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How American Homeless Stay Wired
theodp writes "San Franciscan Charles Pitts has accounts on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. He runs a Yahoo forum, reads news online and keeps in touch with friends via email. Nothing unusual, right? Except Pitts has been homeless for two years and manages this digital lifestyle from his residence under a highway bridge. Thanks to cheap computers, free Internet access and sheer determination, the WSJ reports that being homeless isn't stopping some from staying wired. 'You don't need a TV. You don't need a radio. You don't even need a newspaper,' says Pitts. 'But you need the Internet.'"
I am not sure you realize how bad the "human resources" movement people are at finding talent that doesn't fit into a distinct mould. There are tons of good people out there who have true talent who can't get jobs because they don't strictly fit into some H.R. drone can't easily label them or because H.R. is playing games with H1-Bs or whatnot.
People like Charlie Pitts deserve chances. Not every homeless guy is the "bum" stereotype we see so much in our media, and many have genuine talents and can contribute a lot. It's just that we don't manage our available talents well in the US at all right now.
I would say someone in his situation wants to be homeless. Not every homeless person is a mentally ill individual, or is someone who lost a job. Some people are homeless because they prefer to be off the grid. Some make pretty good money panhandling (begging, if you prefer). Some are criminals. If someone wants to stay connected to others, and is homeless, IMHO he wants to be homeless.
You have to realize that in most cases of homelessness, there are other factors. What I mean is that the situation isn't one of "Person lost their job, exhausted their savings, and was thrown out on the street." That is extremely rare. Not losing one's job and running out of money is rare, but that the immediate follow up is "and thrown out on the street."
In a lot of cases, the problem is substance abuse of some kind or another. Alcohol, illegal drugs, inhalants, whatever. The person has chosen their addiction over everything else, and thus their friends and family are sick of putting up with them. I mean someone can be a real good friend of yours, but if all they do is get drunk and damage your place, eventually you are probably going to throw them out. There are other causes too like mental illness, or simply being lazy to the point you find that not working and being homeless is easier.
If you look in to it you'll find that it is rather rare to see someone who is homeless 100% by circumstance. For most people, if life takes a shit on them, they have others they can go to for help. There is another compounding factor involved. Something that has either caused those that care about them to give up on them (like drugs) or something that has caused them to decide not to try and deal with the situation.
The subject of interviewing came up during a coffee break at work the other day. Most of us who have hired people agreed that it takes about 30 seconds of conversation with a person to decide whether they can do the job or not. Hiring for tech jobs I have never paid much attention to resumes except to get an idea of what interests them.
The most useful person I have hired came to us as a part time student. When he graduated I took him on as a permanent because I could see that he learnt new stuff fast and had shown potential mentoring our new intern.
HR just want to cover their arses and keep costs down.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
> with the abundance of soup kitchens and charity groups out there
Not sure what you base that claim of "abundance" on, but it's not the number of groups that matter, its access to actual food and beds. And there are more homeless than plates in my city. A couple times I picked up panhandlers to show them how easy it was to get a meal and a bed. It turned out to be not so easy at all - those resources are finite, and they actually turn people away.
It might interest you to try the same - escort a homeless person to the abudant resources in your town. Hopefully you'll have more luck than me. And if not, maybe you can split a lunch and wish him well.
Wow. Seriously, people, wow. I'm not a historian, but I wonder if there's ever been a period in history where the fortunate were so incredibly delusional about how lucky they are, and actually believe that anyone else fortunate than themselves is just lazy. You don't really believe this, do you? Do you really think that someone would PREFER to live under a bridge, enduring inclement weather, harassment from the police and the threat of violence from others on the street, rather than get a job, work, and rent a cheap apartment where, at the very least, they're inside out of the rain? My God. You don't really think it's that easy out there, where you can get a job just because you're able to organize stuff without much difficulty? if so, I hope that you and the others posting the like on this article never lose your jobs and become homeless, for your own sakes; you're so clueless that you wouldn't last a month, let alone long enough to get another job and a place to live.
I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
You're the delusional one. Some people are homeless and hate it, but some people just choose this lifestyle because that's what they want. Yup, some people would rather spend all day outside, drinking booze, eating food from dumpsters (I'm sure the more experienced dumpster divers eat better food than I do) and sleep in a park bench or abandoned building with 3 other guys rather than get up early in the morning, do a retarded job in a cubicle all day to go back home to watch TV and worry about paying bills and mortgages.
Some people would rather choose freedom than working a 9 to 5. Mind blowing, isn't it?
You just got troll'd!
I think you may be reading too deeply into his situation.
...and yes, GP is right. It was VERY freeing. It was a sense of freedom that was underscored by a need for change and progress. As I wasn't content living that way for any extended period of time. But being honest with myself and coming to terms with my situation allowed for me to accept what had happened, formulate a plan to change that and not worry in the interim.
...and there was a certain excitement to being 'on the go' constantly. Constantly. Though sleeping in commuter lots was a little scary--as was driving anywhere--given that my car wasn't insured or registered and my license was suspended...all things I was able to neglect while having a home and an SO with such amenities.
I suffered (or, rather, endured) a very similar situation. I was cohabitating with my girlfriend. Things didn't work out, I had to get out. I was unemployed at the time, so for the couple months I was sleeping out of my car and/or couch surfing (people get sick of that really quickly, the polite notice it and act accordingly).
I got a job, saved up some cash and got a place to live. But in the months leading up to that I was homeless. While I wouldn't reccomend it, especially to the light of heart, it isn't neccesarily nearly as much an indication of an underlying condition so much as a sign of lack of concern for something most people would obsess over.
Was it comfortable? No. Was I happy about the situation? No. Did I make the best of it? Damn straight I did.
In the time that I was homeless I managed to secure a job, save money to get a place to stay, form a new band and coordinate practices and shows. I kept up with my myspace and emails on a daily basis. I didn't dumpster dive. I had money to purchase food. But I wasn't obsessed with needing a place to call home. On a temporary basis. I knew that I was working towards that and I was dealt (or had caused my self to have to deal with) a bad hand. Live, learn, etc.
There is nothing in that behavior that suggests that I need to get 'checked out'. The GP as well as myself both enjoyed a reletively high standard of living, however we weren't so entrenched in our way of life that when our situation was drastically changed that we fretted needlessly over our lack of walls.
So I went to partys and instead of leaving, I'd do what I wouldn't ordinarily do. Crash on the couch. I went home with girls I may not have ordinarily gone home with. I also acted in a more gentlemanly manner that I ordinarily wouldn't have acted with.
All in all it was an exciting time that I wish to never revisit, a lot was learned, progress was made, and it was all dealt with in a very honest and pragmatic manner. I see no reason why GP or myself should seek treatment for merely 'living off the land' in an urban setting.
-Dan
Well that's just not true, and blaming 'drugs' is an easy way to scapegoat people so you don't have to feel bad about yourself.
There is nothing in that behavior that suggests that I need to get 'checked out'.
Well said. I personally find it offensive and obnoxious when people insist on hectoring others into embarking on counselling, phychological or psychiatric treatment just because they don't happen to adhere to a nice, comfortable bourgeois social norm.
There are countless ways to live one's life, and if someone doesn't want to fit the profile of a nice little suburban nine-to-fiver there's no reason why anyone should try to make him. In my opinion, psychologists tend to fuck up more people than they help, since as often as not they have a tendency to manufacture problems where none exist outside the narrow-minded preoccupations of others. And once they've got their claws into their victim they never seem to let go.
You have to realize that in most cases of homelessness, there are other factors. What I mean is that the situation isn't one of "Person lost their job, exhausted their savings, and was thrown out on the street." That is extremely rare.
Not as rare as it used to be. As of a few years ago, about half of homeless people in SF were on drugs. Now, the shelter operators report people in suits showing up. People are running out their savings and their friends' patience.
Simply having made a bad career choice can break you now. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
This has nothing to do with scapegoating, everything to do with reality. Most people who are homeless are that way for a reason. The most common reason is addiction. I'd actually say that alcohol addiction is more common than any other drug. Their addiction is to the point that it totally rules their life and it is all they care about.
Either way, not sure why you think I should feel bad about myself. Even if the reality was different, I still don't feel bad. I don't feel sorry or evil or whatever for having happiness and success in my life. I would hope that everyone else does as well, but I don't feel bad about myself because many don't.
So if you think I should feel guilty, well sorry I don't and I won't. If you choose to guilt yourself over what you have in your life, I can't stop you, but I don't feel it is productive and I don't do it. I enjoy my life.
No I haven't. Addiction is a choice. I don't mean one chooses to become addicted, but one has to choose to stop. There is no forcing an addict off their addiction. They have to decide for themselves that there are things they want even more than satisfying their addiction. They then can choose to work to get better. I'm not claiming it is an easy choice to make, but it is a choice. An addict can choose to stop, or they can choose to continue. They can decide when the tradeoffs are too great, and they have to fight their addiction.
That is why it is often said that you have to "bottom out" before you can recover. What it means is that you have to get to the point that things have become so bad, you are now willing to try and do what it takes to quit. For different people this is at different levels so there isn't a "bottom" that all addicts hit. For some it might be much higher than others.
Homeless addicts, well they may not have a bottom. They may be the kind that no matter how bad things get, no matter how deep they go, they still will choose the addiction over recovery. There is nothing out there that they won't trade for their addiction.
Choosing your addiction is the easy choice, the path of least resistance, choosing to fight it is extremely hard (especially with some drugs) but make no mistake it IS a choice. A hard choice is still a choice. That's why you can provide love, support, and help for an addict you care about but you can't make them stop. They have to choose that themselves, and only then can it happen.