Tag: Police Encounters

Salinas, California

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED

Yesterday we awoke in San Juan Bautista where we spent the night here in the outskirts. I got up, check Little Girl, went back to my pack boxes and fixed breakfast. Then I went and caught Little Girl and took her down the street to get some water. Then brought her back up, tied her to the fence and ate my breakfast.

Upon finishing my breakfast, I gathered up my stuff, saddled Little Girl and packed up. We left approximately 9:30am. We got on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail and headed for Salinas.

We walked about 16 miles and got to the outskirts of Salinas and stopped at the Walmart. I tied Little Girl to the tree at the parking lot, went into Walmart, bought two cans of black beans, three cans of diced tomatoes, one can of chick peas, and one can of green beans, went outside, and untied Little Girl. We then walked around in back of Walmart, tied Little Girl to a tree, unpacked her for she was in need of a rest after walking 16 miles.

We been there about an hour when two Salinas Police Department officers in a car showed up and presented a friendly demeanor. I was on my smartphone doing stuff. They kept peppering me with questions. It was obvious they were interrupting me and wouldn’t let me proceed with my business. A little while later, another officer, pulled up in a car behind them, got out of his car, walked up to the other officer’s car, said something to them, and then they all left. I stayed there about another 30-45 minutes, at this point I decided to repack Little Girl and leave.

I then proceeded to Best Buy to return a product that I had bought that wasn’t performing as it was promoted to. We got to the Best Buy parking lot, walking back towards the store, stopped under a tree where there was a bunch of dandelion weeds growing. I was letting Little Girl eat them when two Salinas Police officers pulled up and started asking me the usual questions in a friendly demeanor but I was not interested in talking to them. I had plenty to do and wanted to get Little Girl secured in the parking lot and go into Best Buy to return the product.

When I started to move away, the two officers got out of their car, and put me in detainment by stating that I cannot go anywhere. I asked them why, and they said because you wouldn’t talk to us. When the conversation started, it was a friendly conversation, they admitted that, I wasn’t being detained, I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but because I wouldn’t talk to them anymore, they decided that they would put me in detainment. From that point, they informed me that I was trespassing. I told them that I was at Best Buy to return a product that I bought previously. They refused to let me to go into Best Buy, called the shopping center security, who turned up shortly, told me I was trespassing and demanded I leave.The Salinas Police officer said if I didn’t leave immediately, I would be arrested, taken to jail, and Little Girl would be taken. So, I left.

I walked over to the next parking lot that was connected to the other stores, they shortly turned up once again, and repeated the same process over again. From that point, I left. I then found myself on the street.

We are posting copies of our receipts to prove our purpose for entering the Walmart and Best Buy shopping centers. An automobile has the right to go into a parking lot, park their car and walk into a store. But somehow a man with a mule or a horse, does not have the right to go into a parking lot, tie up their horse and go into the store. We are doing the same exact same thing, except instead of using an automobile, we are using an animal for transportation. We have the same rights in this country as anybody in an automobile that uses that machine for transportation in this state in this country to use our horse for transportation. To deny us the use of a parking lot is discrimination plain and clear. It is illegal.

When a person wants food in 2017, they have to go to a grocery store to get it. The days of going out with your bow and arrow and hunting deer and game are over. Making these parking lots subject to no trespassing laws and allowing a security company to arbitrarily say in effect “I like you, the guy in red hat, but I don’t like the guy in the blue hat. Therefore, I am going to deny the guy in the blue hat the right to park his car, park his horse, and not allow him to enter the store to buy food for himself and his family.”
We will be in Salinas until Monday because we want to talk to the shopping center management to get an understanding why they had us evicted from the Best Buy parking lot for doing nothing other than tying Little Girl to a tree in the safest place we can find, to go into Best Buy and return a product we had bought previously that wasn’t functioning as promoted. We were arbitrarily evicted by the security company that works for the shopping center ownership.

People that support us, please don’t call the police. The best method is to call the shopping center who owns the parking lot and their security company that evicted us. For the police could not have done it without the consent of the security company that works for the shopping center ownership. Call them and ask them the same thing that we’re going to ask them Monday morning. Why the discriminatory policy to allow an automobile to do business and refusing a person on a horse from entry. It is unconstitutional to deny a person on a horse that is their livelihood from being able to function on a day to day basis that allows us to survive.

Share this:

The Mules and all who travel under their own power claiming the right to stop and rest for the night

The Mules living in this sacred place of one human being with his or her animal companions, traveled by many throughout the ages, are claiming our rightful use of public space be it city, county, state or federal land.

The Mules will no longer wade through piles of garbage, broken glass, cans, batteries, dirty clothes, chemicals, etc., etc., looking for a place to cook our dinner then lay down amongst garbage and filth to sleep the night. Nor will we try to hide from law enforcement so we don’t get cited as happened in Castro Valley, Alameda County, spending two and a half days in jail, $10,000.00 bail for nothing more than stopping to rest for the night on state land (public space) for there was no place else to go.

Sleeping on the sidewalk with a mule wouldn’t work. Sleeping with a mule in the street also wouldn’t work.

By default, city, county, state, and federal governments must make public space available to all those traveling in this country under their own power be they equestrians, cyclists, pedestrians. The Mules will no longer be forced to sleep or cook our meals amongst garbage and filth. We no longer have to and we won’t.

Share this:

The Mules using the public space in the City of Santa Clara

On the evening of September 17, we stopped here in Santa Clara Central Park in the city of Santa Clara, California. We spent half of the day walking south down the El Camino. When we approached the end of the day, I pulled out my smart phone and looked for a park which we could spend the night. Santa Clara Central Park was not far away so we proceeded to that park. We reached there at dark. We searched around and found a place (pictured) which was unmanicured, it was a rough area, it was a good place for a mule and a monk to stop, laydown on the ground and spend the night, so we did that.

Around 3 o’clock in the morning, two City of Santa Clara police officers came by and shined their lights upon us. We woke up and they wanted to know what we were doing in the park. We said we were sleeping. We came here because there was no place else for us to go. We could not sleep in the sidewalk that wouldn’t be practical. We could not go out into the street and sleep there either. So that left are the city park for us to safely lay down go to sleep.

The officer replied that was against the city ordinance of Santa Clara to be in the park after dark and that we were trespassing.

We once again replied that we had to go somewhere and go to sleep because there is no place else, the city park by default must assume the responsibility for providing anybody walking and traveling in transit from one point to the next, whether riding a horse, riding a bicycle or walking under their own power, with a place to stop and rest for the night. We did not require any fancy facilities. We did not require any benches, barbecues, none of that, just simply a bare piece of ground which we found to rest our heads and rest and sleep for the night.

The officer reasserted himself and repeated the claim the assertion that we were illegally in the park and we could not stay here.

And so we made the point once again there was no place else to sleep. Darkness was upon us and the alternative was the sidewalk or the city street or climbing in somebody’s backyard. None of the three would be acceptable and so by default to repeat ourselves, all city governments – state, county or city, must take responsibility and allow their parks to be used by anybody traveling by horse, bicycle, or foot, under their own power, to sleep at night when in transit from one point to the next, to stop and rest for the night.

The officer also stated that there was a city ordinance that did not allow any horse within 100 feet of any buildings in the city.

We responded that we have a constitutional right in this country to move in any one of all four directions when we choose and how we chose. It is in the constitution that is guaranteed to all citizens. These city ordinances prevent that and they’re illegal and they cannot stand against the Constitution of the United States.

The officers eventually decided they would relent and use their discretion and allow us to stay for the night, leave in the morning after we clean up after ourselves as we always do and proceed along our way.

After packing up in the morning, we left the park and made our way through the city streets south. Not too long after walking south on the city streets headed for San Diego, a plain clothes police officer from the Santa Clara Police Department stopped his pick up truck, got out, showed us his badge, and said he was curious as to what we were doing.

We told him about where we spent the night and our experience previously with the two officers from the Santa Clara Police Department.

We informed him that we do claim the right to use city, county, state parks when necessary to go to sleep for the night. We explained the reasons why we can’t sleep on the sidewalk, we can’t sleep in the street, we can’t climb over the fence and spend the night in somebody’s backyard.

That leaves city, county, and state parks. That’s what’s left for anybody traveling on a horse in transit from one place to the next across this country under their own power whether by horse, bicycle or foot. That is what’s left to sleep at night. It is certainly their constitutional right travel freely in this country – one in all four directions and inherent in that right is the absolute right go to sleep.

Sleep is the necessary function to keep living. If you don’t sleep you die. For any city, county, state, municipality government to outlaw the act of sleep is unconstitutional. It denies us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is totally illegal. We won’t obey them. We can’t obey them. To repeat ourselves, if you don’t sleep you die. Committing suicide is not on our agenda.

______________________________

The City of Santa Clara has its quiver full of arrows ready to shoot anybody that stops in their city to sleep. To their credit, the two officers that found us sleeping in the city park decided not to cite us nor make us leave where we were, allowing us to stay the rest of the night. In the morning, we packed up, cleaned up after ourselves and were back on the road.

City of Santa Clara Municipal Codes:

6.15.040 Keeping of horses – Restrictions.
No horse shall be kept or maintained within the city except in an enclosure the outer limits of which shall be at least forty (40) feet from any inhabited or habitable dwelling. (Ord. 1879 § 1, 3-29-11).

6.05.075 Animals on City property. 
No person having the control or care of any animal shall permit such animal to enter or remain on City property and/or in City-owned or City-managed buildings other than a building used for the purpose of care, detention, space control or treatment of animals, or areas designated as “dog parks” or “off-leash areas,” or a building used for training classes, shows or exhibitions. This section does not apply to persons who have a visual or auditory disability and who use dogs for guidance or to accommodate a disability, to service dogs in formal training programs, or dogs used in law enforcement by a governmental agency, or persons expressly authorized by the City Manager, upon finding that the animal will not be disruptive to the operations of the City, or a hazard to persons or property. (Ord. 1879 § 1, 3-29-11).

12.05.060 Hours of operation of public parks.
(a) The public parks in the City shall be open daily to the public between the hours of 6:00 A.M. to one-half hour after sunset (dusk), except:

(1) Where there is posted conspicuously a sign limiting the hours when such facility is open to the public; and

(2) Until 10:00 P.M. if and when the facility is lighted.

(b) Any such public park or portion thereof may be declared closed to the public by the Director of Parks and Recreation at any time and for any interval of time, either temporarily or at regular or stated intervals, as is deemed necessary in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the various divisions of the Parks and Recreation Department as set forth in Chapter 2.100 SCCC. The Director of Parks and Recreation is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.

(c) Every person other than City personnel conducting City business therein, who occupies or is present in any public park in the City during the hours in which the park is not open to the public, shall be deemed guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more that two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). (Ord. 1953 § 1, 4-5-16; Ord. 1371 § 1, 1-10-78. Formerly § 25-8.1).
 
12.50.010 Unpermitted camping and lodging prohibited.
(a) No person shall camp or lodge on a public street (including in a vehicle parked on a public street), on publicly owned property, and other prohibited public places; provided, that nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit camping in public campgrounds pursuant to a permit or license authorized under Federal, State or local statute or ordinance.

(b) “Camping” means residing in or using any public street, publicly owned property, public park, or other prohibited public place for living accommodation, lodging, or sleeping purposes, as exemplified by remaining for prolonged or repeated periods of time not associated with ordinary use of the street, property, or public place, with one’s possessions or while storing one’s possessions (including, but not limited to, clothing, sleeping bags, bed rolls, blankets, sheets, hammocks, or other sleeping implements, luggage, backpacks, kitchen utensils, cookware, and food or beverages), cooking or consuming meals, or lodging in a parked vehicle. These activities constitute camping when it reasonably appears, in light of all the circumstances, that a person is using the street, property, or place as a living, lodging, or sleeping accommodation regardless of his or her intent, or the nature of any other activities in which he or she might also be engaged.

(c) “Prohibited public places” means any public place not designated as a public campground pursuant to Federal, State, or local statute or ordinance and shall include the following:

(1) Public streets, sidewalks, alleyways, passageways, and rights-of-way;

(2) Publicly owned property;

(3) Public parks;

(4) Public parking lots, whether publicly owned or privately owned;

(5) Public landscaped areas, whether publicly owned or privately owned and maintained pursuant to a public landscape easement;

(6) Private property that is readily accessible to the general public, or is otherwise open to common or general use or view;

(7) Vacant lots;

(8) Drainage culverts and basins. (Ord. 1834 § 1, 4-15-08). 

Ironic that the City of Santa Clara has a plaque honoring a man with a horse, but current municipal codes don’t allow horses anywhere within the city limits anymore.

Share this:

The Mules and the National Park Nomadic Lifestyle Pass

Yesterday sometime around dusk where we stopped to spend the night on what turned out to be land administered by the National Park Service, two rangers appeared informing us we were illegally camping and we could not spend the night here.

The Mules informed the rangers we were traveling across country and anybody doing so either by horseback, bicycle or foot has the right to stop and rest for the night on public space. We were not dragging in rugs, bedsprings, mattresses nor would be changing our oil or doing maintenance on our motorhome. Simply be here for the night, clean up after ourselves, be gone come morning.

The ranger got on his communication device, talked to headquarters, a decision was made to let the Mules spend the night.

The above event of yesterday is the National Park Service acknowledging and understanding the value and importance of a National Park Nomadic Lifestyle Pass. This Pass will be issued to all citizens who wish to travel throughout this country non-motorized either by horse, bicycle or foot.

Showing in a real way, one step at a time, a human being living outside responsibly with respect and reverence for the Natural World. Certainly condusive to the mission and purpose of our National Parks.

The Mules

Share this:

The Mules and their first day in Redding

Due to the fact that I had my smartphone stolen the other night while sleeping on the side of Public Thoroughfare 273 a bit south of Clear Creek, the communication between myself and the 3 Mules Facebook administrator was hindered by not having use of my phone. An accounting of yesterday’s occurrences in Redding and WinCo were not completely accurate. We offer a revised accounting of yesterday’s events.

Upon awakening at 5:30am along Public Thoroughfare 273, I discovered that my smartphone had been stolen. I then proceeded to pack up Little Girl and head to Redding City Hall about 7 miles away to deliver the Declaration of Emergency. I grazed Little Girl for about an hour on the clover at City Hall when a Redding police officer approached us, introduced himself and told us he had mules and how much he enjoyed them. We had a nice conversation about that subject on the city hall steps. Afterwards, we proceeded to WinCo.

At approximately 2:30pm, we arrived at WinCo. I tied Little Girl in the shadiest spot I could find in the WinCo parking lot, then entered the store to buy oats, a can of pineapple, black beans, diced tomatoes, a small carton of yogurt, a bagel, and carrots for Little Girl. I paid for the items, placed them in grocery cart and went back to where Little Girl was tied. I then opened up my can of pineapple and yogurt which I bought for lunch.

Shortly thereafter the WinCo security guard approached us and said that he had been watching us and we had been there long enough and had to leave immediately. We said we certainly would be leaving but not immediately.

We had been walking in the heat since 6:30am. It was 110F. Myself and Little Girl walk using our own power. We are not machines. We do not move at the same rapid effortless pace as the automobile and its occupants.

The security guard said he had called animal control and the police and they were on their way. I requested him to get the store manager. He refused. I went into the store sought out the store manager. The manager came out shortly thereafter and informed me we were fine and that there was no problem. I went back to where Little Girl was tied, continued to eat my lunch then packed up the supplies, we then left. We never had any contact with animal control or the Redding Police Department.

The experience the Mules had in Redding at the WinCo grocery store (a good store, great variety, good prices, good food) is in our mind a perfect example of the challenge the Mules face as we live in stark contrast to this age of machines and to the way and pace of living which is being imposed on all of us.

When the WinCo security guard came over to the Mules and said we had been there too long and we would have to leave immediately, he was not being mean, he was simply doing what he was trained to do – keep everything everybody moving at a pace that is set by machines.

The Mules live in respect and reverence for the Natural World and all its inhabitants and in a pace which is in stark contrast to that of the machines. The Mules cannot, will not, ever conform to the will or pace of living which the machines are now demanding. There is an epic struggle in motion between these two now most powerful forces – the Natural World and the Man-made World – as to which will win and dominate the earth.

The Mules have thrown as always throughout history all their chips to the Natural World. The Mules know that the amount of hope and faith freely given to this epic struggle will materialize into the answers needed to win this struggle.

Share this:

Sacramento Police Department’s Lieutenant Freeman

Yesterday as the Mules were walking in Sacramento, Lieutenant Freeman stopped to greet us and ask how we were doing. We met Lt. Freeman back in 2013 the first time we brought the energy of the nation, The 3 Mules Nation, into the confines of Sacramento.

The Mules had a good conversation with Lt. Freeman. The Mules talked about our ages old nomadic way of life and the positive effects of it being shown and practiced in Sacramento and all other cities throughout the state. Lt. Freeman agreed.

The 3 Mules Nation says thank you to the citizens of Sacramento, Lt. Freeman, and Sacramento Police Department for our safe and enjoyable passage through Sacramento, the capitol city of California.

Share this:

Sacramento, CA

While Little Girl and me were wondering which direction to go next, three Sacramento Police Officers came by, introduced themselves and expressed their curiosity as to what we were doing. So we said we were using our constitutional right to travel and move freely in anyone of all four directions, how we choose, when we choose. They said that’s cool.

Share this:

Sacramento Megatropolis

On May 1, 2017 the Mules entered the Elk Grove in Sacramento county.

Site of 22 train car derailment

On the outskirts of town near Dillard Road, we came across the remnants of a 22 train car derailment that occurred during the heavy winter rains that flooded the area in February. We haven’t seen a derailment like this in a long time.

We found an quiet spot to rest with lots of green grass and shade to give Little Girl some rest. Here, the birds were singing and the geese were flying overhead releasing their energy of magic and power spurring the Mules into a new day of the same.

After we arrived in Sacramento, we spent the night along an abandoned railroad line. In the morning, I released Little Girl from her picket line so she could graze while I fixed my oatmeal for breakfast. Upon finishing breakfast, I went to get Little Girl about 200 feet away then packed her up. Off we went for another spontaneous unplanned day in the 3 Mule Nation.

Got to a Starbucks, secured Little Girl to a tree, went in, and charged my phone. Thank you Starbucks.

After phone got charged, we proceeded north to Del Paso and turned east. It was getting hot so we decided to stop and rest Little Girl under a tree. We were there for an hour when police showed up in two patrol cars, two officers asking many questions.

The first question we were asked was why were we here. They said somebody called saying there was a horse tied to a tree. Didn’t mention me. I was six feet away. One officer said he had had two horses and he knew that a horses should not be out in the heat. I just dropped my jaw, asked if I was being detained, received no answer, untied Little Girl and left. End of our resting time.

We proceeded along the boulevard for a mile went into a parking lot, got under a small tree and stopped.

Shortly afterwards, a reporter for the Sacramento Bee showed up, said he was curious as to what we were about and asked if he could interview us. We said sure, so he did for about 30 minutes asking questions and taking video. We explained our ages old nomadic way of life and the reason why we continue to live the way we do to preserve and exercise everybody’s right to travel by foot in the public thoroughfare and rest for the night. We saw the article and video that the Sacramento Bee posted online.

We were displeased of what the Bee published, focusing on the trivial and had no mention of our purpose of what we do all day every day. Following the Bee post, reporters from CBS13 and ABC10 have reached out and requested an interview with the Mules. We have not called them back as we found from past experience, local news stations cannot adequately report who The Mules are in the thirty seconds that they have to air a story, and most often the story is edited down to fluff. We find that the only three writers who have every captured the Mules true essence are Rick Paulas for The Kernel/The Daily Dot, Mark Luckach for The Atlantic, and Sarah Christie’s column for Mules and More.

Later that night, we found a place to rest for the evening/sleep.

The next day, as we were traveling through the Sacramento megatropolis, temperatures was in the 90s. It was time to obtain Little Girl a drink of water. We stopped at a business, asked if we could get water from the faucet on his building and person said no. He said that if we did try to get any water from the faucet, he would call the police.

This response to our request prompted the Mules to bring forth and into view Mule Proclamation 2645-B passed by the legislature of common sense and decency. This Proclamation states as follows: “Any corporation, business or private party who refuses any person traveling with or without an animal companion water for said personnel survival has committed an act of extreme inhumanity. A penalty of not less than 10 years in a not so nice place plus a $50,000.00 fine which will be placed in a multi-use state trail system fund, which will be assessed against the convicted.

The Mules will be in the Sacramento area showing how we live and the challenges we meet on a day to day basis and gathering people’s thoughts and energy as we walk along. In the past few days, Little Girl and I have enjoyed meeting and talking to many of the Three Mule Nation followers that live in the Sacramento Megatropolis.

The Mules are pleased to say that for every negative encounter the Mules may experience as we walk north, south, east, west, when we choose, how we choose, we have ten times more positive experiences with people that we meet while walking and living responsibly outside all day every day.

Share this: