2w ago

People are so horrible to homeless people for no reason

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I agree that people lack compassion, but for a substantial number, it's not 'for no reason.'
Many people's interactions with the homeless population are very negative, typically involving theft, drug use, and terrifying mental health breaks. Obviously, that's very much an issue of selection bias since it's typically the same few who give the entire homeless population a bad reputation.
I think if people gave more of their time to help the homeless and others who have fallen through the cracks of society, a lot of the cruel words and horrible treatment directed toward our less fortunate would diminish substantially. A few hours a week volunteering at your local food bank, shelter, church kitchen, nursing home, etc. Is a small inconvenience but an absolutely huge help.
Additionally, we must rethink how we treat repeat offenders and public criminality. A lot of the time police won't even respond to a reported bike theft or incidence of public drug use. The offenders are a danger and nuisance not only to themselves and the general public at large, but also, and most substantially, to other homeless people.
- Most people’s only interaction with the homeless is seeing them from a distance, and then making assumptions about them
- I have had many dangerous interactions with homeless people and I carried on doing it anyway for a long time. At this point, I’m careful. I need to be here for my kids.
  I’ve had two strangers shoot up in the back of my car while I was taking them somewhere (separate occasions). I had one ask me to pull over only so they could yell to a crowd of fellow homeless people, “y’all tell fatback that if I don’t get my shoes back, y’all ain’t gonna get fatback back!!” Guns were drawn. I was threatened. Very scary. I could never forget that either haha. I still reenact it regularly to make people laugh, wasn’t funny in the moment though.
  The scariest one though. My ex and I were very young. Our daughter was about 4 months old. Dude was camping outside of my house and he wouldn’t respond to anything I said to him. I had to go to work and I didn’t want to leave the wife and kid there with him just outside. I called my work, told them I might not be coming if dude didn’t leave.
  I asked him how he was doing. Nothing. I asked him where he was from. Nothing. I finally said, “Look, I’m going 30 miles that way. If you want a ride, go get in my car. It’s unlocked.” He stood up immediately and went and sat in the passenger seat.
  He said nothing the whole way. He pulled out a large hunting knife and picked his fingers with it. I just talked and talked about my kids and my life to him so he might see me as a person and not kill me. He just grunted and growled the whole ride.
  I pulled into a McDonald’s and I told him that that was as far as I was willing to go. He looked at me, nodded his head, got out of the car and walked away. That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I still have nightmares about to this day. I was sure he was going to cut me up and take my car.
  It would be nice if we could heal people in his situation. I really hope that we make it there someday as a species.
  
  Thanks for sharing.
  A lot of people who don't have much experience helping with the homeless don't realise how dangerous it can often be and tend to err on the side of optimism.
  We've had to call police on numerous occasions because of instances of physical assault. Of course, the vast majority of people we help are lovely, but it helps to be realistic to keep yourself and others safe.
  
  I think a lot of leftists here have never interacted with or see homeless on a daily basis and believe in the whole "nobility of the homeless" myth.

56 comments