‘We’re not all criminals,’ says Everett man living in RV

The fight between RV dwellers and Seattle homeowners has reached the suburbs where an Everett man living out of his RV says police are now harassing him because of unfair media coverage.

Seattle’s home and business owners have been complaining of roadside RVs, many pointing to garbage and waste along the street; area crime; and drugs as associated with the vehicles. Complaints have also come from some of KIRO Radio talk show hosts who live in Seattle.

Related: Seattle police guild president questions veracity of RV dwellers

With such strong opposition to the RVs, a backlash has begun. One person wrote to KIRO Radio to say the people living in RVs are going to retaliate against the unfair coverage by organizing and lining up their rigs along Eastlake Avenue in protest.

Seattle’s Morning News also got a text from a Snohomish County man who lives in his RV who argued that not all RV-dwellers are criminals. Some, like him, are just down on their luck.

It’s not just one person arguing that you can’t pigeonhole RV dwellers.

Steven, of Everett, contacted KIRO Radio and wanted people to know that he’s not a drug addict, or an alcoholic and he certainly is not a criminal.

“I got laid off back in ’08, in the [recession], I was a construction worker, lost my apartment, was basically living out of my car and with friends and family,” he said. “I’ve always worked but sometimes it has been sporadic so I decided, well, I’m going to buy an RV. So I lived in my car, saved up my money and bought this thing about a year and a half ago.”

The RV works reasonably well for Steven who is a painter by trade and takes on jobs anywhere from Forks to Colville, Wash.

Steven parks on public streets from time-to-time, and also at Walmart that has a fairly liberal policy on RV camping. His boss also allows him to park in the loading dock at their Everett painting company.

Steven says he was making it work until media coverage turned sour towards people living in RVs. He says Everett police officers have recently started harassing him.

“The Everett cops are starting to hassle me now. They’re so afraid it’s going to happen up here. They don’t say anything, they have nothing to say legally, but they just come by and park, shine their spotlights on me and stuff like that,” Steven said.

I asked him why the coverage upsets him if he isn’t part of the so-called RV problems, such as drugs, crime and waste.

“I’m not upset about hearing about them, I’m just saying you’re lumping everybody into one group. Everybody that drives a motor home…they’re all drug addicts, they’re all stealing from me,” Steven says sarcastically.

“I understand the frustration of the people who are getting stuff ripped off. But the thing is it’s about people, it’s not about RV,” he said. “I know people who look at me like I’m some sort of drug addict and [the media] is putting out the message to be aware of everyone in an RV.”

Steven asks Puget Sound neighbors for fairness and understanding.

He thinks Seattle’s plan to open parking lots to RVs is a good idea and agrees that police need to crack down on the drug abusers.