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When the hell did I say that? I said poverty was more obvious in Cincinnati than in Florida, by a long shot. Use quotes so you know exactly what I said so you don't accidentally take out or add words out of what I said. As for more poverty, sure South Florida does. It has over twice the amount of population Cincinnati will ever have in it's greater region.
In Grand raids they recently did an investigation on many pan handlers. Though some are legit, many were found to work in shifts, live or have houses, or have major drug/alcohol addictions and they will say anything to get you to buy their story and most do not at all feel bad at what they are doing. Point being, use your best judgement, but understand often there is more reasons than unemployment that gets people a pan handling.
Extremely true.
I live in the suburbs right now. It's a solid, middle class suburb - some, but not a ton of "blight", and a healthy amount of new houses are being built. So not an area you'd expect to see a lot of homeless people.
About once a week at my exit, "panhandlers" mysteriously appear right by the ramps. Almost all of them have cardboard signs with writing. Some look more "normal" than others, but generally they have a small level of grunge to them. They always mysteriously disappear by the end of the day.
They have to be stationed there by someone with some motive. I'm not sure why - maybe homelessness awareness? Or this is just an easy way to get rid of these people? I don't know.
I'd rather they be at least doing something productive, like the guy who sold flowers at the exit ramp off I-75 onto Main St. in downtown Dayton. Always thought about buying those flowers from him, but he was only there early in the morning, which would do no good for getting them back home. I'm sure Cincy has similar vendors.
The statistics address the fear that cities are less safe than their suburban counterparts. Crime is always not palatable, no matter where it occurs.
In my case, I was never comparing Cincinnati to the suburbs. My point was that there is a distinct refusal among city-dwellers to admit that crime and pan handling is a big freaking quality-of-life problem. I think this refusal comes out of a fear that doing so will somehow suggest that the suburbs are better, which would in turn create some cognitive dissonance. It's all ego stuff IMO.
I live in the suburbs right now. It's a solid, middle class suburb - some, but not a ton of "blight", and a healthy amount of new houses are being built. So not an area you'd expect to see a lot of homeless people.
About once a week at my exit, "panhandlers" mysteriously appear right by the ramps. Almost all of them have cardboard signs with writing. Some look more "normal" than others, but generally they have a small level of grunge to them. They always mysteriously disappear by the end of the day.
They have to be stationed there by someone with some motive. I'm not sure why - maybe homelessness awareness? Or this is just an easy way to get rid of these people? I don't know.
I'd rather they be at least doing something productive, like the guy who sold flowers at the exit ramp off I-75 onto Main St. in downtown Dayton. Always thought about buying those flowers from him, but he was only there early in the morning, which would do no good for getting them back home. I'm sure Cincy has similar vendors.
The news report found that the average "wage" per hour for these people, mainly I assume by the freeways, was $20. Could you live with that. Some every night have big drinking parties under the underpasses and as I stated, some have or live in houses and work in shifts. Some had signs of being an ex vet when investigation turned out they were lying of course. I am not sure about Cincinnati, but in grand Rapids the homeless can get four or more square meals a day and a bed in at least one place and options are much more for those trying to better themselves. I live just blocks away from the big stretch of shelters and often times it is not the ones who fall on hard times that people have trouble helping, but those, as many do, who decide to make a life, or a "living" off others hard earned money. Sometimes a person just wishes they knew the truth in someones story or request. I helped many in Cincinnati at the bus stop but if I helped them all, just like in GR, I would be broke in no time. LOL I guess bus fare is different, but sometimes you wonder if they ever really get on the bus. LOL
I live in the suburbs right now. It's a solid, middle class suburb - some, but not a ton of "blight", and a healthy amount of new houses are being built. So not an area you'd expect to see a lot of homeless people.
About once a week at my exit, "panhandlers" mysteriously appear right by the ramps. Almost all of them have cardboard signs with writing. Some look more "normal" than others, but generally they have a small level of grunge to them. They always mysteriously disappear by the end of the day.
They have to be stationed there by someone with some motive. I'm not sure why - maybe homelessness awareness? Or this is just an easy way to get rid of these people? I don't know.
I'd rather they be at least doing something productive, like the guy who sold flowers at the exit ramp off I-75 onto Main St. in downtown Dayton. Always thought about buying those flowers from him, but he was only there early in the morning, which would do no good for getting them back home. I'm sure Cincy has similar vendors.
I'd assume each individual personally decided place "x" was a good place for asking to fill his/her own pockets. While it's probably not impossible, the notion of a "homeless gang" under the command of an organizer a la a pimp and prostitutes is a bit mind-boggling. The "take" couldn't be as much, and surely the police department would have gotten wind of it.
If the guy at the exist ramp is the same one I once saw on the bus (going east), he probably wasn't homeless and was just someone earning money. The usual way to get flowers, be it for a presentation or resale, is to buy them from a florist.
The statistics address the fear that cities are less safe than their suburban counterparts. Crime is always not palatable, no matter where it occurs.
So this survey surveyed 2 American cities with relatively low crime rates (for urban centers), and a Canadian city, with (compared to American cities) a ridiculously low crime rate .... all with functional mass trasport systems (Portland, so green and hispter that it has its own Bike-loving Portlandia tv spoof)
and then looked at their suburbs, and *surprise* -- more car accidents (and thus unfortunate instances of ending up "dying in a pool of your own blood") occurred where people drove more?
And then people are using that to say that "in general, your chances of dying in the suburbs are greater??".
Well. Since Cincinnati has 300-400K people (ish). And the 'burbs around Cinci have 700K+ people (ish)..
if everyone were to drop dead today of plague, there would be 2x as many people dying in the suburbs, than in the city because MORE PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SUBURBS.
Clearly. Suburbs are dangerous. I am now terrified to go home.
I understand. I'm not one who is naive enough to think that all homeless are harmless. Some of them are downright mean and criminal. It's a problem anywhere there is a concentration of homeless, and OTR/downtown still has that concentration. This is one reason I am in favor of moving the Drop Inn Center away from SCPA. As Ohiogirl has noted, that's def. fodder for another thread.
I agree about the Drop Inn Center. Further, I think one has to realize that we have people with mental illness among the homeless and among those who panhandle. This does not make them bad people, quite the contrary, but it well may make them unreasonable or unpredictable in their behavior.
The news report found that the average "wage" per hour for these people, mainly I assume by the freeways, was $20. Could you live with that. Some every night have big drinking parties under the underpasses and as I stated, some have or live in houses and work in shifts. Some had signs of being an ex vet when investigation turned out they were lying of course. I am not sure about Cincinnati, but in grand Rapids the homeless can get four or more square meals a day and a bed in at least one place and options are much more for those trying to better themselves. I live just blocks away from the big stretch of shelters and often times it is not the ones who fall on hard times that people have trouble helping, but those, as many do, who decide to make a life, or a "living" off others hard earned money. Sometimes a person just wishes they knew the truth in someones story or request. I helped many in Cincinnati at the bus stop but if I helped them all, just like in GR, I would be broke in no time. LOL I guess bus fare is different, but sometimes you wonder if they ever really get on the bus. LOL
Dang... $20 an hour! That's better than what most of my friends make!
Very interesting to hear about their culture - I never knew! Sounds like a lot of "homeless" are actually living a good and easy life haha.
I'd assume each individual personally decided place "x" was a good place for asking to fill his/her own pockets. While it's probably not impossible, the notion of a "homeless gang" under the command of an organizer a la a pimp and prostitutes is a bit mind-boggling. The "take" couldn't be as much, and surely the police department would have gotten wind of it.
If the guy at the exist ramp is the same one I once saw on the bus (going east), he probably wasn't homeless and was just someone earning money. The usual way to get flowers, be it for a presentation or resale, is to buy them from a florist.
That's why I'm always tempted to call the police whenever I see a homeless person. We live in a wealthy nation - there are enough social services to get these people off the streets if they want to leave, even if they are drug abusers or have mental issues.
As far as the flower guy goes, I'm sure we saw the same one. He was at that exit every morning for many years. And I hope he has a house - I think he was just trying to make an honest living selling flowers. But I couldn't imagine that would be a very good business environment haha.
Regardless, if more homeless people could be like him and try to do something productive, even as simple as selling items at freeways provided to them by social services, that would be an improvement.
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Some every night have big drinking parties under the underpasses and as I stated, some have or live in houses and work in shifts. Some had signs of being an ex vet when investigation turned out they were lying of course. I am not sure about Cincinnati, but in grand Rapids the homeless can get four or more square meals a day and a bed in at least one place and options are much more for those trying to better themselves. I live just blocks away from the big stretch of shelters and often times it is not the ones who fall on hard times that people have trouble helping, but those, as many do, who decide to make a life, or a "living" off others hard earned money. Sometimes a person just wishes they knew the truth in someones story or request. I helped many in Cincinnati at the bus stop but if I helped them all, just like in GR, I would be broke in no time. LOL I guess bus fare is different, but sometimes you wonder if they ever really get on the bus. LOL
