Are these the same homeless people that the media called "urban campers" and victims of the Great Recession a few months back?

"I have a cell phone, I can't charge it, I can't do anything," she said. "I pay taxes, I should be able to sit here, you know what I'm saying? It's all wrong."


If you have a cell phone and you pay taxes, then go to the library or similar location and charge your cell phone there. Or the welfare office or a legal clinic.

I can easily believe, in today's economy, a person might have a job and be temporarily homeless, but honestly, there are plenty of places to charge one's phone besides a park gazebo at night. Unless your job is being in a park gazebo at night so your clients can find you more easily.

No, you gotta catch them in the act and then whack them with a rolled up newspaper.

You've got to be the park leeeeeeeeeeeader.

wildcardjack: Throw some soap in the mix.

Lemon juice. Stings if it gets in their eyes.

I'm conflicted. On one hand, I think these people should take advantage of various social services that can help them find housing and employment. OTOH, I know that many of them have mental illnesses that keep them from being able to do that. On the third hand, I find it to be a dick move for the city to make these people's miserable lives be even more miserable.

Obviously water grows bootstraps in the hearts of homeless people. They should be grateful for the free handout of water.

johnsoninca: Are these the same homeless people that the media called "urban campers" and victims of the Great Recession a few months back?

Sons of b*tches stole my name for it!

/was an "urban camper" for a couple of weeks back in 2002
//I was young and waiting for my paychecks to actually come in
///maybe Reagan shouldn't have closed down the mental institutions and turned everyone into the streets

I still have a hard time figuring out why people choose to be homeless. If there are shelters, stay there and use it as an address/telephone number for job applications. If there are food pantries, go get some food. Go to job service and sign up for a job. If they can't find anything for you, then hit the temp agencies and local farms. Do whatever is necessary to improve your situation.

Since they're homeless and not paying rent, utilities, etc., even a low wage would allow them to build up a cash reserve. Use every service available until you get a break. Seeing them sitting around doing nothing is sickening. Hell, go to the city and ask if you can get some supplies to volunteer to clean up local parks. Any good newspaper would probably run a story on your good intentions and maybe help get you a job with the publicity.

Of course, I am not referring to the drunks/druggies who refuse to kick the habit. I have very little sympathy for them. I know it's really difficult to break such habits, but when you reach a point of waking up in an alley every day thinking about your next drink/drug, at some point there's a bottom to hit. The desire for a real life has to eventually overtake the need to be screwed up all the time.

We have homeless who actually feel entitled to other people's money, etc. They demand it. They become offended if they are not paid for sticking out their hand. If I really met someone who truly needed help, I would give them a few bucks and help them find a job. I have yet to meet anyone who wasn't looking for alcohol/drug money..... or just working what they perceived as their "job".

unalivezombie: What about using the number of a public pay phone?

Pay phone? I have a vague memory of those things.

Actually, many pay phones in the city won't allow incoming calls so drug dealers can't use them.

tukatz: I still have a hard time figuring out why people choose to be homeless. If there are shelters, stay there and use it as an address/telephone number for job applications. If there are food pantries, go get some food. Go to job service and sign up for a job. If they can't find anything for you, then hit the temp agencies and local farms. Do whatever is necessary to improve your situation.

Since they're homeless and not paying rent, utilities, etc., even a low wage would allow them to build up a cash reserve. Use every service available until you get a break. Seeing them sitting around doing nothing is sickening. Hell, go to the city and ask if you can get some supplies to volunteer to clean up local parks. Any good newspaper would probably run a story on your good intentions and maybe help get you a job with the publicity.

Of course, I am not referring to the drunks/druggies who refuse to kick the habit. I have very little sympathy for them. I know it's really difficult to break such habits, but when you reach a point of waking up in an alley every day thinking about your next drink/drug, at some point there's a bottom to hit. The desire for a real life has to eventually overtake the need to be screwed up all the time.

We have homeless who actually feel entitled to other people's money, etc. They demand it. They become offended if they are not paid for sticking out their hand. If I really met someone who truly needed help, I would give them a few bucks and help them find a job. I have yet to meet anyone who wasn't looking for alcohol/drug money..... or just working what they perceived as their "job".

Part of the problem is the practice of some missions & shelters in separating family members. This can be particularly tough when you don't have a home any longer and a mission or shelter makes you sleep separately from your family.

Until just a few years ago our local mission, the Eugene Mission did this. Until they built an area of the mission where mothers and they children could stay, mothers & sons were separated. If your son was 10 years of age or old, he had to sleep in the men's dormitory, in a room full of adults. That not only could be very frightening to a pre-teen boy, but since the mission had no way of screening, there was always a possibility that the boy could be molested during the night.

That being said, most people don't choose to be homeless. It can happen to anyone, especially if you were already on a lower economic tier when you lost your job, the landlord raised the rent, a family illness depleted any savings, etc.

buckler: I'm conflicted. On one hand, I think these people should take advantage of various social services that can help them find housing and employment. OTOH, I know that many of them have mental illnesses that keep them from being able to do that. On the third hand, I find it to be a dick move for the city to make these people's miserable lives be even more miserable.

The truly "homeless" people that don't want to be homeless do use those services and their homelessness is usually temporary. Most of the people you see sleeping in the parks are homeless by choice - either because they don't want the responsibility of working and paying bills, or they don't want to address the issues causing their homeless condition, such as substance abuse or mental health issues.

shirtsbyeric: The chick who can't charge her cell phone is not looking for a job.

True, but she could go to a public library and charge her phone. I've seen plenty of people do this at our local library and I know that some of them are homeless.