[Ekqo]

Anyone know if its illegal to spend the night in my car in the CTA parking lot?

[nouseforaname]

Don't do it. This was discussed about two years ago.

[Ekqo]

What happened? I'm new to Acen, this is my second year. I have 3 friends with me.

[nouseforaname]

New to ACen but it's your second year...

It's not suggested you sleep in the parking lot to begin with but maybe someone else would have a more accurate answer than myself. I do remember it was talked about a few years back and read that no one should sleep anywhere outside of the hotel, then again things have changed but I personally don't recommend it.

[TheStrongJaeger]

As far as I know it's not illegal but not a particularly good idea. It's not the safest thing to do and if the people who run the lot see you doing it they will possibly kick you out. So I'd say do it at your own risk.

[magicalgamer]

Got Soap?
Please get a hotel room so you can be clean throughout the con.

[Ekqo]

We can't get a hotel this year. Some poor spending choices and other things not in my control led to lower con funds than we wanted. I suppose we'll drive home and back. Maybe I'll switch driving with one or my friends (have to be careful, car not in my name lol)

[magishine]

You can't stay parked in the CTA lot for over 24 hours. If you can't afford to either stay at a hotel or drive back and forth from a place that has a bed and a shower. Then perhaps you may want to consider not going. It sucks I know but if you don't have the money to do it then you don't have the money to do it. Simple as that.

[Ekqo]

No, we have the money to go back and forth, it's just a little inconvenient, lol. I wasn't for the idea of sleeping in the car myself, especially if it rains. I'll pack some energy drinks.

This is all because the Tiger & Bunny panel/showing? starts at 9pm and I wanted to try leaving at 8 at the latest.

[emileighmorgan]

We may have extra room in our hotel room if you wanted to room with us.

[Ekqo]

emileighmorgan, on 23 April 2012 - 12:25 PM, said:

We may have extra room in our hotel room if you wanted to room with us.

Do you have room for four? We are me, my brother, my friend and her boyfriend. Neither of us have much cash either, I'm afraid.

[emileighmorgan]

Not a problem, have skype?
Or Just message me on here, I have to leave for a bit, but will be back on a little later.

This post has been edited by emileighmorgan: 23 April 2012 - 12:36 PM

[Ekqo]

I'm at school so message it is.

[emileighmorgan]

Sounds good, just whenever you get a second, message me.

[cactusmomma]

Ekqo, on 23 April 2012 - 11:51 AM, said:

This is all because the Tiger & Bunny panel/showing? starts at 9pm and I wanted to try leaving at 8 at the latest.

I'm not seeing any Tiger & Bunny panels or video showings (using the mobile app. for reference right now), but there is a cosplay gathering at 9 pm on Saturday. Would that be what you're referring to? If it would also make things easier on your group for timewise, we have a second gathering for that on Friday at 7:30 pm.

This post has been edited by cactusmomma: 23 April 2012 - 01:04 PM
Reason for edit: yay! autocorrect for androids!

[Ekqo]

Maybe that's what it is. If so, then no need to worry about staying late. As much as I love the series, I'm not cosplaying and I've never been to a cosplay gathering before. xD;; I don't think a t-shirt with the logo on the back counts as cosplay, lol.

[Smokey]

magishine, on 23 April 2012 - 11:48 AM, said:

You can't stay parked in the CTA lot for over 24 hours.

Actually you can. That's why they show rates for that time span.
Rosemont
5801 N. River Rd.

• $5.00 for 0-14 hours
• $8.00 for 14-18 hours
• $12.00 for 18-24 hours

Sleeping in your car is not only dangerous because of the random kooks out there, but if the police find you, they can arrest you for vagrancy.

This post has been edited by Smokey: 23 April 2012 - 02:04 PM

[Ekqo]

Smokey, on 23 April 2012 - 02:02 PM, said:

Actually you can. That's why they show rates for that time span.
Rosemont
5801 N. River Rd.

• $5.00 for 0-14 hours
• $8.00 for 14-18 hours
• $12.00 for 18-24 hours

Sleeping in your car is not only dangerous because of the random kooks out there, but if the police find you, they can arrest you for vagrancy.

Thanks for the warnings, everyone. (: Good to know that it really was a bad idea.

[Voxx]

4 people sleeping in a car all weekend without showering or brushing their teeth... For some reason that sounds dangerous and disgusting. I would plan on driving back and forth. How far do you live? You can always just switch up the drivers each day.

*Also going to the bathroom... that would be dangerous and uncomfortable in the middle of the night. You have to think where you would go and running back and forth is just not worth it.

This post has been edited by Voxx: 23 April 2012 - 02:28 PM

[Ekqo]

LOL oh, no, it would've been only for one night, not for the whole weekend! xD I love my brother but I hope I never have to share tight quarters with him unless absolutely necessary, and definitely not with my friend's boyfriend who is also coming. Pardon me, guys, but boy funk = EW.

We're about a 3 hour drive away. I avoid tolls and highways but it's only a half hour difference and we find cool stuff (last year, a sushi restaurant). I was wondering about the safety of me driving home past 9pm (can't see well at night + exhaustion), but now it looks like I don't need to worry and we'll be leaving at a decent time after all. My car isn't under my name and I'm too broke should we get into even a fender bender, so I'm hesitant to pass the wheel to someone else. We'll be fine, though.

[Unka Josh]

Short form here: If you're sleeping in the vicinity of the convention, you need to be in a hotel room. (The kind with a bed and a shower, that is.)

[Gwydion]

Woah, 3 hours away? Dang, I'd hate making that drive everyday (twice, no less)! But then I hate driving, so... lol

Anyway, I understand you're concerned about money issues, but gas prices aren't cheap either, so if possible would you want to stay near ACen? There's a Motel 6 about 15 minutes away (Elk Grove) with rates of $52 a night for 4 people, and if you only stay Fri and Sat, it'd be just over $100 (about $117 with tax). I know with my car, at least, I'd have to fill up 4 times to go back and forth Fri, Sat and Sun, and even counting an initial fill up, that would still cost more, but then my car isn't the greatest on gas either. ^_^;;

I don't know if that sounds plausible to you or not, but I figured I'd at least put it out there as a possible option for you, especially if you're concerned about staying later than you'd like in order to drive safely. My sis and I stayed there a few times for past ACens, and it's nothing amazing, but it's some cheap beds to sleep in!

Whatever you end up doing, I hope it works out for you! ^_^

This post has been edited by Gwydion: 23 April 2012 - 03:57 PM

[JediNight]

For that amount of gas money you think you could find a campground in the area to park at...

[Mullenkamp]

Ugh, yes - I'm also about a 2-3 hour drive away, and actually once got stuck in the area overnight unexpectedly (going to a White Sox/Red Sox game, and the highway flooded). There are definitely other options - somewhere along the way, while you're on the highway and there are signs telling you of lodging and so on, pull off at some exit that has a Motel 6 or Super 8 (or both). They have directories released every year that tell locations, prices, and amenities of all their hotels, and you can take one of those directories for free and keep it in the glove box. Motel 6 is only $35 per night where I live, often more like $50-$60 per night, and Super 8 tends to be just a little more expensive than that. With 4 people, that's pretty affordable.

So pick up a booklet for each of those (and maybe Red Roof Inn, which is often comparably priced) somewhere, and the night you were planning to sleep in the car? Look in those booklets in the area, and see where all the cheap hotels are, and which has the best combination of price/proximity. (Since the storms were bad enough the night I mentioned that both Chicago airports canceled all their flights, we had to go back across the state line into Indiana before we found a hotel that actually had a free room - and only because someone with a reservation hadn't shown up by 1am - but at least we knew where there was one across the state line! And you shouldn't have that problem. )

[Ekqo]

Its only 3 hours because I don't drive on the highways and avoid tolls (Google Maps YEAH ). I saw this a bit too late so now we can't change plans but we'll make it. C: thanks for all the help guys, we're definitely getting a room next year.