Bessie Mae Berger sleeps in the front seat of the 1973 Chevolet Suburban she shares with sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62. Among the items on the dashboard: lottery tickets

Well there's your problem

Kevin Nealon!

No, there is no mental health problem involved there.

Some people need to have guardians appointed, these people probably do. I can't fathom how she can only get ~400 bucks in social security. She had four husbands someone must have worked long enough to get her enough credits for a bigger check.

These are the people who need one social worker as their case manager rather than being shuttled between offices and case workers.

If they came to Florida I would do it myself. It is truly not that hard for someone outside looking in to do.

Sad. Very sad.

Why not "Sad" tag, subby?

My brother is a fox new kinda person. Forgetting the fact that we were on welfare for 10 years when we were kids. Without it, I have no idea where we would be.

He doesn't feel anyone deserves a handout, but he forgets where we were and where we came from.

It must just suck to be him, and a angry white male in the fox new society.

I would like to call Bull shiat.

The proof is a laminated drivers license?

For some reason that article did nothing for me. I don't really feel bad for them. Maybe it's the fact they could have housing if they split up, or the fact that I have a suspicion both of the men could at least do some sort of work, they just sound shady. Hell, she has six living children that don't speak with them. She's had three husbands, one of the sons has had four wives.

Something ain't right.

they can't pull up enough to rent a basement or appartment between them?

A friend of mine lives on $600.00/month disability income. That's it. He pays rent, has his own vehicle and wants for nothing. These people obviously have no skills for survival.

But then, I was doing OK until TFA said the TV part of the battery radio/TV didn't work. No TV...WTF people!!!!!

MOM?

Link (new window)

even though its irrelevant to the article, I thought of this.

Smells like old people.

fappomatic: A friend of mine lives on $600.00/month disability income. That's it. He pays rent, has his own vehicle and wants for nothing. These people obviously have no skills for survival.

But then, I was doing OK until TFA said the TV part of the battery radio/TV didn't work. No TV...WTF people!!!!!

no matter, the government made it so that tv couldn't work anyway

Me thinks a pair of sons might be arrested soon for elder abuse. Great place to visit once a year or so, lousy place to be homeless. Too much competition from all the other homeless people between Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica.

Sucks to be her. Let this be a warning to all you basement dwelling, still at home with ma or pa, using the light from your 200 gallon fish tank and 8 computers to read by. You could be next. The story should have included the insurance payments and tag fee for her clunker. I might feel more pity knowing that those 2 items exceed the value of her mobile home on the coast. Could be worse, she could be in a van down by the LA River, sort of same thing I suppose as the LA River does have an exit nearby.

I'm visualizing the X-Files episode "Home" ...

The Incredible Sexual Egg: Bessie Mae Berger sleeps in the front seat of the 1973 Chevolet Suburban she shares with sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62. Among the items on the dashboard: lottery tickets

Well there's your problem

Depends. Is there 2 tickets, or a months rent of tickets?

feckingmorons: No, there is no mental health problem involved there.

Some people need to have guardians appointed, these people probably do. I can't fathom how she can only get ~400 bucks in social security. She had four husbands someone must have worked long enough to get her enough credits for a bigger check.

These are the people who need one social worker as their case manager rather than being shuttled between offices and case workers.

If they came to Florida I would do it myself. It is truly not that hard for someone outside looking in to do.

What if each of those "husbands" were deadbeat non-working sponges living off her earnings? Probably pretty likely here; note the son's attitudes - now extrapolate their role models.

I suppose they could've came up with being sponges on mom on their own, though...

puppypants: I would like to call Bull shiat.

The proof is a laminated drivers license? State ID Card.

Read the article again dumbass! Next time pay attention.

PsychoLaurie: I'm visualizing the X-Files episode "Home" ...

I did too, and I just threw up in my mouth a little...

I'm visualizing the X-Files episode "Home" ...

Damn, so did I.

/Never forget when Mulder and Scully found the mother.
//*shudder*

I came here to go where apparently this thread is already going; something about their story just doesn't really sit right with me. Refusing to split up? back problems and arthritis? i'm sure tons of people work with these conditions at their age. If she is her age, this seems like some odd scam by these weird adult brothers who apparently refuse to not live together. a drivers license (could be real) no social security card, ect ect ect.

And you know with the amount of money they make collectively, as a Southern California resident currently and (un)fortunately pretty much forever, there is housing they could easily obtain which while potentially cramp would certainly be much more farking comfortable and reasonable for a "97" year old women... and her kind of weird sounding sons.

I don't trust the Los Angeles times tearjerker articles legitimacy even though they seem to have decent intentions.

simusid: PsychoLaurie: I'm visualizing the X-Files episode "Home" ...

I did too, and I just threw up in my mouth a little...

You are not alone.

PsychoLaurie: I'm visualizing the X-Files episode "Home" ...

we thought alike!

puppypants: I would like to call Bull shiat.

The proof is a laminated drivers license?

Let's say you're right - she's not 97, she's 85. How does that change anything?

Old news is old

puppypants: fappomatic: A friend of mine lives on $600.00/month disability income. That's it. He pays rent, has his own vehicle and wants for nothing. These people obviously have no skills for survival.

But then, I was doing OK until TFA said the TV part of the battery radio/TV didn't work. No TV...WTF people!!!!!

no matter, the government made it so that tv couldn't work anyway

Yeah but they could at least play "poltergeist".

fappomatic: A friend of mine lives on $600.00/month disability income. That's it. He pays rent, has his own vehicle and wants for nothing. These people obviously have no skills for survival.

What can you get in Los Angeles that is large enough for more than one person to live in for less than $600 a month?

A 1973 chevy suburban.

Dunno where your friend lives, but I can make a pretty safe assumption that it is not Los Angeles or New York City.

Some people say she should be put in a home. She's had a pacemaker replaced and she's ancient. Why part her from her sons now? I doubt she has many more years on this planet, might as well spend them with someone she knows instead of strangers who tie her to a bed and shovel pudding into her 3 times a day.

FTFA:"There's a million empty homes here in California, but they can't seem to find one we can live in," Larry said."

Yeah.... I mean just the other day I noticed my bank has all kinds of money in the drawer yet they cant seem to give it all to me.

trancemission: puppypants: I would like to call Bull shiat.

The proof is a laminated drivers license?

Let's say you're right - she's not 97, she's 85. How does that change anything?

This. She looked pretty damn old in the pic in TFA. It's not like she's 22 and claiming to be 97. She's obviously very old and claiming to be 97.

The Incredible Sexual Egg: Bessie Mae Berger sleeps in the front seat of the 1973 Chevolet Suburban she shares with sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62. Among the items on the dashboard: lottery tickets

Well there's your problem

I used to work at as a cashier at a convenience store. I used to have homeless people checking the parking lot 24/7 looking for tossed lottery tickets and bringing in ones they thought were good. One time I had one woman bring in a scratcher that was good for a $1,000.

rewind2846:

What can you get in Los Angeles that is large enough for more than one person to live in for less than $600 a month?

A 1973 chevy suburban.

Dunno where your friend lives, but I can make a pretty safe assumption that it is not Los Angeles or New York City.


Yeah.... it sure is a shame they don't have some form of transportation that they could drive to get them somewhere more affordable.

oh wait......They do

Hey did anyone mention how this makes you think of the X-Files episode "Home"?

Came for a Fark Independent to claim this is all our future under Obama. Leaving scared for America

If only they had some bootstraps.

FarkinDaffy: My brother is a fox new kinda person. Forgetting the fact that we were on welfare for 10 years when we were kids. Without it, I have no idea where we would be.

He doesn't feel anyone deserves a handout, but he forgets where we were and where we came from.

It must just suck to be him, and a angry white male in the fox new society.

I can shenanigans on your comment. "Angry white male in a Fox News Society"? Really, I didn't realize America was a "Fox News Society." I also didn't realize having differing opinions about certain handouts made someone an angry white male.

And while I agree this is a really sad story...something doesn't seem right. They couldn't afford a place between them all? The men couldn't find something to do? The mother had been married quite a few times and had nothing? Again, sad and all, but doesn't seem right.

Me (18) and my mom (about 40) are living in a 1993 Nissan Quest. Haven't begged once, stayed with friends for a few weeks. I donate plasma regularly to pay our cell.

/you don't see us complaining.
//yes we're looking for work.
///Not selling laptop, helps me look for work...

CruJones: For some reason that article did nothing for me. I don't really feel bad for them. Maybe it's the fact they could have housing if they split up, or the fact that I have a suspicion both of the men could at least do some sort of work, they just sound shady. Hell, she has six living children that don't speak with them. She's had three husbands, one of the sons has had four wives.

Something ain't right.

Well, I feel bad for them because something ain't right. Someone there - maybe all three, maybe both sons - aren't rowing with both oars in the water, for whatever reason. Either there's some developmental disability or something else going on, but someone there is having problems managing. They need a guardian. I'm sure there are resources available to them, it's a question of getting them to the resources or getting the resources to them, and I feel bad only if that connection is not happening for some reason, especially after this article was written.

I hope whoever discovered them and put together this article had the decency to shepherd them to whatever agency will be able to appoint a guardian who can make sure they're taken care of adequately.

I don't know why she doesn't have any contact with her other children but that shouldn't mean she has to sleep in the front seat of a car. I just have a feeling there are resources available to help this family that will let them stay together, it's just a question of getting someone competent enough to lead them through the system.

Terribly sad, to see an elderly person in such condition. Hope they get help and she has some easier days ahead of her.

Was at the local Ralphs around 2:00 am and helped an elderly woman get some food off the top shelf. Saw her later in her car in the parking lot finishing eating the food and pulling some crudely made shades around her so she could go to sleep. :(

You know who else lived out of their car...

LOGICAL_PSYCHO: rewind2846:

What can you get in Los Angeles that is large enough for more than one person to live in for less than $600 a month?

A 1973 chevy suburban.

Dunno where your friend lives, but I can make a pretty safe assumption that it is not Los Angeles or New York City.


Yeah.... it sure is a shame they don't have some form of transportation that they could drive to get them somewhere more affordable.

oh wait......They do

Came here to say this. GTFO of California and go someplace more affordable.

Hell, you can rent a 2 bedroom apartment with washer/dryer in Idaho for less than $600. But then again, she'd be living in Idaho and I'm not sure I'd want to wish that on anyone.

Old news is old.

Three days later, this story ran

97-year-old L.A. homeless woman gets a home (new window)

A 97-year-old homeless woman who was living with her two sons in a battered 1973 Chevrolet Suburban in Venice has received a temporary home, compliments of a nonprofit Los Angeles housing group.......

The link to this follow-up story was on the top-left of subby's story.

SpeelChuck: CruJones: For some reason that article did nothing for me. I don't really feel bad for them. Maybe it's the fact they could have housing if they split up, or the fact that I have a suspicion both of the men could at least do some sort of work, they just sound shady. Hell, she has six living children that don't speak with them. She's had three husbands, one of the sons has had four wives.

Something ain't right.

Well, I feel bad for them because something ain't right. Someone there - maybe all three, maybe both sons - aren't rowing with both oars in the water, for whatever reason. Either there's some developmental disability or something else going on, but someone there is having problems managing. They need a guardian. I'm sure there are resources available to them, it's a question of getting them to the resources or getting the resources to them, and I feel bad only if that connection is not happening for some reason, especially after this article was written.

I hope whoever discovered them and put together this article had the decency to shepherd them to whatever agency will be able to appoint a guardian who can make sure they're taken care of adequately.

I don't know why she doesn't have any contact with her other children but that shouldn't mean she has to sleep in the front seat of a car. I just have a feeling there are resources available to help this family that will let them stay together, it's just a question of getting someone competent enough to lead them through the system.

Terribly sad, to see an elderly person in such condition. Hope they get help and she has some easier days ahead of her.

I'd go with some people are just lazy and good for nothing.

LOGICAL_PSYCHO: FTFA:"There's a million empty homes here in California, but they can't seem to find one we can live in," Larry said."

Yeah.... I mean just the other day I noticed my bank has all kinds of money in the drawer yet they cant seem to give it all to me.

Yeah... those poor banks that own the houses they foreclosed on and tossed folks like these into the street would rather bulldoze them (as they are actually doing in some places in southern california) so that they can artificially keep housing prices up rather than sell them for a lower price to people who need them.

Before the whining starts "b-b-but they'll lose money!", those are the risks the banks took when they got greedy trying to sell overpriced houses to people they knew could never afford them. Sometimes when you gamble, you lose.

Article dated October 16?

Looks like idiocy to me. There are many programs that can help you get shelter at least, and others that will get you food stamps, and help you find a place to live. There is NO reason these people need to live in a car, besides the fact that the sons are too lazy to help the mother and themselves. Easier to beg i guess. Sad..but there it is.

johnsoninca: Article dated October 16?

Yeah, look at my post, above. Three days later, they were given housing. The link to that story was top-left on tfa page.

... there are not so many places in the world, where homeless sleeps in their car, have a cell phone and storage unit.