Noted motivational speaker Matt Foley celebrates controversial city council vote allowing San Diegans to live in their cars

Kudos to the city council for having the courage to let me do my jerry-rigged Port-a-Potty business undisturbed

Author

By Walter Mencken

Publish Date

March 8, 2019

Foley: “The city council’s ruling represents a great leap forward for people who have, through little or no fault of their own, wound up LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER. Whether or not we ‘bathe regularly’ or know how to ‘function in human society,’ we need a roof over our heads and a place to hide from the vagaries of a cruel and uncaring world. For many of us, that place has four wheels, a malfunctioning mini-fridge, and probably three or four mice somewhere. ‘Cause something keeps eating the cheese spread out of my Handi-Snacks!”

Motivational speaker Matt Foley is 35 years old and thrice-divorced. And for the past few years, he has been living in a van down by the San Diego River. “I’ve been motivating myself to be able to afford an apartment for as long as I care to remember,” he says, “and my efforts have amounted to JACK SQUAT. That wouldn’t be such a problem except for the police, who always seem to knock on my van’s windows when I’m on the crapper I installed in back. Jerry-rigged an old Port-a-Potty they threw out after Street Scene 2008. Believe you me, you do not want San Diego’s Finest catching you with your pants down, and getting things hoisted and belted can sometimes be a bit involved in my case. Kudos to the city council for having the courage to let me do my business undisturbed. I haven’t voted in 15 years, but if I ever do, I’ll be sure to remember this day.”