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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 12:38 pm 
I think a few have drifted here not knowing that Stampede Week was cancelled. What's the procedure for when you come upon folks who there totally covered up in blankets but you can't see if they are OK? I did not disturb the two lumps this morning. Last winter, on a very cold morning with the temperature around 8 degrees, I notified the cops about a person in a doorway on the sidewalk with only a blanket. I didn't disturb the blanket person. I expect there will be more what with all the folks who will be evicted. Do you disturb them to see if they are OK? Or just walk on by? I was pondering this as I walked on by. I think it would be different in the winter.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human末animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 2:32 pm 
I would just leave them be unless it's super cold, then I would notify the authorities. A large percentage of homeless people have mental health and substance abuse issues, so contacting them could be dangerous. The homeless problem imho is much more complex than simply housing them. Many of them are not capable of maintaining a stable and operable living space, due to the aforementioned issues. In addition, many of them are actually comfortable living outside, for some, it's all they know. Instead of funding going toward housing the homeless, it should go toward trying to help them work out the issues that caused them to be homeless in the first place. There is no easy answer, but thank you for caring!

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Damian
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 3:37 pm 
Talk to them. Based on thousands if encounters like this I can say it is highly unlikely to be dangerous. Your visit will likely be the only positive experience of their day. Try it.

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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 6:33 pm 
Damian wrote:
Talk to them. Based on thousands if encounters like this I can say it is highly unlikely to be dangerous. Your visit will likely be the only positive experience of their day. Try it.
I always say "Morning." or "Hello." There was a group of happy drunks that always replied in a very cheery fashion. I haven't seen them around. I think they may be staying on the east side of the river on the tribal lands what with the virus times. I am seeing folks that I haven't seen before wandering about.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human末animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 7:34 pm 
treeswarper wrote:
Do you disturb them to see if they are OK? Or just walk on by? I was pondering this as I walked on by. I think it would be different in the winter.
To disturb or not to disturb a possibly disturbed person? My reasoning is it's a risk-reward situation, I personally would not do it. I agree that in Winter, then the risk for them is higher so as I said, I would notify the authorities.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Randito
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 8:24 pm 
Be careful about judging people sleeping rough too harshly, you don't know how they got in their current circumstances, nor what the future might hold. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/17-rich-and-famous-people-who-were-once-homeless-a7350941.html?amp

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Damian
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 8:26 pm 
treeswarper wrote:
I always say "Morning." or "Hello."
👍🏿

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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 8:31 pm 
I watched a documentary about a older, longtime homeless man, they helped him get off the streets, into housing, etc, but he didn稚 want that, he was comfortable being on the streets, it was the life he knew and wanted.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Randito
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 9:08 pm 
Chief Joseph wrote:
I watched a documentary about a older, longtime homeless man, they helped him get off the streets, into housing, etc, but he didn稚 want that, he was comfortable being on the streets, it was the life he knew and wanted.
Yes there are some folks like that. The vast majority of people that experience homelessness are homeless work hard to become housed and at least in years past are only homeless for short periods. But its becoming progressively harder to get back into housing, with higher rents and higher expectations by landlords of credit ratings. At least Seattle isn't yet like NYC where "brokers" require a 10% of annual rent "fee" for the privilege of renting an apartment and you need to document annual income 40 times greater than monthly rent.

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Cyclopath
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 9:19 pm 
treeswarper wrote:
I always say "Morning." or "Hello."
Yep. Homeless people are people. I wouldn't wake anybody up, but I assume being ignored or looked down on by most people has to be as bad as any other part of being homeless, so I say hi or nod, acknowledge their presence like with anybody else. It's shameful how society treats homeless people. Really good to see an exception to the rule, trees.

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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Aug 16, 2020 9:25 pm 
I will sometimes offer some food to the people with the signs saying, "homeless, need help" they seem to be grateful for the most part. As far as giving them money, I hesitate from giving them cash, since I don't want to enable their possible addictions.
Cyclopath wrote:
It's shameful how society treats homeless people.
It's also shameful the amount of trash they accumulate and leave behind while in an encampment, kind of like some of the hikers and campers out in the woods.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostMon Aug 17, 2020 8:22 am 
This area has always been a bit depressed. There are low income apartments that are a bargain when compared to Seattle, but those have waiting lists. Extremely low income bunkhouse style housing was built last year but it is only for agricultural workers and what with the pandemic, doesn't seem have many occupants. I think they charge $10 a night. This is subsidized via a grant. Since the pandemic began, I've been sending a check for an estimated amount that I'd usually be spending on pickup fuel to the local Food Bank. They can use it. From what I've read, the most important thing is to provide safe, decent housing. This makes one big worry go away. Then you can work on the other problems folks have. Last year, I did feel like punching out a woman who was pushing a shopping cart full of stuff (has been a rare sight here) because she started hollering how my dog was the F------ ugliest F------dog ever. My little Froo Froo! And about a week ago, encountered a man hollering F this, F that I don't F---ing care as he walked by. I did not say "morning" to him.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human末animals and aliens are great possibilities
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostMon Aug 17, 2020 8:24 am 
Chief Joseph wrote:
It's also shameful the amount of trash they accumulate and leave behind while in an encampment, kind of like some of the hikers and campers out in the woods.
The couple spotted yesterday were conveniently sleeping between a dumpster and a storage shed. That's how I spotted them. I had a full dog log bag to put in the dumpster.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human末animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Randito
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PostMon Aug 17, 2020 9:20 am 
treeswarper wrote:
a woman who was pushing a shopping cart full of stuff (has been a rare sight here) because she started hollering how my dog was the F------ ugliest F------dog ever. My little Froo Froo! And about a week ago, encountered a man hollering F this, F that I don't F---ing care as he walked by.
Yeah, back during the '80s people with mental illness that were deemed not of "immediate risk" of harm to themselves or others were deinatitutionalized. Unfortunately these mental health issues tend to interfere with holding steady employment and generally keeping it together enough to stay housed. So these folks are no longer kept in state mental hospitals where "Nurse Ratchet" keeps them medicated to the point of docility.

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fourteen410
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PostMon Aug 17, 2020 12:12 pm 
In downtown Seattle, you see it enough that most people just walk on by. It sounds heartless, but you get desensitized. In a smaller town, I supposed it might be different.

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