Howdy, Neighbor!

This is a picture of one of my "neighbors," G.D. He stands a solid 6'1" at 240lbs or so. And G.D. can be excitable.

The other night, he and I were toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye out on the street outside a cafe'. He'd just almost got into a fight with the night manager there and now was up in my face, with a fierce, crazed menacing look and growling threats between his clenched teeth. He really, really wanted me to give him a cigarette!

He and I have previously had things worked out in more... well, neighborly fashion... which I reminded him and invoked. And it worked. This time.

The next morning, on my way to coffee, I ran across G.D. handcuffed and being strapped to a gurney. Between wild snarlings at his Helpers, he shot me a defiant smile for a second. But he makes this trip about one a week or so. And is usually back on the streets in a couple of days.

The raw reality is that G.D. is just one among quite a few others, each with their own... shall we say, quirks? Some are truly among the most dangerous of persons. Others delightfully harmless. And everything inbetween.

Welcome to your new neighborhood! And your new social life, as you will be spending a lot of time around and among these. And must needs get along and fit in, somehow. Once they recognize and know you're among them, many then figure they have a LOT more free access to you. And too many know where you... live. And some know where you sleep.

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Breaking news:

I just learned that there was a stabbing this morn, out on the street. Just down the way from where I "live".

Goin' to the Dogs

Many homeless folks have dogs. Advantages can be:

• Protection - especially the many pitbull types.
• Companionship - Hey, it gets lonesome out here!

One friend recently was given a puppy. He's a very good, caring person and was concerned that it hadn't had it's shots yet. A real downside of having a pet 'out here' is that homeless people often must spend time in some of the... well, less hygienic... places. And worms and other pests can be a real problem for critters.

So he set out to seek some help with that. Guess what? Shots and other pet essentials ARE available by some outfits. That is, IF you have an address.

Once again....

Berkeley - #10 Meanest City to Homeless

In the photo above, taken about 7:30am the morning of August 18, 2009, we see a 72 year old man that's been awakened by a Berkeley Police officer and has been sitting in his sleeping bag for a good half hour or so while the officer uses a device to measure the area occupied and actually awaited arrival of a "Crime Scene Unit" so that another officer could bring their digital camera and take pictures.

THEN the first officer gives him a citation ticket for being there. These tickets can mean a fine of over $200, which is more than for entire vehicle parking infractions or even some traffic violations, including those that might pose even dangerous safety risks. Huh?

Does this seem out of scale, at all? Overkill? A good, appropriate or cost-effective use of city budget, police, civic resources?

HOW might this "solve the problem"... and just what IS "the problem"? Did ANYone actually complain about this old guy sleeping there, or is this yet another in a program of basic harassing actions by the cops and the city, on their own initiative?

I mean, really. It's an old man. A homeless old man. One that was sleeping and obviously has tidily arranged his meagre collection of belongings, which have only been temporarily located at that spot and which he'd move once he awoke and got going.

This police action followed a growing number of similar ones in recent times, where homeless folks were disturbed and either made to leave and/or cited. Tellingly, the police deliberately do so either late at night or early in the morning, apparently purposely awakening people and harassing them at the most inconvenient and difficult times. And then only made to go... where else?

Worse, last week like many times before, homeless people not only get chased away and/or cited, but their minimal possessions are taken. Just thrown away. This has included their bedding, clothing, etc. leaving them all the more destitute and trapped on the streets empty handed... where they continue to be at risk for just more of this same callous, heartless harassment... to WHAT possible good end?

Late one night not long before this photo was taken, several cops and cruisers had arrived at a location where a number of people had been sleeping to drive everyone away and I had approached two officers on foot that were walking about waking people up to chase them away. I asked them directly and outright where people COULD go and be peaceably, instead. All they could and did tell me was that it was not there. Nor the next block, nor the next.

One officer said: "If you tuck yourself away somewhere else and there's no noise or problem, then I probably will have no reason to bother with you." Somewhere... else. "Tucked away". Probably.

Berkeley applies for, and receives, millions of dollars in various federal/state/etc. funding "to help the homeless". Here's how considerable city funds are actually being spent, for example.

MidSummer's Nightmares

I slept out under a full moon last night. A very bright "star" appearing near it in the sky was, reportedlly, Jupiter. The sky was clear, the night relatively mild (although temps have been a lot cooler than norm) and things were fairly peaceful and quiet. Some sirens in the distance. Even more distantly echoed blaring of trains. And, faintly, some fog horns from the bay beyond.

It had been another long day, and I was both fatigued and still ill. Yet, I had trouble getting to sleep. I was just awake enough that my mind betrayed me and began to run both past troubles and anticipations of possible hardships ahead. Even... winter.

I've been trying to get some medical attention lately. Even went to the County social services offices. They did send me to a doctor this past week, too. But just for a "physical exam" to see if I "qualify".... the doctor assured me I would receive no actual treatment for anything during that visit. Heck, I didn't even get the "physical exam" I'd expected, for that matter. He just asked a series of questions and made some notes. Didn't even take my temperature nor blood pressure or anything "physical".

I'd returned to where I'd been formerly "curb camping" along a residential street -- out in front of a church property complex and across the street from mostly apartment buildings. Some of the youthful residents were coming and going; some walking right by me - I could've reached out and touched them; same with some parking cars on the other side of me. One sat and idled the engine for quite awhile - right there - before shutting down and going inside.

We'd all been rousted a couple of nights before - sent away by cops. "We" were quite a lot of people by then. More and more folks had been showing up nightly, until about a good 600 feet of fairly densely fitting lodgers had been regularly showing along two blocks there. Last night, there were only three of us on that block, and a few more on the next.

The calm was rattled by someone yelling "Free pizza! Free pizza! Come 'n get it!" on the next block. I got up and did. The "gutter punk" kids and others similarly bedraggled were clustered over there and had a big heap of donated old pizza. So I had a slice, taking it with me back to my "spot". And, once finished, tried again to drift off to sleep.

It wasn't too long before the quiet was shattered again by shrieks from the couple "camped" maybe 30' feet down the way from me. A rat had stepped on them, startling them. I'd had the same thing happen to me about a month or so ago, down the block a ways.

Checking my watch, I found it was already past 2am. And morning comes all too early. As I finally was drifting off, some hooligan kids came boisterously down the sidewalk, goofing and... one pretended to be loudly wretching and vomiting, leaning over each person trying to sleep, as they passed.

Sweet dreams....

SlumberJack

Last night, the cops were doing a sweep and crackdown on the usual curbcamp areas. This is a regular, routine practice from time to time. When "too many" people have to sleep in the ONLY areas that are usually allowed for that, and then some of the worst drunks/addicts/mentally ill join in and make messes and noise and problems... then it's time to roust EVERYone.

So the cops come and make everyone "move on". Where? If you ask them directly, and you're not drunk or stoned or nuts and they take you for reasonably okay, they'll kind of coyly let you know that as long as you go most anywhere else and "tuck yourself in somewhere without making any noise or trouble" they'll probably leave you be.

So you trundle... somewhere else... and get set up maybe not too late after midnight. And, as usual, be sure to get up and get going by, maybe, 6am or so. That can make for some short nights, especially if all that activity and strangeness of area doesn't allow you to fall asleep right away. Maybe 5 hours or less, often.

So the next morning, after getting to an amenable cafe and putting something in the belly and going inside where it's dry and warm... there's a slump that happens mid-morn. A virtually overwhelming fatigue and nigh irresistable nap urge.

But it's now full daytime. And even FEWER places to sleep.

Repeat.