I work at a hotel, and live in a camper, which puts me in a weird position I'm still working to reconcile. On the one hand, my job is very much to keep vagrants off our property, from digging in trash, begging to guests, etc. But I myself consider myself at least "half vagrant", and some would indeed call me a vagrant or homeless. On the one hand, I'm to stop trespassers. That also involves occasionally calling the police, which I'm generally against. So lately, especially in conflict resolution situations, I've been trying to behave in a way that aligns with my beliefs and morals, and I'm trying to incorporate what I've been learning about how Rainbow Gatherings work, Council meetings, consensus, conflict resolution, and Shanti Sena. Overall I know this isn't a job that aligns with my beliefs. But it pays the bills. But I don't like calling the cops. I don't like being THAT person, I don't like ENFORCING.... Just now, I had to (again) shoo someone out of our dumpsters. But in general I think dumpster diving is viable and appropriate. I have found that trying to deal with guests is a less conflictual, more compassionate way does help.
Update: I'm done enforcing on snipers (people to dig cigarette butts out of our ashtrays) and dumpster diving. Done enforcing keeping vagrants from our free breakfast. Just doesn't feel right. They're just trying to meet their needs. I want to live my life aligned to my morals and beliefs.
Your attitude to calling police must depend on your country. Our daughter is a London police officer and spends a lot of time on night-shifts helping the homeless on taking a path to improving their situation. Some of their stories are heartbreaking. She is far from alone in her efforts, London police treat everyone with respect as long as they are not harming others. We recently have a system introduced, where shops have a daily food collection of items that will reach their sell by date at midnight and the major supermarkets have all joined in. Perhaps you could arrange something similar at your hotel on a small scale. It would help the vagrants and give management the opportunity to make some ground rules (particularly about approaching guests) clear to them. I do not consider you as vagrant for choosing to live away from the city. You have a job, a home and obviously access to the internet. All that many people who have completely dropped out really need, is a push in the right direction and sometimes help with alcohol and drug problems that they have encountered along the way.
I live in a camper. Here in Washington a lot of people consider that homeless/vagrancy. I feel like such a hypocrite enforcing rules I've broken myself. I've dumpster dived, I've trespassed on hotels. The police here are SO overwhelmed with vagrancy and homelessness and other issues, and lots of people here unfortunately have really hateful attitudes towards homeless people and travellers.
