Kinda sad today.

[Boz Mon]

I was on the subway between classes and there was a homeless lady on the train. She was definitely a legit homeless person, I know there are some people who act it but she was the real thing. I don't know how to put this but she smelled bad. Really bad. I just felt so bad because everyone on the train was looking around wondering where the smell was coming from. One guy turned around, looked at her and covered his nose, other people were getting up and moving to the other end of the train. This just really made me think of how lucky I am to have everything that I have, like a job, and school. I guess it kinda put my life into perspective. I was just thinking that this lady has 2 shopping bags full of empty cups and the clothes on her back. I dont know, just seeing the way that everyone was treating her made me feel bad.

Discuss.

 

[Omnis]

Umm... a homeless person. What's there to discuss? Did you point her to a charity or something? Is she a drug addict?

 

[Danny]

Poor lady.

Maybe if you see her again you can offer her a bar of soap.

 

[1X83Z]

She was definitely a legit homeless person, I know there are some people who act it but she was the real thing.

Yeah - all those damn homeless nine-to-fivers who go home to the suburbs at the end of each day to their wife and kids.

 

[Touring Mars]

Sadly, Boz Mon is quite right - there are some very unscrupulous people who do beg for money despite not being homeless. A racket doing exactly that was discovered in Edinburgh, Scotland some years ago.

It is sad and distressing to see people in such a state as that - who have no support network at all, and for one reason or another now find themselves in a pitiful and extremely vunerable state. But as is the case with many other issues, the best way to help is by tackling the problem as a whole rather than trying to help one or two individuals - like by donating money to a homeless charity, such as Shelter (in the UK) or The Big Issue. You could even volunteer to do some community work that helps homeless people as well - I reckon there is no shortage of demand for volunteers.

 

[MistaX]

Homelessness is summed up pretty easily:

They'd work if they could get an address, but they can't get an address because they don't work.

EVERY SINGLE Employer that I know of requires a physical address, and getting a physical address means having some sort of residence.

"Cardboard Box, Main Street, Paterson NJ 07501" isn't going to cut it.


Although there are a few who have and will blow all the money they ever gain as homeless on drugs and booze, and thus, will never make it out of the state they're in. They've either given up on trying, or have some other issues.

But most that I've come across were actually trying to "make it"

 

[Dave A]

Yeah - all those damn homeless nine-to-fivers who go home to the suburbs at the end of each day to their wife and kids.

I've aseen someone begging in dirty rags that I know owns a BMW 3-series. There are some people who make a lot of money by pretending to be homeless. Not only are these people stealing from the generous, but they are also stealing from the genuinely homeless people that that money would have otherwise gone to. These people are among the most pathetic people in existence imo.

 

[Mark T]

In the UK if your homeless your entitled to housing benefit. Your local council will try to find you a property but there is nothing to stop you from finding private accommodation (bedsit, even a hotel). Even if the accommodation is terrible, at least it's a roof over your head and enables you to have a fixed address.

Once you have a fixed address you are able to claim income support and job seekers allowance plus a load of other benefits. If your old and homeless I can understand why it's harder to get job, although it's not impossible.

Young homeless people have the choice to do something but many choose not to (usually because there drunk or doped up).

I know you shouldn't sterotype every homeless person but the majority that I see are in that position because they won't get off their arse and do something about it.

 

[MistaX]

I know you shouldn't sterotype every homeless person but the majority that I see are in that position because they won't get off their arse and do something about it.

You know, that sounds kinda familiar.

 

[F1GTR]

Go to any highly populated country in Asia. Then you'll see people that will make you feel sad.

 

[Mark T]

Go to any highly populated country in Asia. Then you'll see people that will make you feel sad.

Agreed. I read something a while back about the children in China that go through all the imported rubbish so they can find something to recycle. Those are exceptional circumstances. There are no organisations to help them.

 

[Duke]

Yeah - all those damn homeless nine-to-fivers who go home to the suburbs at the end of each day to their wife and kids.

Don't be so quick to make a sarcastic comment. I've watched a pair of bums arrive at one corner of the local mall via taxi, pay with a $20, and then walk over to set up begging shop by the main entrance near one of the fancy anchor stores.

I've also seen a guy with a "Will work for food" sign at our local grocery store walk over to a decent car, put his signs in the trunk, and head inside for a cup of Starbucks and a pee.

I'm not saying there are NOT 'legitimate' homeless people, but I've seen numerous professionals, too, who probably go home to a decent apartment and rent movies every night.

Homelessness is summed up pretty easily:

They'd work if they could get an address, but they can't get an address because they don't work.

EVERY SINGLE Employer that I know of requires a physical address, and getting a physical address means having some sort of residence.

I'm sorry, I'm simply not buying that.

In my city, there is a place downtown near the train station where out-of-work people congregate. Other cities have similar places; this one has been in existence for decades. Early every morning, contractors and other people who need temporary labor come by and match up with a willing worker that can do whatever job is offered. Wages are paid in cash (typically $30-50 plus lunch for a full day), every day, and the people are dropped off at the same place after work. No address is required. Do that for a week and you've got $100 in your pocket after breakfast and dinner. $100 is enough to get a bed at a cheap rooming house for 2 weeks, giving you a fixed address where you can get mail. Keep working at the informal laborers job and living at the rooming house while you look for a more permanent job.

This of course only works if you're not handicapped, but it sure does work if you're not.

 

[Boz Mon]

I had a guy trying to sell me a copy of the Onion the other day. The onion is a free newspaper that is kinda humerous, I guess. Its pretty much fake news.

 

[OZZYGT]

In my city, there is a place downtown near the train station where out-of-work people congregate. Other cities have similar places; this one has been in existence for decades. Early every morning, contractors and other people who need temporary labor come by and match up with a willing worker that can do whatever job is offered. Wages are paid in cash (typically $30-50 plus lunch for a full day), every day, and the people are dropped off at the same place after work. No address is required. Do that for a week and you've got $100 in your pocket after breakfast and dinner. $100 is enough to get a bed at a cheap rooming house for 2 weeks, giving you a fixed address where you can get mail. Keep working at the informal laborers job and living at the rooming house while you look for a more permanent job.

Yes, by the Home Depot specially.

When I used to live in Long Island, I saw these type of workers waiting all day for someone to pick them up, it was rare to see someone actually pulling up and offering them something to work on.
Having said that, I really think it depends what kind of city you're on.

 

[sn00pie]

My mother has a habit of giving women-bums stupid amounts of money, if the women-bum has a kid she goes mental (take notes bums around the world): in Brussels one time a women-bum scored 250EUR off her, in Paris a girl-bum who was in the process of being sent away by the doorman got enough to start crying. In our home town while picking me up from the train station she sent me back out of the car to give a woman-bum 200EUR.

When she sees guy-bums she frowns and says: "ugh... bum" or "don't touch me you bum freak".



edit: My brother went up to a bum once to get change for a 10 euro bill.

 

[Josh]

About 7 years ago when I was 14 my father and stepmother let a homeless guy named Jake move into our house with us on the Isle of Palms. He wasn't just some random homeless guy, though. My father's business friend Mike is a general contractor who builds houses and had used Jake several times to help out at home sites, and when we found out he was homeless we let him live with us. We paid for anything he needed in the time he stayed with us - including a car. He ended up living with us for about 6 months until he could afford to move into a place of his own. During the time he stayed with us we actually let that guy Mike stay with us for about 3 months too - after his wife divorced him and took his house, daughter, money, everything...

Needless to say both were more than greatfull - it's not everyday you go from being a homeless person with no steady job living in shelters to being put up in beachfront property with everything taken care of.

My father and I are still great friends with boke Mike and Jake - who together own a very successful contracting business now.

These guys were both genuine hard working people - who we have no problem helping or lending a hand to... some homeless people out there just deserve the lives they live. I volunteered at a homeless shelter in downtown Charleston when I was around 15 and some of the stuff I saw/heard was incredibly scary.

 

[kennythebomb]

That's a cool story, Josh. Remarkable that both men turned out to be hard-working individuals. People have given me advice not to help out people in need because they can take advantage of you. Scary to me, as a young man who tries to help out people. I don't know what I would do in that circumstance...