[SubHuman]

People climbing onto the subway tracks, or the guy carrying around a large bag of bottles and rocks he throws at cars and through the biggest windows he sees while screaming at the invisible demons in his mind, should be in a psychiatric institution, not in shelters for the night where they can freely leave every morning to create their mayhem.
Likewise the catatonic guy with little or no idea of where he is, who has been soiling himself and wearing the same clothes for two years, should be in some kind of long-term health care facility, not a shelter.
If the shelters were used only by those who were not problematic (to themselves, and the rest of us) and otherwise lucid, no one would have any problem with them being in their vicinity.

 

[Admiral Beez]

People climbing onto the subway tracks, or the guy carrying around a large bag of bottles and rocks he throws at cars and through the biggest windows he sees while screaming at the invisible demons in his mind, should be in a psychiatric institution, not in shelters for the night where they can freely leave every morning to create their mayhem.
Likewise the catatonic guy with little or no idea of where he is, who has been soiling himself and wearing the same clothes for two years, should be in some kind of long-term health care facility, not a shelter.
If the shelters were used only by those who were not problematic (to themselves, and the rest of us) and otherwise lucid, no one would have any problem with them being in their vicinity.

Indeed. The insane and addicted should be institutionalized if necessary. Everyone else who’s homeless should be triaged and assigned a mini home (like in Halifax and Peterborough below) until more permanent housing can found.

 

[Towered]

Coming out of Tilt on Saturday and getting into the car on Queen Street, some vagrant swore at my 7 year old son. I went nuclear on this guy - like, we're talking Bugatti 0-60 rage acceleration.

I used to be such a chill person.

 

[Lisa1956]

Coming out of Tilt on Saturday and getting into the car on Queen Street, some vagrant swore at my 7 year old son. I went nuclear on this guy - like, we're talking Bugatti 0-60 rage acceleration.

I used to be such a chill person.

The lack of consequences is part of the problem. Not referring to jail but the fact that everyone just takes this crap, never says anything in response. Nothing wrong with letting someone know their sh*t belongs to them and they ought to keep it to themselves.

 

[fstocker]

So there I was, at the old greyhound station, -20 weather, wrapped up in 4 sleeping bags and a tarp. I looked like a pile of garbage, that was intentional, kept the police and riff raff from harassing me as I tend to like keeping to myself.

Didn’t work out that way that day, camouflage only works until it doesn’t … Police came, threatened to arrest me and throw my things in the garbage, that is when I started recording. The officer's tune changed incredibly quickly when I informed him that he was currently being streamed on YouTube.

I asked him if he could give me his name and badge number, he said ‘it’s right there’ pointing at his name tag in the dark … Officers are required to give their name and badge number upon request, I didn’t get that, treated like I was sub-human, apparently not deserving of any courtesy being a street urchin, a cretin in their eyes.

I then asked if the officer was going to come back and harass me for being on the sidewalk … His response: “It’s public property, do what you want, the city doesn't care”

So why bother me in the first place?

I think his comment clearly shows what the city’s attitude is given that he was a uniformed City of Toronto Police Officer, on duty and harassing a homeless person … to punish and degrade, not serve and protect

The video is on YouTube, but really it seems that nobody cares about that either … The city and its people have abandoned those of us who have no home, and not by only discarding us, but by treating us like we are lesser than the filth on their shoes.

“It’s public property, do what you want, the city doesn't care” … It still echo’s in my head, ringing, stinging worse than the frostbite I was suffering on my feet at the time. It still affects me, to be so easily discarded, thrown away like a used diaper.

Tell a person that they are nothing, treat them like they are worth less than the jam between your toes, and see, over time, how they crumble to dust.

I will not live up to their expectations, becoming just dust on the wind.

I will be a leaf on that wind … watch me soar

F Stocker

 

[evandyk]

You registered just to post that?