Do you mind or dislike homeless people?
 

I've seen them some places. When you see a homeless person, do you mind, or do you just try to go away as far as you can? Although they don't look the cleanest, most of them have a reason for being homeless - for example, they can't get a job, or they lost their job and most of what they had, which is why some people cannot see why they have became homeless - some assume that they just can't do well in life, which I think is wrong, there is more to think about. What is your opinion?

I personally think being homeless is fine - after all, some of them end up getting a job back and have a happy ending. They aren't like thieves, nor should they be treated that way in my opinion. What is your take?

Since, in fact, the majority of homeless is mentally ill....I find it best to keep a distance from them - especially at night. This is not to say that I am mean to them, I just go about my business and leave them alone. I try not to judge them but at night most people avoid any guy on the street who's either been drinking or is spouting nonsense at you. :?

That's understandable, in fact, most of them are. In some really bad towns, homeless could sneak up on you any minute, but you need to be wary, and I completely agree with you.

Homeless.
 

I don't mind them. I feel bad for them. They are just unfortunate people and it may or may not be their fault that they are homeless. There's a lot of homeless people in my city. So I see them a lot. I'm actually friends with someone on Gaia who's homeless, he uses public computers to get online and stays with friends for the night. He's a really nice person and a good friend. So no, I don't have any problem with homeless people.
:nods: I agree. People who are mean to homeless people are just heartless jerks who need to think about others. What if they were homeless and needed help but people were mean to them? D:
Yea....I like to help the homeless. ^^

Some people don't understand that most of them that are homeless are very unfortunate. If you get to know some of them, some are very kind, but some, as kin said, mentally ill.

Mentally ill people can be very nice, still. I like to keep a mental distance. I don't care about physical distance, unless they smell really bad. :3

I used to live near Amsterdam, and the homeless people there DID ruin their own chances. In Holland, you can get a lot of money from the government if you just TRY to get a job. So... If you're homeless here, you screwed up big time.

Some of my ex-friends are druggies. They used to be fine but because they stole money from their parents they were kicked out and now blew their chances of free education and stuff like that. They suck. :3

o.o I see, some places are different than others, like Marissa said, where I live, its different.

I lived in New York City for a year, and there were homeless people all over the place there. The fact is, that not most of them were mentally ill. At least not most of the ones that I saw. Also, there is a huge range of types of homeless people.

There's the woman who sat outside a pizza place with bedraggled kids between the ages of 3 and 7, not saying anything to people walking by but holding a sign that read, "I have three children. After my husband left us, I could no longer afford our place. Please help us."

There's the twenty-somethings who walk up to you like you're an old friend and say, "Hey! How are you doing? So, I haven't eaten since yesterday and I'm really hungry. Do you think you could spare some change?"

And on the subways, there are hundreds of them. At least once every few days I would run into one.

The guy sleeping across two seats with a coat full of holes pulled up over his head.

The entertainers are a class of their own. One guy stood on the subway in his ratty clothes, telling jokes about his condition (actually very funny jokes). I don't remember all of his routine, but at one point he said, "You guys are just jealous of me. You in your expensive apartments. You have to pay your heat, your water, your electricity. Me? I pay two dollars and I get to spend all day in air conditioned comfort, riding across the city." He made a lot of money.

People sing on the subways, play instruments, or just talk about their condition. How they ended up there, how long it's been since they've eaten, what steps they're trying to make to get out. They have a captive audience and will spend all day going from train car to train car, trying to make a few bucks.

And, of course, there are the mentally ill ones. They talk to themselves, fidget nervously, and yell obscenities at nothing. They're less common though.

Certainly some of these people use the money they make for drugs, but I'm sure it's not all of them. I know through a friend's experience that it's really hard to find a job when you don't have a phone number, and I'm sure it gets even harder when you don't have an address. Things happen. Things go horribly wrong, and sometimes you can be a good, hardworking person, and you can still end up in a really bad situation. And once you get there, it is devestatingly hard to work your way back up. Part of this is because of how other people view you, and part of it is how you view yourself.

In San Francisco, alot of elderly people I know play the Chinese Erhu to earn money and they use it to get some food. But one thing I watch is that not to give money to those drug addicts, as you said. Some of them actually do use them for drugs and cigars (not a smoker, hate it), but most of them buy food, and they are kinda' polite about it (some of them). Some of them are robbers, I've seen a hobo wearing very dirty clothes trying to rob a jewelry store and get chased after. Go figure, I would do the same. He got caught though. Don't know what happened to him after that. To be safe, I usually donate to the food drives that are used to give food away in those who need it.

Another thing to discuss ~ do you think they're are more male hobos than female hobos? Or vice versa? I personally think there is much more male hobos than female ones, from what I've seen. What do you think? I don't know why there is though.

You know, I never really thought about it before, but now that you mention it, yes. I think the vast majority of the homeless people I've seen have been male.

Of course, part of that could be because there are more organizations in the city for women who have run into trouble than there are for men. Our society tends to assume that men can do well enough on their own.

Nope, there's nothing wrong with homeless people. They're human, just like everyone else, and they shouldn't be treated any differently just because they have no-where to live.

I hate the fact that there are some homeless people who are wrongly labeled as drunks, druggies or thieves.
There was a poem I read once (it's on topic I swear!) called 'The Beggar', in which a wealthy businessman walks past a homeless person and thinks 'stupid guy, go get a job.. drunk again I see, lying in the street' but then he feels guilty for thinking that.
Everyone should feel guilty who thinks that, because it's not right at all. It's a horrible form of prejudice :/

Let's describe homeless first. Homelessness is the condition and societal category of people who lack fixed housing, usually because they cannot afford a regular, safe, and adequate shelter.


I don't mind them at all. I live in Puerto Rico and the streets here a full of them.

But we also must respect a small number of homeless people that choose to be homeless, living as nomads.

I don't mind homeles people, but you know, it kind of is thier fault a little. Sometimes bad things can happen but there've been lots worse things than just 'losing a job'. Sometimes people are ill and can't get one.

Also there are some who choose that way of life, and I respect that.

I usually ignore them, though, on occasion, I'll give them a dollar or something. Depends on what I'm carrying and if I'll need it later.

Here in Kansas there are homeless but in the area I live it isn't really an issue. I mean they tend to stick to a different part of the city. But when I've been to Paris they are everywhere. I feel bad for them and wish I could help more. I hope when I move there I can do little things like if I'm going out grabbing some bread or something to eat to give to the first homeless person I see. I don't like giving out money because you never know if they really are in a bad situation or if they are just scammers.

My first thought when I read the topic name was that this thread was going to be extremely offensive, but then I found myself to be fortunately very wrong. This thread is actually not as bad, though the signaling out of people is still slightly offensive. As to the homeless people, I neither avoid them nor think down upon them. I feel rather sorry for them. I wish there where enough jobs in the world to support ever 1 person but sadly there is not, those with the skills end up on top while those without them fall down. I only hope that they will not remain homeless forever.

I've actually never seen a homeless person here in Norway, I'm not even aware if they exist (we have a pretty good welfare system here).

A couple of years ago though I was on vacation in Paris/France, and I saw a homeless woman with a tiny little baby sleeping on the stairs of a clothing store. That was quite a shock for me. It made me realize how sheltered I really am and how good my life actually is. I think those kind of eye-openers really help us grow as human beings and give us a better view on life. Now whenever I feel like my life is going down the drain I always try to remember that now matter how bad I feel, it could always get a lot worse.

Honestly, I stay away from the homeless because I'd feel bad if they asked me for money when I couldn't give them any.I have however, helped serve food at a homeless shelter before. (That food... disgusting, most of it was old and nearly molded.)


It's not like they're bad people, they just ran out of money and were forced on the streets. Most of them don't have enough clothing and aren't able to bathe enough to get a decent job so there simply isn't much they can do about it. Although, after volunteering at a homeless shelter for about a month, I found that most of them are actually pretty good people. ^^

I don't mind them , but i do feel guilty when i walk by them and does not give them anything. I have never done that before, and ..i don't really know why..i dun have the guts or something..

and reading the person above me's reply. it does remind me of another reason i dun gave anything. i have seen movies{which may be wrong} where some people pretend to be homeless people and gain money.

I think that ther are places where they can get help or..there should be place built to help them...instead of having them on the street..annoying some of the people that do not like them{not me}