Camping in London's West End?

[SimonJ]

Hi all,

This may seem crazy (certainly in my wife's mind), but we are going to a party in London on the weekend, and I can't help thinking that a sleep-over in the Cali is a great idea. Certainly save on the late night train home.

I think there are lots of good spots around Pall Mall, that are likely to be quiet, free from 6pm, and all day Sunday. Obviously we'd need to be subtle about it, and not Pop the roof

My question is......have any of you been brave enough to try this?

Simon

 

[NZCol]

Yep I did it a wee while ago, i was there for work and had a function, arrived later on, parked up nr embankment on a quiet street, went to function, staggered back to van discreetly and had a very quiet night.

 

[Californiaman]

Best idea is to stay sober though. If the police decide to move you on, you could be done for drunk driving....

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[SimonJ]

Thanks - great tips! Not sure how I'll do from a sobriety POV

My thinking is that if the van is legally parked, and we are asked to move on, we can simply leave the van and get a cab/train home.

However I think it must be unlikely that this would happen - especially being incognito.

 

[DavidApp]

https://www.justpark.com/

Try that, we've used it when going to gigs and sleeping overnight.

 

[SimplyDubs]

Thanks - great tips! Not sure how I'll do from a sobriety POV

My thinking is that if the van is legally parked, and we are asked to move on, we can simply leave the van and get a cab/train home.

However I think it must be unlikely that this would happen - especially being incognito.

Be very careful...

You are in charge of a vehicle on the public highway (or any public place, so includes pub car parks... According to the forums, a couple of Britstop users have been caught on this...) whether parked legally or not.

It's treated no differently than sitting in the seat of you car whilst drunk.

If you have access to the keys in the vehicle then you can be charged with "drunk in charge"... you don't have to be driving the van. 10 penalty points... not good.

Rgds

Mark

 

[Annik]

There is a way round this!

Speaking to a traffic officer a few months ago about the very same subject, he said the only way to avoid this is by keeping the keys outside, ideally in a key safe device.

As simply dubs says, Brit Stops are a prime example of where you can be done for drink driving as it is not just a case of being on the public roads.

 

[IanE]

Just wondering what the scenario would be where the police might knock on your door?

You'd have hoped the cops would have better things to do!

 

[WelshGas]

They do in London, and checking on unusual vehicles parked in unusual places registered outside London is one of them. Especially within the Conjestion Zone.

 

[GrannyJen]

Be very careful...

You are in charge of a vehicle on the public highway (or any public place, so includes pub car parks... According to the forums, a couple of Britstop users have been caught on this...) whether parked legally or not.

It's treated no differently than sitting in the seat of you car whilst drunk.

If you have access to the keys in the vehicle then you can be charged with "drunk in charge"... you don't have to be driving the van. 10 penalty points... not good.

Rgds

Mark

Advice from one of the best motoring law firms in the business, Geoffrey Miller:

Drunk in charge is a statutory offence. You are in charge if you are in the vehicle with the keys and if over the limit you are drunk, therefore guilty as charged.

However, and it is a big one.

To prove yourself not guilty you must show that you had no intentions of driving away at that moment,

Indications that would help you win your case on reasonableness:

Distance of the keys from the ignition ... I hang mine up in the wardrobe.

Seats turned round so the vehicle is not drivable at the "instant" that you are charged.

Bed made up.

Prior arrangement to stay ... e.g., having called a britstop first and confirmed you can stop overnight.

Common sense: Not having so much to drink that you would still be over the limit at the time that you would reasonably be setting off (example from Scottish police who when the limit was reduced blitzed truck stops with a breathalyser in the early hours and refused to let drivers leave until such a time had elapsed ...)

Their are no categoric assurances but the "DiC" statute is there for a purpose, to prevent a defence of "I was sleeping it off" ... (Engine still warm, sat in drivers seat, keys in the ignition ... oh! Really???) and not to entrap people reasonably camping overnight in their vehicles and having a perfectly lawful drink.

I sort GM's advice when a few scare stories did the rounds and their "no categoric assurance" summary to me was "If you show prior intention to overnight, the drivers seat is turned round, the bed made up and you demonstrating every intention to get in it if not in it already and the keys away from the ignition then we would want the defence brief"...

 

[Alan]

Not worth the risk of drinking when freebeing,not only the police to worry about
there's always the chance (however remote) of confrontation!
Not talking about a small glass of wine before dinner though Jen

 

[GrannyJen]

Wild camping, as opposed to permissive camping, is a different matter. There is always the chance that the police may come calling and if you do not have permission to be there, whether legal or not, it could affect the view of whether or not you had intent to move on.

Wild camping I simply do not drink. There is, for me as a single woman especially, also the risk of some unwelcome attention that may mean that I wish to move on quickly. However in the event of a stopover such as a britstop, we must each make our own individual choices and I do not feel uncomfortable about going to bed possibly over the legal limit but in the knowledge that I most certainly would be well within by the time I can be reasonably expected to move on.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

Not as exciting (or cheap), but why not book a night at Crystal Palace Caravan Club site, and use the night bus home.

You can get as drunk as you want, as long as you don't eat your kebab on the bus .

 

[Pete M]

Regents Park, the inner circle is closed after midnight so stayed in the next road and move 200 yards to here the following morning for bacon sandwiches