The Homeless Thread (1 Viewer)

[Caveman33]

This is a thread for you to share your experiences with the homeless.  I'll start off with two of mine.

The East Village in San Diego is our Skid Row.  A juxtaposition of expensive condos on streets lined with tents. Feces and trash litter the landscape.  A few weeks ago, a man approached while I was eating lunch.  "Are you able to do landscaping?" He asked.  "Of course," I replied.  Twice he picked me up and took me to his house.  I pruned plants, installed a privacy screen on his fence, and cleaned the patio.  When he later offered to take me to lunch or to the mall to get new shoes, I always said, thanks but I'll stick to landscaping.  Over the holidays, I saw him a couple times while I was picking up lunch.  He was in his usual spot behind the pillars, spying on the homeless.  I figured he wanted to find someone who could do more than just landscaping.  However, as the weeks passed, doubt began to creep into my mind.  Maybe my labor is not as valuable as I believe.  And then he texted again.  He wants my help tomorrow morning.

A few days ago, I was returning home from Skid Row when I came across two young homeless.  On a hill overlooking a canyon, one was holding a rolling suitcase and gazing away while the other made eye contact and quietly returned my hello.  This is my backyard, an area that I have come to regard as my turf.  It is a fairly ideal campsite, limited traffic with some level ground.  There are still charred remains from those who stayed there this summer and set the hill on fire.  So I resigned myself to the fact that these youths were going to set up camp in my chill spot.  But when I returned to the trail later that afternoon, the suitcase laid backwards on the ground and they were gone. I pass by every day and the suitcase remains in the same position with no sign of any activity.  Should I open it?

 

[AAABatteries]

Back when I worked in the office in downtown Atlanta, I would take the commuter bus.  Saw several interesting folks but the sad part was the ones who were scary or stood out all seemed to be people that were legitimately mentally challenged.  One such guy actually attacked one of my co-workers several years ago while he was walking to the office.  Thankfully he was able to fight the guy off and he ran.  This guy was a really large, muscular looking guy that had obvious mental issues.

Another lady that was always at the park that we would walk by to go to lunch had one of the filthiest mouths I've ever heard.  She would just curse out anybody who walked by her.  She too appeared to have mental issues.

Last one and I'm not positive this guy was homeless was a guy who was wearing a tree hugger t-shirt.  I don't even remember what it said but was obvious based on the wording.  This guy was walking around the same park I mentioned before and would walk up to a tree, caress it and a couple of times somewhat passionately kiss the tree.  Weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life.

 

[Caveman33]

Back when I worked in the office in downtown Atlanta, I would take the commuter bus.  Saw several interesting folks but the sad part was the ones who were scary or stood out all seemed to be people that were legitimately mentally challenged.  One such guy actually attacked one of my co-workers several years ago while he was walking to the office.  Thankfully he was able to fight the guy off and he ran.  This guy was a really large, muscular looking guy that had obvious mental issues.

Another lady that was always at the park that we would walk by to go to lunch had one of the filthiest mouths I've ever heard.  She would just curse out anybody who walked by her.  She too appeared to have mental issues.

Last one and I'm not positive this guy was homeless was a guy who was wearing a tree hugger t-shirt.  I don't even remember what it said but was obvious based on the wording.  This guy was walking around the same park I mentioned before and would walk up to a tree, caress it and a couple of times somewhat passionately kiss the tree.  Weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life.

Lol, tree guy is great. 

I read that the new meth is causing more psychosis in people.  I see a lot of melt downs.  A lady was panhandling and got a dollar from a guy and then as I approached, she asked me for one.  No, I replied.  "Oh, only for you? Only for you?!  You ####### #####!" She screamed.  She was banging on street signs and throwing a fit as I passed.  I was on my way to the free lunch.  She arrived towards the end but didn't say anything to me over there.

The only ones worse off than the homeless are those starving, abused dogs that they drag around.  It's sad to see.

 

[Quint]

Lol, tree guy is great. 

I read that the new meth is causing more psychosis in people.  I see a lot of melt downs.  A lady was panhandling and got a dollar from a guy and then as I approached, she asked me for one.  No, I replied.  "Oh, only for you? Only for you?!  You ####### #####!" She screamed.  She was banging on street signs and throwing a fit as I passed.  I was on my way to the free lunch.  She arrived towards the end but didn't say anything to me over there.

The only ones worse off than the homeless are those starving, abused dogs that they drag around.  It's sad to see.

my wife keeps zip-lock bags of kibble in the trunk of her car and will hand them off to homeless folks with dogs. 

 

[The Z Machine]

If I have a dollar and someone asks me for money I give it to them.  Being on the street sounds terrible. 

 

[Caveman33]

If I have a dollar and someone asks me for money I give it to them.  Being on the street sounds terrible. 

It is, and you'd be surprised how quickly SSDI, GA and EBT go when you have a serious drug addiction.

The career beggars are the ones who mystify me.  I see the same two abuelos outside Costco every day.  Aside from holidays and church Sundays, they are posted in their spots with "Anything, it will help" signs. Reliable and consistent, they would make good Walmart greeters so I figure they must be making more than that.

 

[Fat Nick]

It is, and you'd be surprised how quickly SSDI, GA and EBT go when you have a serious drug addiction.

The career beggars are the ones who mystify me.  I see the same two abuelos outside Costco every day.  Aside from holidays and church Sundays, they are posted in their spots with "Anything, it will help" signs. Reliable and consistent, they would make good Walmart greeters so I figure they must be making more than that.

These type of panhandlers are the worst - the guys who make a decent living pretending to be homeless and walk back to cars and drive home at the end of the day.  They honestly are a big part of the reason I think people don't give money to the legitimately homeless population - they are worried about basically being swindled.  

After working in NYC for a few years, I stopped giving any money to the homeless simply because I didn't like the interactions I had with them.  Some folks would get aggressive if you just walked close by.  Some weren't happy with how much you gave them.  I would often give leftovers to people instead of money - that wasn't much better, but at least you got a sense of who you were giving to.  Some looked at me like I was a jerk, and some were genuinely appreciative.  I figured the ones who REALLY needed it would take it.  The ones who had their own methods for getting a meal (or who only wanted the money for drugs or something) wouldn't.  

 

[Caveman33]

These type of panhandlers are the worst - the guys who make a decent living pretending to be homeless and walk back to cars and drive home at the end of the day.  They honestly are a big part of the reason I think people don't give money to the legitimately homeless population - they are worried about basically being swindled.  

After working in NYC for a few years, I stopped giving any money to the homeless simply because I didn't like the interactions I had with them.  Some folks would get aggressive if you just walked close by.  Some weren't happy with how much you gave them.  I would often give leftovers to people instead of money - that wasn't much better, but at least you got a sense of who you were giving to.  Some looked at me like I was a jerk, and some were genuinely appreciative.  I figured the ones who REALLY needed it would take it.  The ones who had their own methods for getting a meal (or who only wanted the money for drugs or something) wouldn't.  

Yea, I've had similar experiences.  Give em a dollar and suddenly they want two.  My observation is that the homeless people who you would truly want to help aren't "spanging" (asking for spare change).  On the other hand, giving money to the addicts may prevent them from breaking someone's car window later that night.  Food is not a concern for any homeless in San Diego.  I see many picky eaters who throw stuff away.  A lot of the people in Skid Row don't even bother to attend the free lunch.  They have diminished appetites and get enough from people who do drive by food drops.

I find some good stuff in the woods at old camp sites.  Backpacks, clothes, bicycle parts.  My only concern is you never know what someone wiped their butt with.  So I wash everything that I want to use for myself.

 

[Osaurus]

I’ve had many experiences in Denver and Boulder which I would classify as either being aggressively panhandled or mildly mugged.

 

[culdeus]

I find some good stuff in the woods at old camp sites.  Backpacks, clothes, bicycle parts.  My only concern is you never know what someone wiped their butt with.  So I wash everything that I want to use for myself.

 

[belljr]

I fond it odd that someone who was allegedly almost homeless would have a problem with homeless people

 

[The Z Machine]

Give em a dollar and suddenly they want two.

I have given a dollar to many hundreds of homeless people.  I have only had this a handful of times. 

 

[PIK95]

I'm confused.  Are you homeless Caveman, or some kind of Bunny Colvin Narc? Good read either way.

 

[brun]

A guy I used to work with had a nephew who did the panhandling thing. According to my coworker, his nephew sometimes made $700-800 in a day.

 

[Dennis Castro]

Each summer in the mid to late 90s, Knoxville, TN would host a concert series at a big park adjacent to the UT campus. It was usually classic rock stuff, like Steve Miller Band, Chicago, Styx, etc. Tickets were general admission, and the park was fenced off, but you could still stand outside and listen for free, which my buddy and I did regularly. In our case, there was a small area where you could stand on top of the retaining wall and hold onto a tree branch so you could see the show too.

At one of those shows, Allman Brothers I think, a group of homeless folks climbed up on that wall next to us. One of them, who went by the name Sarge, ended up next to me, and we spent the rest of the set talking about music. Looking back, the juxtaposition of a goofy middle class college kid shooting the breeze for an hour or two with an old timer from a completely different background was kind of weird, though somehow inspiring. Before leaving, we agreed to meet back up at that spot for the next show.

I saw Sarge and his buddies several times over the next couple of years. Sometimes, they would bring weed. We never really talked about ourselves, but we seemed to have an understanding that no matter where you come from in life, you can usually find common ground. REO Speedwagon can make a pretty effective social lubricant.

 

[Caveman33]

I have given a dollar to many hundreds of homeless people.  I have only had this a handful of times. 

I've only given money 3 times and this happened once.  The guy was big and tried to hold onto my hand while requesting more.  I pulled away and gave him a quick lecture on gratitude.  The 2nd guy got me at a train station when I was young and naive.  He was also big and his hand was missing fingers.  The guy I was most generous with didn't ask for money.  I asked him for directions.  He was cleaning up rubble on the side of the highway.  I think his directions were wrong but I was overwhelmed by his simple minded ways and tarped off living quarters.  He even said, "It's OK. You don't need to give me money." So I reached into my wallet and gave him some more.

I fond it odd that someone who was allegedly almost homeless would have a problem with homeless people

I was briefly homeless but it sucked.  Many homeless will tell you that the worst part about being homeless is the other homeless.  It would be great if you could leave your camp and not worry about your stuff being stolen.  It would also be nice if the bad homeless didn't create terrible stereotypes for the rest.

 

[Caveman33]

I'm confused.  Are you homeless Caveman, or some kind of Bunny Colvin Narc? Good read either way.

I was homeless when I got my meal card.  I've since rented a room.  The food, and exercise required to get it, help me a lot.  Now that I'm getting the swing of things, I may try the homeless life again in the spring.

 

[[icon]]

Each summer in the mid to late 90s, Knoxville, TN would host a concert series at a big park adjacent to the UT campus. It was usually classic rock stuff, like Steve Miller Band, Chicago, Styx, etc. Tickets were general admission, and the park was fenced off, but you could still stand outside and listen for free, which my buddy and I did regularly. In our case, there was a small area where you could stand on top of the retaining wall and hold onto a tree branch so you could see the show too.

At one of those shows, Allman Brothers I think, a group of homeless folks climbed up on that wall next to us. One of them, who went by the name Sarge, ended up next to me, and we spent the rest of the set talking about music. Looking back, the juxtaposition of a goofy middle class college kid shooting the breeze for an hour or two with an old timer from a completely different background was kind of weird, though somehow inspiring. Before leaving, we agreed to meet back up at that spot for the next show.

I saw Sarge and his buddies several times over the next couple of years. Sometimes, they would bring weed. We never really talked about ourselves, but we seemed to have an understanding that no matter where you come from in life, you can usually find common ground. REO Speedwagon can make a pretty effective social lubricant.

Are you talking World's Fair Park? I've seen many shows there. Great spot. I was at UT bartending at Flamingos on the strip from 94-99. 

I once snuck into the Horde Tour Show (Dave Matthews, Blues Traveller, Widespread IIRC).  Jumped the fence along the side of the park and cut my wrist pretty good on the top of the fence. Went to the sidestage area and said I leaned back on a broken bottle and they took my buddy and I backstage for medical treatment. Then we hung out for a bit eating and drinking before someone asked for our laminate and sent us back out front   For good measure we snuck back out, jumping the fence in the same spot...vs just walking out the exit. Drunken College principles I guess  

Homeless in Knoxville were generally pretty chill. There was one dude we called Smiley who had a very disheveled look, pretty big hair, and always had a manical grin. 

 

[Dennis Castro]

Are you talking World's Fair Park? I've seen many shows there. Great spot. I was at UT bartending at Flamingos on the strip from 94-99. 

I once snuck into the Horde Tour Show (Dave Matthews, Blues Traveller, Widespread IIRC).  Jumped the fence along the side of the park and cut my wrist pretty good on the top of the fence. Went to the sidestage area and said I leaned back on a broken bottle and they took my buddy and I backstage for medical treatment. Then we hung out for a bit eating and drinking before someone asked for our laminate and sent us back out front   For good measure we snuck back out, jumping the fence in the same spot...vs just walking out the exit. Drunken College principles I guess  

Homeless in Knoxville were generally pretty chill. There was one dude we called Smiley who had a very disheveled look, pretty big hair, and always had a manical grin. 

Yeah, you’re a Memphis guy, right? I was at UT from ‘95 to ‘99 and I spent a good chunk of that time on the strip, Flamingos included. I think that’s the first place I ever saw Tall Paul. I’m sure we crossed paths more than a few times.

There was another guy, Vince, who used to hang out all day in front of Walgreens on Cumberland. I said hi to him once and he started mumbling stuff about a sunshine reality. Crazy, but not threatening in the least.

Very cool story, man. 

 

[GordonGekko]

If I have a dollar and someone asks me for money I give it to them.  Being on the street sounds terrible. 

I was homeless out of high school. Something you learn quickly is how to make a practical threat assessment and that a complete lack of obligation looks desirable but is a form of self punishment.

Everyone needs something to tether them so they can have balance. A homeless person has close to no real obligations and if they are in America, they can formulate a way to survive with the raw basics most of the time.

Something I said years ago in the FFA, is if you put all the regular posters in the FFA on an island like in Lost, it wouldn't take long for people here to start killing each other, with or without a conch to share. I could pick out, in a few hours, which people here would be the first to steal food or try to rape someone's kids or will try to murder someone later. People tell you their value system all the time, it's just that most people aren't paying attention to the effective cues.

Ways in that it changed me

1) I'm grateful for the basics. I have more that what I need but sometimes less than what I want. I can let go of the latter because I have context but I find most Americans don't.

2) I am willing to wait people out. If you give it enough time, people reveal themselves to you. So let them. Don't get your own way in terms of assessing all people around you as short term or long term threats or otherwise

3) I don't deal with people on the basis of self interest motive. Most people will associate based on a calculation on what they can get out of you. When you are homeless, you can offer nothing to no one. When you live in a world where people don't look at you but through you, you learn to not want to deal people in that light.

4) I'll walk away on anyone and at anytime. The only power you have in this life is to walk away from anything. If you've structured your life, choice or not, to where you can't walk away, then you are in a self inflicted prison.

5) I value things for their utility, not for their appeal. I care about what works and what is effective, not how I feel about it. How you feel is a luxury when you are cold and wet and starving.

6) I don't tend to complain. There are very few things in life that are yours. Your pain, your suffering, your sadness, your grief, your laughter, your joy, your anger, your fear, those things are yours. When you have nothing, you cherish the few things no one can take from you. My pain is mine, I don't share it because it's something no one can take from me. I see lots of you complain all the time about literally everything. My take is many of you are giving the last few real pieces of yourself away for nothing.

Raising my godson centered me as a person. But I know exactly what I am. I spent much of my life as a pure savage and did some really horrible things that can't be forgiven. No God of any kind should have mercy on a person like me. There's a certain liberation in knowing I can't actually be redeemed. When you understand what it's like to have nothing and to be an empty vessel, you learn what's true about yourself very quickly. I don't think I would be self aware without those experiences on the streets. I was fortunate, I made it out. Most people didn't and likely died there.

Most of the people here have never developed because they've never been stripped raw before. They don't know what it's like to be the edge of nothing so they can't appreciate everything in front of them. It took about five years from being homeless for a hard heavy rain not to unsettle me. On the streets, you get caught out, you get wet and sick and you might die. Some of you, your biggest conflict is Rogue Fitness doesn't have the change plates you wanted and you might have to wait another week for your air fryer to come in the mail.

I don't like nearly all of you. I've observed some of you for 15 years and it's tragic how much self inflicted suffering some here choose to punish themselves day after day. But if it's any solace, I don't like myself either. And I wouldn't blame anyone here for not liking me as well. Being homeless taught me to understand the truth without fearing it's burden. For those who don't understand what that means, tragically that's the reason why they'll always stay lost.

 

[[icon]]

I'm convinced GG is an AI in testing. 

 

[BobbyLayne]

I'm convinced GG is an AI in testing. 

1sr year programmers 

 

[BobbyLayne]

I've only given money 3 times and this happened once.  The guy was big and tried to hold onto my hand while requesting more.  I pulled away and gave him a quick lecture on gratitude.  The 2nd guy got me at a train station when I was young and naive.  He was also big and his hand was missing fingers.  The guy I was most generous with didn't ask for money.  I asked him for directions.  He was cleaning up rubble on the side of the highway.  I think his directions were wrong but I was overwhelmed by his simple minded ways and tarped off living quarters.  He even said, "It's OK. You don't need to give me money." So I reached into my wallet and gave him some more.

I was briefly homeless but it sucked.  Many homeless will tell you that the worst part about being homeless is the other homeless.  It would be great if you could leave your camp and not worry about your stuff being stolen.  It would also be nice if the bad homeless didn't create terrible stereotypes for the rest.

ain’t you usually in the stocks or buying a new car threads? so you’re living in your truck and eating dividends?

try whole 30. gonna change your life bruh.

 

[northern exposure]

I was homeless when I got my meal card.  I've since rented a room.  The food, and exercise required to get it, help me a lot.  Now that I'm getting the swing of things, I may try the homeless life again in the spring.

 I find it odd that you are talking about being homeless as if it is a hobby, yet there are many that unfortunately are forced to live that way.

 

[rockaction]

My pain is mine, I don't share it because it's something no one can take from me. I see lots of you complain all the time about literally everything. My take is many of you are giving the last few real pieces of yourself away for nothing.

Some of us do because without that pain and the acknowledgement of another, we are nothing, and we share full disclosure on our basic primitive self so that we might be conscious and redeemed. It is the reason that confession is considered a "gift" of the Catholic Church when so many think it means something intrusive or prying. What it means is that the human incarnate of God hears your worst. You tell somebody with nothing left to hide. 

It's a gift to be able to tell another human your worst and have them not judge you for it. 

That's not giving away for nothing, it's a priceless gift to have that understanding by another who shares your corporeal form. 

Good day. I'll be here for your next lesson whenever, Gekko.

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

If I have a dollar and someone asks me for money I give it to them.  Being on the street sounds terrible. 

Donating to shelters is a better way to help.

 

[culdeus]

I can't tell who is trolling in here.  

 

[Caveman33]

Tony picked me up yesterday.  Weeding, planting, a few other little tasks.  He's a nice guy.  He always asks how much I want or if X amount is OK.  I don't like to offer quotes on punch list projects.  I feel my labor is worth $20-25/hr, but I'm also a nice guy.  "The more you pay me, the more likely I am to come back again," I explained, "I'm sure you can find other homeless guys to work for less but I doubt they offer the same value."  The guy he was employing over the holidays had recently arrived in San Diego with 30K and a dream.  He lost his money on bad investments and is now addicted to fentanyl.  "What's the word they use for when they are stealing from stores?" Tony asked.  I wasn't sure.  The guy had asked Tony for a ride to Target for some sort of quick in/out return scam.  "I like that you don't demand as much," Tony said.  Another hassle with the other homeless workers is that tools tend to go missing when they leave.

This summer I briefly lived with a guy who liked for me to call him Daddy.  "You're never going to be rich or successful," Daddy told me, "You remind me of myself when I was younger.  You worry too much about other people."  Such is the life of a nice guy.  Tony asked if I knew anyone that he could pay for a massage.  I didn't.  I'm just a landscaping guy.

Tucked behind a trail at a nearby park, there is a chill spot that I visit every couple days.  I keep track of trash and debris as a way of estimating how much traffic passes through.  Over the last couple weeks, I have been encountering wads of toilet paper.  At some point a solitary grey sock showed up and yesterday I found a black thong.  The T.P. wads are only lightly soiled and I have not detected any noxious odors.  This is one mystery that may call for a trail cam.

Last night I spent some time on the hillside in my backyard.  Although I'm usually early to bed, I do enjoy the panoramic view of planes and automobiles that this lookout provides.  I have also been noticing increased activity over the last few days.  The rolling suitcase had been flipped right side up and towards the bottom of the hill, a makeshift camp was clustered in the brush.  While I was sitting on my log, staring into the ashen sky and contemplating deep thoughts, off-key singing traveled up the trail and then a young man with a backpack, skateboard and 2.5 gallon jug of water appeared. "Excuse me," He said, once aware of my presence.  He continued past the rolling suitcase towards the burnt out campsite.  After a little time passed, curiosity got the best of me.  I ventured down the trail and soon realized that the hill was alive.  Someone was hammering away in the darkness of the canyon.  Then I stumbled across two gutter punks canoodling in the shadows.  I'll be keeping tabs on this developing situation.

 

[kutta]

My resolution this year was to do more for the homeless. It breaks my heart to see people sleeping on the streets with no family or friends to help. This atheist loves the biblical line - there but for the grace of God go I. We are all more fortunate for our lot in life than we sometimes realize.

I had a guy working for me about 10 years ago who was a 55 year old African American man who was "slow." I'm not sure what was "wrong" with him, but he was slow. I had to let him go (the hardest thing I've ever done in business) due to a work slow down. I found out three years later that he was homeless for three  years and on the streets of Phoenix. I drove downtown and found him, put him up in an extended stay hotel, and promised him he'd never be homeless again. Since then, my employees pitched in over $20K to get his teeth fixed (they were all broken out), and I have put him up in an apartment and paid his rent each time he's lost a job. He has now had a job for 3 years and has paid all his own bills since then. My wife and I take him to lunch once a month and catch up with him. He's a great guy and I'm really proud of him.

The second thing is, about once a month my wife and I order 20 sandwiches from subway and we get a case of water and head downtown to hand them out to the homeless. It's not a big thing and only takes a couple hours, but every single person to whom we have given a sandwich has been thankful, and no one has ever turned it down. I know there's more we could do here, and we are trying to figure out a way we can do more.

I feel lucky that I have had the good fortune to be born with a pretty decent head on my shoulders and no addiction/mental issues - well, maybe I drink a tad too much whiskey at times. But others aren't that lucky. Sure, there are always "scammers," but really, if someone is standing outside in the Phoenix sun holding a sign asking for money, no matter what their mental state, they need some kind of help. I've tried to be less judgmental and more understanding of those less fortunate as I've aged, and I know I've come a long way with that over the years. 

 

[DocHolliday]

I can't tell who is trolling in here.  

Some are quite obvious.  We have a good story brewing in any case.  I am in.  

 

[Caveman33]

They call me Waldo.  A recycling center down the street serves as the nexus for the local barnacle bums and derelict debutantes.  As I walked by last week, a young man on the sidewalk turned and whispered through the fence.  On the other side, a leather skinned lady quickly replied, "I don't give a #### about Where's Waldo."  I had first encountered her months before while living in Mt. Hope.  She saw me on the street and demanded, "Are you white?"

"Yes," I said. She raised her arm in a Nazi salute before pounding her chest and shouting, "I'm Mexican! La raza..."  The rest was a blur as I continued past.  Daddy had not been supportive of my move to Mt. Hope. I wasn't sure if he was concerned for me or simply upset that I was leaving his house.  "You know why they call it Mt. Hope, don't you?" He asked, "It's cause when you move there, hope's all you've got left.  You've already lost everything else in life. I hope the welfare check shows up.  I hope my house doesn't get broken into."

Much like the balmy weather, Raza's volatile temperament was fairly consistent.  I frequently saw her engaged in altercations with others at the recycling center.  On occasion, she softened.  Huddled against the curb with a coffee, she once smiled as I passed and said, "You remind me of my son.*  It always warms my heart to see you."

At a corner, between the recycling center and my hill, a middle aged man had been living in a tent for the last couple weeks.  He kept a shopping cart full of trash bags by the sidewalk.  Seeing him awake with his dog a few days ago, I asked if he was missing a suitcase.  "No, but I'm sure they stole if from someone else," He said.  I let his dog sniff around my legs before saying farewell.  At that exact moment, Raza entered his lot and immediately growled at me.

(I'll continue later, this background sort of ties into what happened yesterday.)

*I hear stuff like this a lot.  I'm skeptical but whatever warms hearts is good, I guess

 

[Caveman33]

Whoa! Some one must have put drugs in the drugs on Skid Row today because it was a wild scene at lunch.  Whenever I see meth heads in the grips of psychosis arguing with ghosts, I wonder what would happen if they ran into someone else suffering from the same condition.  Well, we had multiple people going off in the line today.  I will describe the lunch crew later.  I am starting to encounter a few of them outside of the East Village.  My place is 5 miles away and most of them only have a 2 mile radius by foot but some ride the bus.  I saw a homeless 10, regular 7.5 outside of Father Joe's.  She had 3 children between ages 3-6.  They were hustling around the sidewalk in response to her frenzied commands.  One of the scared children led a small limping dog with its leg wrapped up in the leash.  The woman appeared to be under the influence of stimulants.  "Please load! Please load," She begged as I passed.  Her comfort with the area makes me think she is already descending into the madness but she still owns a car so she has not been completely turned out, yet.

 

[bigbottom]

These type of panhandlers are the worst - the guys who make a decent living pretending to be homeless and walk back to cars and drive home at the end of the day.  They honestly are a big part of the reason I think people don't give money to the legitimately homeless population - they are worried about basically being swindled.  

After working in NYC for a few years, I stopped giving any money to the homeless simply because I didn't like the interactions I had with them.  Some folks would get aggressive if you just walked close by.  Some weren't happy with how much you gave them.  I would often give leftovers to people instead of money - that wasn't much better, but at least you got a sense of who you were giving to.  Some looked at me like I was a jerk, and some were genuinely appreciative.  I figured the ones who REALLY needed it would take it.  The ones who had their own methods for getting a meal (or who only wanted the money for drugs or something) wouldn't.  

I think the best approach is instead of giving $1 to a homeless person, give $10 to a local organization that assists the homeless. 

 

[Binky The Doormat]

One of the scared children led a small limping dog with its leg wrapped up in the leash.  The woman appeared to be under the influence of stimulants.  "Please load! Please load," She begged as I passed.  Her comfort with the area makes me think she is already descending into the madness but she still owns a car so she has not been completely turned out, yet.

pretty sure this is a premise for a remake of "Oliver" - what is the greetings and salutations guy doing these days???

- LA producer guy

 

[johnnycakes]

I think the best approach is instead of giving $1 to a homeless person, give $10 to a local organization that assists the homeless. 

This was my pick in the latest Charity Music Draft. 

 

[Judge Smails]

I was homeless out of high school. Something you learn quickly is how to make a practical threat assessment and that a complete lack of obligation looks desirable but is a form of self punishment.

Everyone needs something to tether them so they can have balance. A homeless person has close to no real obligations and if they are in America, they can formulate a way to survive with the raw basics most of the time.

Something I said years ago in the FFA, is if you put all the regular posters in the FFA on an island like in Lost, it wouldn't take long for people here to start killing each other, with or without a conch to share. I could pick out, in a few hours, which people here would be the first to steal food or try to rape someone's kids or will try to murder someone later. People tell you their value system all the time, it's just that most people aren't paying attention to the effective cues.

Ways in that it changed me

1) I'm grateful for the basics. I have more that what I need but sometimes less than what I want. I can let go of the latter because I have context but I find most Americans don't.

2) I am willing to wait people out. If you give it enough time, people reveal themselves to you. So let them. Don't get your own way in terms of assessing all people around you as short term or long term threats or otherwise

3) I don't deal with people on the basis of self interest motive. Most people will associate based on a calculation on what they can get out of you. When you are homeless, you can offer nothing to no one. When you live in a world where people don't look at you but through you, you learn to not want to deal people in that light.

4) I'll walk away on anyone and at anytime. The only power you have in this life is to walk away from anything. If you've structured your life, choice or not, to where you can't walk away, then you are in a self inflicted prison.

5) I value things for their utility, not for their appeal. I care about what works and what is effective, not how I feel about it. How you feel is a luxury when you are cold and wet and starving.

6) I don't tend to complain. There are very few things in life that are yours. Your pain, your suffering, your sadness, your grief, your laughter, your joy, your anger, your fear, those things are yours. When you have nothing, you cherish the few things no one can take from you. My pain is mine, I don't share it because it's something no one can take from me. I see lots of you complain all the time about literally everything. My take is many of you are giving the last few real pieces of yourself away for nothing.

Raising my godson centered me as a person. But I know exactly what I am. I spent much of my life as a pure savage and did some really horrible things that can't be forgiven. No God of any kind should have mercy on a person like me. There's a certain liberation in knowing I can't actually be redeemed. When you understand what it's like to have nothing and to be an empty vessel, you learn what's true about yourself very quickly. I don't think I would be self aware without those experiences on the streets. I was fortunate, I made it out. Most people didn't and likely died there.

Most of the people here have never developed because they've never been stripped raw before. They don't know what it's like to be the edge of nothing so they can't appreciate everything in front of them. It took about five years from being homeless for a hard heavy rain not to unsettle me. On the streets, you get caught out, you get wet and sick and you might die. Some of you, your biggest conflict is Rogue Fitness doesn't have the change plates you wanted and you might have to wait another week for your air fryer to come in the mail.

I don't like nearly all of you. I've observed some of you for 15 years and it's tragic how much self inflicted suffering some here choose to punish themselves day after day. But if it's any solace, I don't like myself either. And I wouldn't blame anyone here for not liking me as well. Being homeless taught me to understand the truth without fearing it's burden. For those who don't understand what that means, tragically that's the reason why they'll always stay lost.

That post started off so well. Didn’t end great. 

 

[Judge Smails]

What’s the purpose of this thread again, OP?

 

[Caveman33]

What’s the purpose of this thread again, OP?

This is a thread for you to share your experiences with the homeless.

 

[Caveman33]

On Tuesday, I conducted a census.  My lookout point on the hill borders a small basketball court at the back of my public housing complex.  First I took the trail to the left, past the burnt out campsite until I came upon the spot where I believe the kid with the skateboard is squatting.  It was furnished surprisingly well in such a short period of time.  Minivan seat for a bed, speed bag hanging from a branch.  He even had a pick axe which he had used to dig a trench for water diversion.  From there, I continued down the canyon and onto the hill across the way.  I walked into an active camp with two vagabonds.  "Do you have a bike pump?"  I asked.  I always motion with my hands to make it clear that I'm interested in a floor pump, not hand pump.

"Ya got a flat tire?"  The older vagabond asked.

"It's a slow leak," I replied.

Altogether, I counted 6 campsites and 4 pax.  The most impressive structure was a 4 walled abode, complete with ceiling, made from mud, sticks, and stones.  But it was along the interstate, on a trail between my hill and the park--probably outside of my jurisdiction.  Still, I was surprised by the sudden occupancy of my hill.

When returning from lunch, I encountered the middle-aged man with the handlebar mustache who had previously been sleeping in the tent on the corner.  "They took all my stuff," He said.

"Who? CalTrans?" I asked.

"Nah. Some of the other homeless.  They stole my tent."  He appeared to be freshly showered and was without the dog.  Instead, there was a glassy eyed recycling youth frozen to the sidewalk beside him.  Handlebars didn't seem too upset over the whole affair.  "I'll find it," He said.

I had observed the dismantling of his camp in stages.  First, the shopping cart with trash bags had disappeared and the tent stood in its place beside the sidewalk.  Then, the next day the corner was completely clear.  

"I've seen a lot of activity on my hill this week," I mentioned.

Handlebars smiled, "You learn a lot from watching."

In the evening, I returned to my log at the lookout point.  A month before, my log had been stolen.  I later found it under some bushes at the front of the public housing complex.  A spot that is used as a staging point by some local homeless.  When two chairs were put out on the street, I claimed the better of the two and then saw the lesser under that bush for a day or two until it wasn't.

Theft bothers me.  Maybe it's a result of my privileged upbringing but I can't imagine taking that which belongs to others.  I live with a lot of regret.  Mean, careless things I wish i had not said or done.  But stealing?  Even if the dishonesty and deceit escaped the notice of others, how could I lie to myself?  No, I would rather starve than live as absolute scum and a total scourge upon the Earth.

Branches whistled behind me and I glanced back towards the basketball court.  Nothing.  When you get high, sometimes your own shadow can spook you.  I heard noise again and thought I saw movement, but still nothing.  Until the kid emerged with his backpack and skateboard.  He passed the spot where the rolling suitcase once sat.

"Hey, was the suitcase that sat there, yours?" I asked.

He froze. "No.."

"Yea, I'm not sure where it went.." I said.

He pointed down the hill. "I think it's down there."

"O.K. Because I saw two guys drop it off last week and I'm not sure where they went."

"Well, I was with the guy who dropped it off," He said.  This took me by surprise.  I had seen two youths with the suitcase that day.  The black one made eye contact and returned my hello.  The shifty-eyed one holding the suitcase appeared to be latino.  But this skateboard kid looked white under the night sky.  It was very confusing. Clearly, I needed to conduct another census.

"Alright, well I'm just being nosy," I said.

He turned and continued down the hill without another word.

Just being nosy?  Had I really said that?  My mind began to race at the implication.  If I was sleeping on this hill, would I want someone nosing about?  Would I be so bold if I had to lay my head down, completely exposed to the wild?

I collected my things and took the trail to the right.  Back in my room, I could see lights from the interstate and hear the murmur of distant traffic.  For the first time, I felt vulnerable to the fact that my room is visible from certain angles on the trail.  I quickly closed the blinds.

 

[Ron Swanson]

We have a homeless guy here. Everyone knows him and we all keep him fed. Many have tried to provide him shelter but he steadfastly refuses.  He has severe mental issues but is very creative and resourceful.  Several years ago with a major hurricane bearing down on us the county rounded up all homeless and forced them into shelters.  Our guy promptly escaped and made his way back to town. He rode out the hurricane by shifting around an old brick office building as the hurricane passed so that he was always shielded from the wind.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Man do I miss AZ Ron and Evilgrin stories...

 

[Caveman33]

Man do I miss AZ Ron and Evilgrin stories...

No offense to Ron, but that was lame fiction.  I like real memoirs so I wouldn't expect there to be much overlap in readership.

Don't let the chain link fence scratch you on the way out..

 

[BobbyLayne]

What’s the purpose of this thread again, OP?

Caveman trying to fine tune some stories he wrote sophomore year

 

[Anarchy99]

I wanted to get opinions on the other side of the homeless equation. I have a sibling that is homeless that has been a thorn in our family's side for years. She has serious behavioral health issues (maybe even substance issues). She initially gamed the system to get free housing, disability payments, social security, and other government assistance. She found a doctor that said due to medical reasons she was incapable and unable to hold a job (while she worked multiple jobs under the table at the same time). Not only that, she ran this con and grift across THREE STATES concurrently and had quite the scam going. Back in the day, she charged roommates for rent and utilities at her free or low-cost housing without letting any of them know what she was doing.

Along the way, she's mooched off of family members, blown through tens of thousands of family money (very likely $100K by now), and has burned her bridges with everyone. She stole jewelry, valuables, other belongs, and cash from just about everyone in the family. She defrauded our mother with Alzheimer's of all her money that was in the bank. No one knows what she's done with the money we've given her (or was stolen), but no matter how much we've kicked in she comes back with her hands out demanding more and more.

She's showed up to visit people unannounced and then refused to leave for months. She's taken people's vehicles without asking and took off for weeks. She called the police on people at family weddings because she was peeved and tried to have people in the wedding party arrested for public intoxication. She's actually sued family members multiple times demanding money for all sorts of crazy reasons. When she finally got the cold shoulder and we excommunicated her, she started contacting our workplaces, our community organizations, and our sports groups that we all participated in and bad mouthed all of us stating we were letting her starve and freeze on the streets.

A few weeks ago, she left me over an hour of expletive filled voicemails screaming at me, calling me every name under the sun. Now she's taken to going to new places and organizations and trashing the family, so I get nasty emails and messages from literally complete strangers also calling me names and calling me out for not supporting a family member in need. I am sure her narrative paints a picture that she has been abandoned and there is no mention to all the money we already have given her and the grief she has caused everyone.

She keeps contacting everyone and makes nasty threats that she is going to show up any day and give everyone a piece of her mind. We literally have run out of ideas on how to deal with her. She refuses any sort of treatment, won't answer any questions on what happened to all the money she was given, and insists that our family is responsible for supporting her.

While I want to feel badly for her, she has been abusing, mistreating, and taking advantage of all of us for decades. And she keeps popping up with new emails or phone numbers, so it's difficult to block her. Given that she's homeless, even if we had a case to try to legally force her to stop harassing us, there is no way to serve her or get the police involve because no one really knows where she is.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[Caveman33]

Caveman trying to fine tune some stories he wrote sophomore year

Well that's a slap in the face.  It's a first draft journal on 1-2 day delay with some effort to make it a narrative. I aint polishing nothing for you turd burglars.

 

[Caveman33]

I wanted to get opinions on the other side of the homeless equation. I have a sibling that is homeless that has been a thorn in our family's side for years. She has serious behavioral health issues (maybe even substance issues). She initially gamed the system to get free housing, disability payments, social security, and other government assistance. She found a doctor that said due to medical reasons she was incapable and unable to hold a job (while she worked multiple jobs under the table at the same time). Not only that, she ran this con and grift across THREE STATES concurrently and had quite the scam going. Back in the day, she charged roommates for rent and utilities at her free or low-cost housing without letting any of them know what she was doing.

Along the way, she's mooched off of family members, blown through tens of thousands of family money (very likely $100K by now), and has burned her bridges with everyone. She stole jewelry, valuables, other belongs, and cash from just about everyone in the family. She defrauded our mother with Alzheimer's of all her money that was in the bank. No one knows what she's done with the money we've given her (or was stolen), but no matter how much we've kicked in she comes back with her hands out demanding more and more.

She's showed up to visit people unannounced and then refused to leave for months. She's taken people's vehicles without asking and took off for weeks. She called the police on people at family weddings because she was peeved and tried to have people in the wedding party arrested for public intoxication. She's actually sued family members multiple times demanding money for all sorts of crazy reasons. When she finally got the cold shoulder and we excommunicated her, she started contacting our workplaces, our community organizations, and our sports groups that we all participated in and bad mouthed all of us stating we were letting her starve and freeze on the streets.

A few weeks ago, she left me over an hour of expletive filled voicemails screaming at me, calling me every name under the sun. Now she's taken to going to new places and organizations and trashing the family, so I get nasty emails and messages from literally complete strangers also calling me names and calling me out for not supporting a family member in need. I am sure her narrative paints a picture that she has been abandoned and there is no mention to all the money we already have given her and the grief she has caused everyone.

She keeps contacting everyone and makes nasty threats that she is going to show up any day and give everyone a piece of her mind. We literally have run out of ideas on how to deal with her. She refuses any sort of treatment, won't answer any questions on what happened to all the money she was given, and insists that our family is responsible for supporting her.

While I want to feel badly for her, she has been abusing, mistreating, and taking advantage of all of us for decades. And she keeps popping up with new emails or phone numbers, so it's difficult to block her. Given that she's homeless, even if we had a case to try to legally force her to stop harassing us, there is no way to serve her or get the police involve because no one really knows where she is.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

You said "maybe substance issues." In my experience, the conniving, manipulative behavior you described is 99% that of a drug addict.  Or a natural born sociopath, but that is a lot less common.  Drug addiction can turn people into the most selfish, morally depraved monsters imaginable.  Nothing matters more than feeding their addiction and they are able to perform mental gymnastics to justify all of their horrible actions.

I don't know that you will ever be able to trust her.  She needs to get clean but you can't force that.  And no drug addict likes to face a depressing reality, especially when that involves taking responsibility and ownership for decades of horrible behavior. 

Sorry to hear you are in this position.  The best thing to do might be offering support to the family members who are being emotionally blackmailed by your sister.

*edited to say that my indictment of drug addicts does not define all of them.  The worst of the bunch were likely bad people to begin with.  I find the average person's integrity to be lacking.  Drugs just make them worse.

 

[The Z Machine]

Agreed with Caveman here.  Sounds like drug addiction.  I have no advice though, so I'm more than useless here.

 

[belljr]

I wanted to get opinions on the other side of the homeless equation. I have a sibling that is homeless that has been a thorn in our family's side for years. She has serious behavioral health issues (maybe even substance issues). She initially gamed the system to get free housing, disability payments, social security, and other government assistance. She found a doctor that said due to medical reasons she was incapable and unable to hold a job (while she worked multiple jobs under the table at the same time). Not only that, she ran this con and grift across THREE STATES concurrently and had quite the scam going. Back in the day, she charged roommates for rent and utilities at her free or low-cost housing without letting any of them know what she was doing.

Along the way, she's mooched off of family members, blown through tens of thousands of family money (very likely $100K by now), and has burned her bridges with everyone. She stole jewelry, valuables, other belongs, and cash from just about everyone in the family. She defrauded our mother with Alzheimer's of all her money that was in the bank. No one knows what she's done with the money we've given her (or was stolen), but no matter how much we've kicked in she comes back with her hands out demanding more and more.

She's showed up to visit people unannounced and then refused to leave for months. She's taken people's vehicles without asking and took off for weeks. She called the police on people at family weddings because she was peeved and tried to have people in the wedding party arrested for public intoxication. She's actually sued family members multiple times demanding money for all sorts of crazy reasons. When she finally got the cold shoulder and we excommunicated her, she started contacting our workplaces, our community organizations, and our sports groups that we all participated in and bad mouthed all of us stating we were letting her starve and freeze on the streets.

A few weeks ago, she left me over an hour of expletive filled voicemails screaming at me, calling me every name under the sun. Now she's taken to going to new places and organizations and trashing the family, so I get nasty emails and messages from literally complete strangers also calling me names and calling me out for not supporting a family member in need. I am sure her narrative paints a picture that she has been abandoned and there is no mention to all the money we already have given her and the grief she has caused everyone.

She keeps contacting everyone and makes nasty threats that she is going to show up any day and give everyone a piece of her mind. We literally have run out of ideas on how to deal with her. She refuses any sort of treatment, won't answer any questions on what happened to all the money she was given, and insists that our family is responsible for supporting her.

While I want to feel badly for her, she has been abusing, mistreating, and taking advantage of all of us for decades. And she keeps popping up with new emails or phone numbers, so it's difficult to block her. Given that she's homeless, even if we had a case to try to legally force her to stop harassing us, there is no way to serve her or get the police involve because no one really knows where she is.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

You can still get a restraining order, I think