live anonymously

[EJFan]

is it even possible to live anonymously, in the woods for example, in the US anymore?

there was a time when a person could just pitch a lean-to in the woods or roam the country in total anonimity... it seems to me that if someone tried this today they'd be hard pressed to do so without breaking a law or two no matter where they went.

so... is it possible? if so, how? anyone ever thought of it? done it?

 

[Ricwilly]

I'm sure it would be possible. A person would have to have wilderness survival skills and may be required to bend if not break a few laws, tho I could be wrong.
The closest I ever came to it was hitch hiking to the side of Pikes Peak and back from Indiana a few times in the late seventies, I wouldn't excactly call that living anonomously, tho I did sleep outside. LOL
I wouldn't want to do anything like that anymore. I enjoy my comforts.

 

[Cathleen]

You are talking to the original 'Hello Hilton' girl. I've never slept outside in my life and if I have my way I never will. (I was always the first kid to go home when we camped out (in the back yard mind you).)

I used to love the TV show 'Grizzly Adams', bears are my favorite animals - I had a romantic idea of living out there with that big bear and the big mountain man. I would watch that show with a dreamy glaze in my eye - from the comfort of my home of course.

I guess it is possible, especially in some places like Alaska. As for breaking laws - don't know really. If you do it - send a postcard on occasion... in care of Lit. 'cuz I'm staying put. (No electricity, no plumbing, no me!)

 

[EJFan]

You are talking to the original 'Hello Hilton' girl. I've never slept outside in my life and if I have my way I never will. (I was always the first kid to go home when we camped out (in the back yard mind you).)

I used to love the TV show 'Grizzly Adams', bears are my favorite animals - I had a romantic idea of living out there with that big bear and the big mountain man. I would watch that show with a dreamy glaze in my eye - from the comfort of my home of course.

I guess it is possible, especially in some places like Alaska. As for breaking laws - don't know really. If you do it - send a postcard on occasion... in care of Lit. 'cuz I'm staying put. (No electricity, no plumbing, no me!)

this was your 21,000th post... damn... talk about your milestones.

glad you've been around and giving so much of yourself here at lit, cathleen.

fyi... i was THINKING about asking you to run along with me but it seems you're leaning the other way, huh.

 

[Cathleen]

this was your 21,000th post... damn... talk about your milestones.

glad you've been around and giving so much of yourself here at lit, cathleen.

fyi... i was THINKING about asking you to run along with me but it seems you're leaning the other way, huh.

Hey, all I need is electicity, plumbing and well... company! Just no way am I sleeping outside.

(Didn't even notice about the post #...frankly I'd like to make those disappear.)

 

[Cathleen]

Umm, judging from your AV you like plumbing too!

 

[Halo_n_horns]

is it even possible to live anonymously, in the woods for example, in the US anymore?

there was a time when a person could just pitch a lean-to in the woods or roam the country in total anonimity... it seems to me that if someone tried this today they'd be hard pressed to do so without breaking a law or two no matter where they went.

so... is it possible? if so, how? anyone ever thought of it? done it?

It's possible, and you don't even have to buy a snake to do it. But it wouldn't be easy. There's all kinds of laws you have to make sure that you won't be breaking somehow. If you get busted you won't be anonymous any longer.

 

[Exciteher]

is it even possible to live anonymously, in the woods for example, in the US anymore?

there was a time when a person could just pitch a lean-to in the woods or roam the country in total anonimity... it seems to me that if someone tried this today they'd be hard pressed to do so without breaking a law or two no matter where they went.

so... is it possible? if so, how? anyone ever thought of it? done it?

Yes... it is possable, or at least get real close. I have an employee who's relatives live in the middle of nowhere in Idaho.. totally off the grid, they grow, gather, farm and hunt their own food, they own the property they are on, it was cheap, built their own log cabin and dug their own well, 18th century plumbing, hardly any properety taxes and no zoning laws. They do have a cellphone but they have to drive 15 mi to get a good enough signal to use it. The man of the house goes fishing in Alaska for a few weeks and makes more enough to live on for the whole year. They well may be breaking a law or two, don't think they have drivers, hunting or fishing licenses or current registration... but there is no one out there to enforce any laws or even cares, unless someone gets nuts or dangerous... which has happened.

 

[Rueben80]

I have heard of people in minnesota living on a houseboat and fish house year round. It is not that hard to live off of the grid if you want to.

 

[bisexplicit]

If you live on the street it actually is almost the same thing. No one gives a shit, no one notices you, you're not part of any census...Thats why its so easy for homeless people to be murdered and no one notices.

 

[Weird Harold]

is it even possible to live anonymously, in the woods for example, in the US anymore?

It's possible to live anonymously or it is possible to live comfortably, but not both.

It is possible to be reclusive and live off the land legally, but it can't be done completely anonymously. It's also possible to live entirely anonymously on a cash and barter basis -- as most homeless and/or illegal immigrants do -- but that's a subsistance existance and generally runs afoul of one law or another.

To succesfully "drop off the map" and become nearly completely anonymous isn't totally impossible but it isn't an existance I'd want to have.

 

[Lust Engine]

First person who comes to mind is that Atlanta bombing freak, Eric Rudolph or whatever his name is. He seemed to make a go of it when it came to subsisting on his own but then I think anyone with good survival skills could do it.

I'm sure there's got to be some remote stretch of land where one could do it. But legally do it I'm not sure.

 

[EJFan]

...Thats why its so easy for homeless people to be murdered and no one notices.

it seems to me there used to be this phrase in the policing community (help me out here eilan) called "NHI"... which stood for "no human involved" and it was a policy for many police departments. if a hooker or homeless person or drug dealer, etc. got killed, they just stuck the body in the ground at the state's expense (or something to that effect) and moved on without an investigation or anything.

 

[EJFan]

i'm enjoying the replies... thanks all... the insight, as usual, is stimulating.

the point i guess i'm trying to get at here isn't so much the mechanics or viability of it but kind of pondering if we've gotten so bogged down in legislation that it's just not possible to have lives like kerouc or thoreau had (maybe not the best examples for my point but you see what i mean).

and, yeah, i have to say that many of the people in recent history to do something like this have resurfaced to not so stellar events... eric rudolph, unibomber, et al.

 

[Weird Harold]

the point i guess i'm trying to get at here isn't so much the mechanics or viability of it but kind of pondering if we've gotten so bogged down in legislation that it's just not possible to have lives like kerouc or thoreau had (maybe not the best examples for my point but you see what i mean).

It isn't the legal aspects that are the main problem in remaining anonymous, it's the financial aspects. It's almost impossible to live in modern society without at least a bank account of some kind and difficult to live off the land on land you don't own (or at least have a mortgage on.)

Without money, you can live anonymously, but not without running into legal problems about trespassing or "squatting" on public land.

 

[oddity83]

What happens when ypu get stopped and asked for ID, and don't have any?

 

[bholderman]

EJ,

Going back to your original question, yes, I think you can, but as opposed to just 20 years ago, you'd have to get pretty deep into wooded environements. And/or a desert if you'd prefer (as long as you take a canteen or two).

But, Ive been in the middle of nowhere before only to find a rotted out couch. I think the biggest risk isn't nessarily survival skills, but the fall, accident, or incapacitating illness in which you can't effectively move. You can be a NAVY Seal, but having a broken back 50 miles away from the closest human without a phone doesn't bode well.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[EJFan]

Going back to your original question, yes, I think you can, but as opposed to just 20 years ago, you'd have to get pretty deep into wooded environements. And/or a desert if you'd prefer (as long as you take a canteen or two).

i remember when geraldo interviewed manson and charlie told him that he wouldn't stand a chance in the dessert... without his aerosol cheese and his refridgerated pie dough. LOL.

 

[Hooper_X]

I've known a few people who were doing this in the middle of large American cities. They worked under-the-table, didn't pay taxes, made only cash purchases and all of their utilities were in other people's (real or fictitious) names.

 

[bholderman]

i remember when geraldo interviewed manson and charlie told him that he wouldn't stand a chance in the dessert... without his aerosol cheese and his refridgerated pie dough. LOL.

Getting off track at this point, there is a great film from either the 50's or early 60's called "Inferno." Its about a cheating couple who decide to off her husband by killing him in the desert, the only problem is he survives to struggle his way back.

Its been re-made several times, virtually as effectively redone, but the original is a good watch.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[bholderman]

I've known a few people who were doing this in the middle of large American cities. They worked under-the-table, didn't pay taxes, made only cash purchases and all of their utilities were in other people's (real or fictitious) names.

Thats probably more effective than heading out into the wilderness...

 

[Eilan]

it seems to me there used to be this phrase in the policing community (help me out here eilan) called "NHI"... which stood for "no human involved" and it was a policy for many police departments.

I asked, and my husband had never heard of this. But, then, that kind of thing wouldn't fall within his jurisdiction.

 

[EJFan]

i think this NHI Policy was primarily in urban law enforcement agencies... probably pre 60's philly, new york, chicago.

once the 60's hit, american society decided that everyone's entitled to all sorts o' shit... when you cut me, do i not bleed? when you hurt me, do i not cry? and all that shit. friggin' hippies.

 

[Ricwilly]

i think this NHI Policy was primarily in urban law enforcement agencies... probably pre 60's philly, new york, chicago.

once the 60's hit, american society decided that everyone's entitled to all sorts o' shit... when you cut me, do i not bleed? when you hurt me, do i not cry? and all that shit. friggin' hippies.

Watch your mouth.

 

[EJFan]

lol... i feel ya ric...

i think the hugs 'n' kisses, love they neighbor shit is good... we SHOULD respect our fellow man. i just think that we can do that AND call a spade a spade. if you're a scumbag there's no reason why we should spend a shitload of public money on you... we should be spending public money on keeping people from BECOMING scumbags.