if you're doing vanlife right) and are asked to move:
- Apologize - "Sorry, I didn't realize I couldn't park here."
- Let them know you are moving - "I'll pack my things up and be on my way within a few minutes."
- Leave - Move out of the area to another location.
DO. NOT. ARGUE.
- Even if you are legally allowed to be there. (You may be wrong.)
- Even if the person has no authority to make you move. (They may escalate the confrontation.)
- Even if other nomads are parked nearby, or you've parked there in the past.
Refusing to move risks escalating the situation, and you are increasing animosity toward vanlifers, which in turn increases the regulations that make living nomadically more difficult. You may be the 15th person to park in that spot this month, or the previous person to park there may have dumped trash or been otherwise unpleasant. You may not be aware of a certain reason why you must move, such as snow plows on their way, a special event, or a street closure. (See Ignoring The Knock below for more considerations.)
Just pack up your things (you should always be ready to leave anyway) and find another spot several minutes' drive away. Double check local ordinances to make sure you aren't breaking any laws. It's a good idea to have a backup parking location every night, just in case this happens. That way you're not struggling to find a spot at 3 a.m. while exhausted and stressed.
As part of being ready to leave, don't drink alcohol or be impaired by drugs if you're parked anywhere you might be asked to leave. Police aren't likely to simply ask you to "move along" if they can tell that you aren't safe to drive, and that might result in a worse outcome for you.
Make a note of the spot where it happened so that you know not to stay there again. Consider adding it to your navigation app or to crowdsourced apps like iOverlander.
Who is knocking?
The appropriate response to The Knock may be different depending on the person who made the knock and where you are parked.
Regardless of where you are parked, if the person who knocked is official law enforcement (police, sheriff, parking enforcement, etc.) you may want to ask them if they can tell you about a spot that is allowed for sleeping. They may say there is nothing in the area, but they may suggest a different location that is safe and legal nearby. A very small number of cities have designated safe parking lots where sleeping is explicitly allowed.
If you are parked in a business lot (such as a shopping mall, retail store, or hotel) and the person is a private security officer or an employee or owner of the business, you should leave (and not return again) but you won't need to travel far to a new spot; just be off their property and out of their sight. Farther away is better. See Free parking in business lots for more info.
If you are parked on a public street (assuming you've verified that it is legal to do so) and the person knocking is a local resident, you'll just need to move to a different street that's out of that immediate neighborhood. In regions where Homeowners Associations are common (such as most of the United States), you may want to double-check that there aren't HOA rules against street parking.
Welfare checks
In some cases, The Knock is just a "welfare check"; the person knocking needs or wants to make sure you're okay as part of their job or due to empathetic concern for you. Or they may just want to offer you help if they assume you are struggling. If they're checking on you for this reason, just say, "thanks for checking on me" and either accept their help or explain that it's not needed.
Exceptions
If you are parked in a campground where you have a spot you are entitled to (because you paid for it, arrived first, etc.), then you probably don't need to move unless the person has authority there (campground host, police, etc.) or can demonstrate why you need to move.
How often does it happen?
Most nomads who park where they are allowed to don't get The Knock very often. Many report going years with no knocks. If it happens to you, try to figure out why you got the knock and see what you can correct to reduce the chance in the future. You'll need to reassess how you are finding parking and come up with alternative spots.
If you are in an area that has seen an increase in the number of people living in vehicles (involuntary nomads), or in an area where many people try to save on high hotel costs (tourist hotspots), you are at a higher risk for a knock.
During extremely cold or otherwise dangerous weather, your chance of getting a knock increases considerably; police (or others) will often check vehicles to see if occupants need medical assistance or have died.[1]
Note that a spot that where it is legal/allowed to park may be illegal/disallowed to sleep or camp. You'll need to learn where parking is allowed for your area.
Preventing The Knock
The basic rule is that no one else should see any sign of "camping", only of "parking".
- Pay attention to signage disallowing parking or camping. Learn local parking rules before you find a spot.
- Ensure that you won't be in the way of anyone else (customers, employees, snow plows).
- Arrive late and leave early, and stay only one night. Rotate spots every night so you're not there often enough to be remembered.
- Stay in your vehicle: don't cook or sit outside (do those activities at a different location beforehand).
- Don't idle your engine, run generators, etc., and be as stealthy as possible. You won't be invisible, but you must be ignorable.
- If you get a knock at a given spot, consider that spot "burned" and don't go there again.
- If there are other vehicle dwellers at the location, the chance of you being noticed goes up significantly.
In most locations on public property, the police generally won't bother you IF you aren't parked in a No Parking zone or otherwise breaking the law (see Parking regulations), IF no one has called them to complain about your presence, or IF there haven't been recent problems with other nomads in that location. Look up local city ordinances and look carefully for signage.
If you're on private property, such as a business parking lot, do everything you can to keep a low profile. You need to follow best practices when parking at a business.
Ignoring The Knock
If you have security cameras or peepholes on your vehicle, you may be able to determine who is knocking and simply ignore the person. For example, someone who is drunk may just be banging on every vehicle along the street. Someone who realizes your vehicle is occupied and is curious or wants to offer help may also knock. Not answering is risky though, since the person may call the police or a tow truck immediately after knocking. As such, it's a good idea to move any time you get a knock.
If pressing the "lock" button on your key fob makes your horn beep, consider it. Doing this lets the person know that they have been seen, but it does not necessarily tell the person that you are in your vehicle.
If you get a knock from the police, park ranger, etc., and ignore it, be aware that they may forcibly enter your vehicle to perform a wellness check or investigate a crime, which leaves you with a broken window or door and possibly legal trouble. People who work in law enforcement and/or regularly interact with people living in their vehicle will easily know whether your vehicle is occupied; if they knock, it's because they know you're in there.