Really, how free are we to choose a different life style

[M.R]

I'm not talking about building a house on Green Belt and I know there are worse events going on in the world but just how free are we even in the West? Recently I started to Google for information about living on a Narrow boat or living in a motor home as a way to save money for a future deposit by not having to drop my hard earned money into the bottomless hole of rent. While it is possible to spend time in a motor home or a Narrow boat you can not really have a different life style from the norm because you have to have a normal residential address. Unless you have a residential address everything will collapse. You can not insure a car, you can not register with a doctor etc etc. Having read this disappointing news I then suddenly really understood the meaning of homelessness and why once homeless how the system is the barrier to a person sorting themselves out. But not only that, there are few choices unless you have a lot of money to change a life style you are not happy with in this country. In this day and age is that acceptable?

[Elphinstone's Army]

Is this a philosophical question to take us away from our real lives, as you are answering your own questions, which seem obvious in today's world.

If you have the means to purchase a boat or motor home and a means of earning money and the luxury of choice then you cannot possibly know the meaning of homelessness or are likely to. Have you any idea how spoilt you sound?

Renting for many is a way of life necessity, compromise.

Disappointing news?

Be off with you and your whim to change a lifestyle you are not happy with in this country in this day and age.

And spend a few moments reading the Solomons Passage thread.

[Jenny1]

Without getting into the deeper questions.....a narrow boat on a registered mooring counts as a normal residential address.

[rendelharris]

M.R Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not talking about building a house on Green

> Belt and I know there are worse events going on in

> the world but just how free are we even in the

> West? Recently I started to Google for information

> about living on a Narrow boat or living in a motor

> home as a way to save money for a future deposit

> by not having to drop my hard earned money into

> the bottomless hole of rent. While it is possible

> to spend time in a motor home or a Narrow boat you

> can not really have a different life style from

> the norm because you have to have a normal

> residential address. Unless you have a residential

> address everything will collapse. You can not

> insure a car, you can not register with a doctor

> etc etc. Having read this disappointing news I

> then suddenly really understood the meaning of

> homelessness and why once homeless how the system

> is the barrier to a person sorting themselves out.

> But not only that, there are few choices unless

> you have a lot of money to change a life style you

> are not happy with in this country. In this day

> and age is that acceptable?

Well...Mrs H and I looked into getting a houseboat, yes there are a lot of things to take into consideration but if you go about things the right way none of the difficulties you mention are insuperable - what put us off was the fact that however old one became the mooring fees would still be there. But you can do most of the things you say are impossible anyway, and mainly I agree with Elph, it ain't like you're crouching behind a wall in Homs, is it? Being unable to buy a boat is not "understanding the meaning of homelessness" unless you are actually kipping down tonight under a railway arch.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Interesting question, maybe look at how the travelling community live for a pointer as they obviously have a way of insuring their vehicles, registering (temporarily ) with doctors and schools and other essential services.

Therefore it's not as impossible as you you have implied as there is a way to still live and use services even with a temporary address

Alternatively go completely off grid and become a hermit

Good luck with your dilemma

[M.R]

Ok Ok. I was hoping for some intelligent thoughts on the subject of changing a life style in the UK and how possible that is and is not. Do you know how lacking in awareness you sound? Clearly you are not philosophical and have spent too long up your own behind, stuck in your own linear life to take in something someone else might write without viewing it in a negative way and so missing the point!

[M.R]

By the way spoiled I am definitely not. Open to understanding I am which, maybe is a quality you should start developing or of course, keep your negative self to yourself

Elphinstone's Army Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Is this a philosophical question to take us away

> from our real lives, as you are answering your own

> questions, which seem obvious in today's world.

> If you have the means to purchase a boat or motor

> home and a means of earning money and the luxury

> of choice then you cannot possibly know the

> meaning of homelessness or are likely to. Have you

> any idea how spoilt you sound?

> Renting for many is a way of life necessity,

> compromise.

> Disappointing news?

> Be off with you and your whim to change a

> lifestyle you are not happy with in this country

> in this day and age.

> And spend a few moments reading the Solomons

> Passage thread.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Have a look at this discussion on another forum, which helps to explain the difference between permanently parked mobile homes (holiday homes that people live in all year round) and park homes on residential sites (our equivalent of US trailer parks) which could be an option for you.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1484721

It would be good if you could delete your other thread as it's a bit confusing to have two on the same topic.

[M.R]

Hi. Thanks for your response I'll have a look. I tried to delete this thread without success. I will try again

[Robert Poste's Child]

You might find it easiest to ask Admin (see dedicated thread in About this Forum section) or you could click on the Report this Post link and explain the problem to them that way.

[giggirl]

M.R.,

I don't have any practical advice to offer but, for the record, you don't come across as spoilt to me at all. It's hard to get a foothold today for many many reasons and I hope you can make something work for you.

P

[uncleglen]

this thread reminded me of the Agnes Cunninham song that Ry Cooder recorded- How can you keep on moving (unless you migrate too)

......especially this verse

'Now if you pitch your little tent along the broad highway

The board of sanitation says, "sorry, you can't stay"

Come on, come on, get moving it's their everlasting cry

Can't stay, can't go back, can't migrate, so where in the hell am i'...