How do rangers treat people "camping out" for permits?

[worldtrekker]

In a couple of weeks I'm going to show up at the Yosemite Valley wilderness center to get a walk up JMT permit, since my attempts to obtain one by the lottery did not work. I'll be flying in to SF from the eastern US and going by bus to the valley. I have no camping reservations and assume that I cannot use the backpackers site since I have no back country permit. I will have no place to stay except the porch of the wilderness office, which is where I need to be anyway to be 100% sure I get a permit. I assume that will not be too hard since I am alone, and it is a sure thing if I am first in line. But I wonder how the rangers will react to people like me with nowhere to camp, staying in front of the wilderness office door all night. The way I see it, I have no other option. Is there anyone who has done this recently (summer 2012) and can describe your experience?

[dan]

FIrst off you can get your permit the day BEFORE the wilderness trip starts (after 11am), so the permit will be good for the backpacker's site for the night before your trip.

As for "camping" at the Yosemite wilderness permit office, it's not allowed. But you can line up. I suggest you bring a lounge chair and sleeping bag. Not sure where the line is drawn on camping--tents and cooking certainly cross the line, but I would think sleeping in a lounge chair in a bag would be OK. Anyone with experience in this?

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm

[worldtrekker]

I certainly won't try to set up a tent, what I imagine doing is part way lying down on my sleeping mat and leaning my head against the base of my pack, trying to create the look of not being totally sacked out but also in a position where I can get a little sleep. I will not get in my sleeping bag unless I get too cold. Unfortunately I will have no chair since I'll be on foot, a chair would probably be best.

[AlmostThere]

They did not like people sleeping on the porch, so moved the time to 11 pm to do away with people camping there.

I'd show up around 6-7 am and bring a chair, jacket, and something to read. Maybe a small bag of snacks. Or a friend who could run back and forth to Degnan's for munchies.

Lottery? What? There ain't one. They give away permits to people in the order they are requested until they are gone. And then people abandon them like crazy, meaning when you go to the office to get a walk in for the next day, you should be prepared to start hiking - you might just get a permit that was abandoned for the day you show up.