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.

What Ails Ya'

I've been suffering a "cold" - or something - for going on two weeks now. But it's getting worse. Feels a lot more flu-like.

Last fall I'd gotten seriously sick... for two months! I think it was some kind of "sinus infection" that had taken on top of a cold. I hadn't realized then that I still had medical insurance coverage, and so didn't see a doctor.

A friend had sent me a CARE package, including a full course of antibiotics, which seemed to do the trick. I'm thinking, by now, that I'll need something like that again. But this time I should be able to go to a doc to get it.

Yesterday I was so out of it and feeling so lousy that I had to just lay around in a park, sometimes almost delirious. On a gorgeous, hot summer day. I also had to miss almost all of the Street Festival going on nearby, too. Drat!

Imagine feeling that rotten... and then having to camp out curbside on a sidewalk with cold, dank night air all night long. Makes for a pretty funky morn rising.

Judge Not, Lest Ye...

A couple of days ago, I had to go over to the next city to make a court appearance for the "Obstructing Sidewalk" ticket I'd gotten awhile back. It's quite a ways from my usual stomping grounds, and so was a logistical burden. Especially since you have to be at the courthouse at 7am or so, since such a long line queues up to get searched, go in to stand in another long line that snakes and doublebacks on itself waiting for shots at the clerks' windows, etc.

I managed to night over in the area and got to the courthouse a bit on the late side. So I had to come back for the court session starting at 2pm, instead of the morning one. This meant I'd not only miss the usual breakfast local to me, but also lunch.

In addition to this ticket, there turned out to... well, "another matter" on their computer. Seems that several years ago, when I got my first and only traffic moving violation (passed some cars by riding my motorcycle on the shoulder of the hiway), I'd been dealing with a lot of change and a move and had forgotten the whole thing. So I'd also gotten a Failure To Appear charge against me and, apparently, never got the mails about all this. So that had eventually become a bench warrant for arrest. And a suspension of driver's license. Yuk.

I was among the last to be called to appear before the judge. I was ready to plea "not guilty" to the sidewalk obstructing thing, because according to what the civic code actually says, I think it's clear I shouldn't have been cited. So when I voiced my plea to the judge, he advised me that the court clerk would schedule another date for a trial on that.

Then he said: "And there's another matter." Gulp. After having sat in his court and watched how he meted out his justice to quite a few others, as well as having read the single-sheet instructions that had been passed out to us, I realized a couple of things about that "other matter" and what I was probably facing: possibly being jailed or having to at least post a bail (which I didn't have) and/or pay fines up to maybe about $800 - $1,000 or so. Plus, until I managed to somehow clear all that up, I'd still have stuff on my driving record and still would have to get another driver license.

But then he went on to tell me that the actual files for these matters had somehow... been destroyed. So it was ALL simply "dismissed"! Wow. All gone. No problem.

Sometimes things work out better than we'd even dare imagine.

Cannibals!!!

They're known as Creepers. Or Midnight Creepers. Or Tweakers.

Typically, these are drug addicts - meth (speed) or crack (cocaine) or whatever. They often stay up all night. And run or bicycle around a lot. These outings include forays along their routes checking on trashcans and dumpsters, to salvage what may be found. But also to check for chances for thefts.

Unfortunately, some of the easiest targets are -- homeless folks. Especially in the urban areas where people are sleeping outdoors. After all, here a person is wrapping up in a sleeping bag, usually with their head covered too against the cold, damp night air. And unconscious. All their belongings are right there, even bundled up in packs and such.

Despicably, often these Creepers are among homeless persons, too. Cannibalizing their own. The lowest of the low. Vermin!

They even go to quite some lengths to "case" someone, by watching them over time - noting details about if and when they're alone, what they own and carry around, where and when they sleep, etc.

Just so, last week my backpack was stolen while I slept. And, inside it, was my computer, my digital camera, my ID, my glasses, and other important or essential documents, legal materials, cash on hand. etc. The computer alone contained a LOT of unique info and a year's worth of work... journaling this entire experience, logging of key events/details, a great deal of collected information and resources, research, etc. for several important - even crucial - projects I've worked hard on. I even lost a small ivory carving I've had with me since boyhood, a last remaining memento.

I'd been using the backpack as my "pillow" while I slept, along with a stuffsack for my sleeping bag, which I'd stuff my coat and whatnot in too, since it's softer. Then I'd clip the pack to the stuffsack, as well, since the two items may separate a bit through the night.

I'm not really such a sound sleeper that I'll sleep through just anything. But, at the same time, sleeping outdoors and on streets or sidewalks one must accustom to sleeping through a lot more noise and sounds than in probably most other situations.

I'd just felt (apparently, mistakenly) sure that I'd taken reasonable measures to secure my valuables like that, assuming I'd be awakened "if" anyone tried to take it. In hindsight, all I can figure is that they must've moved very, very slowly and quietly. Once they felt the tether, they must've just as slowly and carefully followed it to the clip and gingerly unfastened it. And once they'd managed to patiently and quietly ease it away from my head, then they took off with the goods. I just can't imagine any other way.

Also in hindsight, I may actually be lucky that I didn't awaken, as there are no shortage of stories of people that have gotten bootkicked in the face and/or clubbed over the head with a length of plumbing pipe, too. So I may be "lucky" that they "only" got so much from me, without my being seriously physically harmed as well.

This loss is a most grave matter. I've now lost my main source of income -- as I'd been selling items by taking digital pics and posting on the internet for sale, using a lot of email for arrangements, etc. And my legal work... my ONLY shot at both getting some justice for what's been done to me resulting in my being here like this at all, as well as possibly recovering at least some of all the earnings and losses I've been cheated out of... is now almost all gone. Or would have to mostly be done all over again. Somehow.

What's more, my remaining possessions are almost all in the storage unit I've managed to keep until now, paying rent for that while forgoing so much else, but has been largely reliant upon using that gear and method to do so. Now ALL I have is at serious, imminent risk too.

And a number of friends and acquaintances who have had less than I, and so have been similarly benefiting or reliant upon the use of my equipment and my skills with it, are now similarly deprived.

I don't know what to do. Or if there's really anything that I can do.

[This Blog Entry is being done on a borrowed computer. This very Blog may not be able to be continued as I'd planned, either.]