Photo series: California trailer park

I’ve got nothing against trailer parks (my grandparents lived in one for my entire life) but apparently tornadoes do. Even in places like Colorado and California, not exactly locales known for tornadoes, the twisters just can’t stay away.

Seriously, tornadoes. Try picking on the McMansion crowd for a change.

Horrible classist joke:

Meth labs are God’s way of smiting trailer parks that he can’t reach with his tornadoes.


A few years back Freeman Dyson spoke in town. He talked about a Carter-era big-brains federal project which had a bunch of boffins get together and tackle the problem of affordable housing.

At the end of it all, they looked over their findings and realized that they pretty much exactly specified mobile homes.

As I wrote above, my parents stay in a trailer in Florida during New York’s cold winters. From their experiences, the quality of the environment depends on the equivalent of an HOA. There’s is in pretty laid back park run by an ancient and declining owner. When there wre a bunch of responsible older folks who kept an eye on things and each other, it was OK. Now, it is less so. (And my parents will likely have to give up the place due to health issues.)

The park right over the fence is really strict about trailer maintenance standards and lawn / shed / patio layouts. I suspect this in effect keeps out the “riffraff,” but also older people and disabled who just can’t cope with chores.

I didn’t get that feeling at all, but perhaps because I’ve spent actual time in trailer parks, I have a completely different perspective.

Also, additionally, I’ve known plenty of “sad hapless, styleless and stupid” rich people.

You forget hurricanes! My earliest memory was seeing a chair fly by the open door of my parent’s trailer during a hurricane. Ever since then we would always rush to my Nana’s house to ride out storms. Ironically the only storm damage to our home happened when we moved out of the trailer and into a house.

I’m right there with you Marilove. I see happiness in a lot of those photos. The woman sitting on the bed with the cigarette dangling out of her mouth? See looks so confident, I just love it.

The only person I know who lives in a trailer park is a university lecturer.

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