The Homeless

[diamond3121]

Re: The Homeless

I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. I’ve seen signs at restaurants that read “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.” I know you can’t discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, but from the situation you described he doesn’t fit into any of these categories. His smell may cause other patrons to lose their appetite, which I think is a legitimate concern for any food vendor. I’m sure they wouldn’t have asked him to leave if he simply took a shower. I see many homeless do so at the beach. But don’t blame the security guard. That guard was simply obeying his employer, which takes precedence over accomodating someone who may be causing McDonald’s® to lose business.

I understand business have a "Right to REFUSE service Anyone" ~ Then Mc Donald's should have DONE that and NOT sold him ANY FOOD. {Which BTW I would have felt was wrong.}

Since they SOLD him food they already SERVED him therefore he should have been able to sit and eat it. I understand there are people that would have been put out by the smell and appearance of this man but take a step back ~ get over yourself {generally speaking} and move on. Sit in another section of the restaurant ~ and apprieciate you are not walking in that man's shoes. At any time that could be us.

I find it hard to believe Mc Donald's would have lost any business because someone walked in a saw a homeless person eating there.

Just because someone's appreance isn't to our liking does not mean they deserve to be treated any less. Kindness and compassion goes alot farther than meaness.

[Barry]

Re: The Homeless

The rain was really pouring down and I got on a free bus from Kuhio. It promised to take me on it's return journey to Ala Moana. The plan was to buy groceries,, etc and get a taxi back.
A lady got onto the bus (obviously homeless) and sat near to me. Because of the wetness of the and the heat,,,,, the stench was unbearable. Many people moved as far away as possible.
Then the lady bus driver understood what was going on and told her to get off.

Call me a softy ! Call me anything you like ! But Please don't call me too early in the morning.
Maybe we should have had a bit of collection for that homeless lady ? To get herself showered and but some clean clothes. ?

[tutusue]

Re: The Homeless

[...]
I find it hard to believe Mc Donald's would have lost any business because someone walked in a saw a homeless person eating there.

Just because someone's appreance isn't to our liking does not mean they deserve to be treated any less. Kindness and compassion goes alot farther than meaness.

I doubt McDonald's would've lost much if any business based on someones unkempt LOOKS. But looks wasn't the issue in Adri's post above. Other patrons might've avoided sitting next to the man...might have. However, the restaurant would've lost my business based on ODOR...had I walked in and smelled something malodorous whether or not I knew where the odor was coming from. Restaurants with stinky smells are not conducive to dining. This isn't limited to the homeless, either. It also goes for householders. One restaurant in my neighborhood has already lost my business for this very malodorous reason and I doubt it had any relationship to the homeless.

[Kaukura]

Re: The Homeless

, there's a lot of homeless people who actually come from the Mainland who were given one-way tickets by social workers/govt. officials from other states. And those folks made the decision to come here, as our year-round weather is much more tolerable than say, the winters in Boston or Seattle. IOW, other states have dumped their problems on us. (Of course, those states will deny it. But it has happened.)
.

interesting. when I lived in San Francisco, we used to say the same thing about them being shipped to our city due to its generous general assistance program (instead of year round tolerable weather), except it was a one way bus ticket instead of a plane ticket..

[Kaukura]

Re: The Homeless

I understand business have a "Right to REFUSE service Anyone" ~ Then Mc Donald's should have DONE that and NOT sold him ANY FOOD. {Which BTW I would have felt was wrong.}

Since they SOLD him food they already SERVED him therefore he should have been able to sit and eat it. I understand there are people that would have been put out by the smell and appearance of this man but take a step back ~ get over yourself {generally speaking} and move on. Sit in another section of the restaurant ~ and apprieciate you are not walking in that man's shoes. At any time that could be us.

I find it hard to believe Mc Donald's would have lost any business because someone walked in a saw a homeless person eating there.

Just because someone's appreance isn't to our liking does not mean they deserve to be treated any less. Kindness and compassion goes alot farther than meaness.

I agree with the others and I am as much sympathetic towards the homeless as the next person..but I have a right to eat in a clean somewhat pleasant environment. A homeless person in itself would not deter me from eating there, but a smell would definately affect me considerably if it was offensive and caused me to gag and dry heave.

When I lived towards Beretania/Pensacola a year ago, there was this mddle aged asian woman, obviously homeless who had the most acute industrial strengthed urine smell. She woud often try to get on the #1 bus heading to town and me standing in the back could smell her when the doors opened. Im sure everyone else did as well. Not one of the drivers ever let her on and would cover the toll box with their hands. I have to say I agreed with them, as much as it pains me to say so. It was either her or me (and the rest of the bus Im sure).

Im sure mental illness plays a part in her condition and it is sad there isn't much we do for these people.

[AlohaKine]

Re: The Homeless

I have bought cigs and alcohol for homeless if they asked for them. I admire honest people.

[Kaonohi]

Re: The Homeless

There are several categories of those we call "homeless."

I have met people who are chronically unemployed, unable to pay rent, living in the wild roadsides near Ka`ena. Others, families usually, on the beaches in the same conditions. They try to maintain some sembalances of 'living,' owning pets, sending kids to school, keeping their clothes clean, and foraging for food. These are usually amiable, friendly and looking for opportunities, though it is more difficult for them to even get an interview, much less a job, because of their conditions (cleanliness, grooming, mailing addresses, etc.).

Then there are the city dwellers, under overpasses, in public parks. Some are amiable, some aggressive (protective?), living out of shopping carts. Some have mental illness problems (for which our town has limited resources... I worked at the Edward Thomas (?) Home for a bit, all the rooms were full, with a waiting list - for homeless MI).

Then there are the pretend homeless with signs that say "will work for food." Friend of mine followed one away from his 'spot' on Valkenberg one afternoon, and saw him get into a car better than his own.... Not that they are all scammers, but one must consider:

If we wish to help the homeless, what is the best strategy? I would hope that goofy Mufi would pay attention to this issue, but it doesn't seem to be part of his agenda.

I'm sure we can all agree that the genuine homeless, whereever they come from, are needful and deserving of help. As are the homeless mentally-ill. And that our resources are better used in helping them than supporting druggies, alkys and scammers.

But... we gotta have a railroad, fix potholes and get our share of federal 'pork.' I guess.

I don't have answers that I can implement, but I certainly feel for those without a home to rest their head. I opened my property to homeless a few times and got stung by a difference in values, so I don't do that any more. If I found a way I could help, I would.

[dick]

Re: The Homeless

Just wondering how many here have been so low that you have just enough to scrape by. Barely that if at all. Nothing to eat. No heating in the dead of winter. Sleeping in full clothes and jackets. And still cold (thank - insert deity here - I still had a roof over my head). Wondering if you'll make it to the next paycheck just so you can keep your apartment (read: rabbit hutch). That after being on the streets...

It's not fun.

Nice to see people pontificate and proffer theories...

But unless you've actually been on the ropes...

[Barry]

Re: The Homeless

Hi Dick,

It's great to see that you are up and running again and have a PC. Scrolling back through this thread on homeless people, I have found sympathy, positive adivce and a real care to look after fellow human beings.
All of these remarks have been based upon members first hand views of this situation. I have seen no evidence of "pontificating."

I suppose to some extent we could all do a *Poor Me* about certain passages in our lives.

[cyleet99]

Re: The Homeless

Hi Dick,

It's great to see that you are up and running again and have a PC. Scrolling back through this thread on homeless people, I have found sympathy, positive adivce and a real care to look after fellow human beings.
All of these remarks have been based upon members first hand views of this situation. I have seen no evidence of "pontificating."

I agree with you, Barry. HT'ers are a widely varied group, Dick, and you don't know from what background they speaketh. Go talk to Auntie Lynn; she knows.

[tutusue]

Re: The Homeless

[...]
All of these remarks have been based upon members first hand views of this situation. I have seen no evidence of "pontificating."[...]

I agree with you, Barry.[...]

I completely agree with the 2 of you. Pontificating? How?

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Homeless

Just wondering how many here have been so low that you have just enough to scrape by. Barely that if at all. Nothing to eat. No heating in the dead of winter. Sleeping in full clothes and jackets. And still cold (thank - insert deity here - I still had a roof over my head). Wondering if you'll make it to the next paycheck just so you can keep your apartment (read: rabbit hutch). That after being on the streets... It's not fun. Nice to see people pontificate and proffer theories... But unless you've actually been on the ropes...

I, for one, often live 'on the ropes', and have been homeless off and on since I left Mom's house at 16, since as a renter, there is no more real sense of 'home'. The second I make the mistake of thinking all is cool and can call it home, bang, gotta move that month.
I usually won't give beggars here in Honolulu any $ because they cannot starve, and most rarely if ever are seen at any local bread line, so they must be doing OK in the kau kau dept. I've never asked a stranger for $, and never will.
There's one quasi-mental guy who semi-regulary asks me for a quarter and is very nice, when he get's it, he's so stoked and appreciative that I actually hope he does it again soon. Other than that, forget it.

[Adri]

Re: The Homeless

I thought of this thread when I read this article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506785,00.html

"HOUSTON — Until a few weeks ago, Tim Edwards was just another one of the men begging for change at a busy Houston underpass, ignored by most drivers who sped on past without a glance.

Now, thanks to an Internet marketing campaign and unlikely allies, Edwards has become the human face of homelessness to thousands of online viewers drawn to his Web site by its deliberately controversial name — Pimp This Bum.

During regular Webcasts, dozens of visitors to http://www.pimpthisbum.com/ ask questions about Edwards' life and his slow fall from office manager with a home, a car, and a future to an outcast short of hope and with little prospect of help.
/snip"