Do Homeless People Make You Sick?

Okay, I live in a high rise building (up on the 9th floor) in the downtown section of my big little town. So I often get to see and hear quite a free show. I heard some really loud dude yelling at somebody outside this morning, so I went to the window to take a peek.

Across the street from my building, there was this obviously homeless dude standing next to a shopping cart with a bunch of dirty cans and bottles in it, and he was staring at the ground while this middle class businessman dude (3 piece suit, briefcase and everything) was shouting some of the most abusive crap at another human being that I have heard in a very long time.

"You lazy freaks make me sick!" He screamed. "Why don't you just quit smoking so much crack, and go to work like the rest of the normal world? Or else give it up and die! You'd be doing us all a great big favor!"

The homeless dude actually apologized to the jerk, but I thought if anybody needed to say he was sorry it was the asshole in the three piece suit. I think he was totally out of line. Plus I have done volunteer work at shelters, and not all homeless people are addicts and alcoholics. Many of them are living with serious mental health issues, and lost their jobs and homes because of that. So I don't think it's cool to abuse folks for being sick. Like the asshat with the expensive briefcase did today. What do other folks think about this issue? I'd be curious to hear some of your thoughts. Do homeless people make you sick?

Peace,

~PD

 

most homeless people have mental illnesses. I think it's sad that we live in a country where anyone's homeless unless it's by choice (ie like a nomad)

 

I'm not a physically violent person unless somebody puts their hands on me, but I would've knocked that guys dick in the fucking dirt. That is rediculous.


I'm not the most charitable person to homeless people, but I give them due respect as person. I don't stare them down, I don't throw(litterally) money at them like I've seen people do etc. I generally don't give them cash at all unless it's spare change, but if they ask for food I will offer to buy them food. If they say, "Just give me the money" then I'm done with them.

 

same here I will buy them food, my mom gets meal certificates for them but I won't give cash partially because I don't wanna get mugged later from somebody watching me. downtown san diego is rough

 

back home, i felt bad for many of the homeless, especially during the winter time. you'd hear about so many deaths in the freezing cold winters because either the shelters didn't let them in, or they didn't go under their own decisions. but here in miami it's a different story. some of the homess i feel for, but many of them here are young, able-bodied people who just stand at large intersections and hold signs, forcing people to give them money. and this one guy sits out front of the college convenience store all day everyday knowing that rich college kids will give him money. thing is, this guy is like 25 himself and he doesn't look sick at all...

 

I think it's cool that alot of people seem to realize not all homeless people are crackheads or just lazy.

I travel alot and it seems like everywhere you go you see more and more seriously mentally ill people eating out of garbage cans or sleeping in doorways--people who are too far out there to be able to take advantage of what services there are (how you gonna know what bus to take to the armory if you don't know what planet you're on?).

 

this reminds me a part of a song i like by lazy boy i know its long, but just read it
"....We're in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that's what I'm going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they're just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He's homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don't you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm guessing his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview process.
I'm pretty sure even McDonalds has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I'm sure it is on the books."

 

exactly who cares if they use it on cigarettes or even drugs if I was homeless I would get fucked up all the time too, I get fucked up enough as it is and I have a dman good life

 

when i lived in the city, we took a big christmas dinner to the lady who lived under the bridge near us. i hope that she ate it. some people with mental illnesses are afraid of being poisoned, so she might have thrown it away.

i used to give money (spare change) to anyone who asked for it, if i had any to spare. then some kid asked for money, and my husband later said that there's no way he woulda given him any because this kid was wearing all designer labels.

i think it's always a good thing to be kind to people anyways. i was listening to this buddhist guy yesterday and he was talking about chaos theory and how a butterfly flapping its wings can affect events thousands of miles away. if a butterfly can change the world, just imagine the ripple effect of a random act of kindness towards another human being. (there's your warm fuzzy for the day!)

 

no, homeless people dont make me sick. its a major downfall of society- the way they treat their people with problems... THAT is what makes me sick.

if i could help all the people that are down and out, i would.

 

Yeah, I felt really pissed off about it myself. I mean, maybe the homeless dude did ask for some spare change or something. I never got to find out. But all the crazy businessman dude had to say was: "Sorry, I don't like to do that." He didn't need to get so totally abusive. I always try and buy the homeless newspaper when I see somebody selling one of those. That's one good way to help out.

Peace,

~PD

 

There is an unbelievable population of homeless people in my town. But for almost all, it is voluntary and they have made no effort to find a job at all. And a lot pretend like they have no money, but it's really just a scam. It is annoying because I have no money and work at crap jobs just to get by and they could do the same.

Obviously it is totally different for a lot of people and they really have no choice and I feel deeply for them and help them when I can.

Either way, it is totally unnecessary to yell abuse at them!!

 

And I am with Chaos, I will give them food if that is what they really want. But if someone tells me that they want the money for weed, I am not giving them anything.

 

I think it's sad, i wish i could help more.

 

I know what you mean. I used to live in Chicago, and it gets really cold there in the winter. I mean, your hands, feet, and face would start to get numb on you if you stayed outdoors for more than a few minutes. Anyway, there used to be this older homeless dude that was always sitting in the McDonald's over by where I lived. Until they would close at 12am, and finally kick him out. Well, they actually found him dead the last winter I lived there. He was found frozen to death in a sleeping bag behind the restaurant. A lot of the folks were talking about it. Because we all got used to seeing him there. And Some of us even used to buy him a small coffee and a burger. He didn't seem like a bad guy at all. And I don't think anybody should have to die like he did.

Peace,

~PD

 

whenever i have it, and am asked, i give it

even when its the guy working the intersection and its probably a scam

mainly because that 2, 3, 5 bucks isn't going to make any REAL difference in my life. I have always been blessed enuff to somehow get what i need. If dude drinks it up or cracks it up, he still needs it more than me. If he is scammimg at the intersection, then that money means more to him than it will ever mean to me.

If there is even the possiblity of someone truly needing that money for food or whatever, I'd rather just give it because even if its used for other things.....its just a couple of bucks to me

 

that was wrong as hell......but i laughed

 

They don't make me sick, they make me sad. At least the ones who are homeless by circumstance, not the ones who are lazy and just WANT to be homeless (and there are some).

I give to a shelter close to me every quarter, that way I can be certain that it will go for food, or electricity, or heat, and not alcohol or drugs.

My wife used to be in the mental health field and worked at a group home. The only time she saw some of the clients was when it was time for meds. The rest of the time, they were out on the streets.

It is a shame that the majority of the money that the gov't gives to some agencies stays at the top for salaries and 'administrative costs' and not to actually help the people who need it.

I never hestiate to give somebody an apple or a banana if I have one with me, and I certainly treat them with the same respect that I would anybody else, unless they disrespect me. Every person deserves the benefit of the doubt.

......well that got a little long...............

 

I'm too God damn rich to be homeless.

 

on more than one occasion i have told a yuppie-suit to shut the fuck up and leave the homeless person alone.

i feel bad for the ones who are homeless by circumstances. but i feel even worse for the ones who were veterans. i just can't think of any reasons why, when this country is at "war" and suppsosedly, tons of people are supporting the troops, that there are veterans of past wars homeless on the streets. i dont' think anybody should have to face being homeless, but for a veteran in this country the way it is right now, seems so fucked up. that's just my opinion...

i sometimes give loose change if i have it, someitmes i need it to get home, but i do give it when i can.