Homeless Shelter

[tiber]

I'm sort of interested as to how folks would feel about this situation.

 

After finding Medicinal Herb, I decided to check out this spot I would like to place a cache. The first couple of times I checked up on it, the area was full of litter. I was worried that the ground was not being maintained by anyone and didn't want to place a cache that would probably end up muggled by a lawnmower. There was, however, a path to the spot which people had mountainbiked on, or so it looked like. You could probably hike there. Today, however, was something completely different. Going into the cache area, the grass was mowed by the state. This exposed the fact that the wall to keep you off the highway was littered in grafitti and there was a lot more trash then I originally thought. There was also a new addition to the trail: Three homeless men had decided to setup a tent almost 20ft from where I wanted to put my cache. Oh, fantastic. To add "bad" to "weird", one of those homeless men saw me and was trying to wake up the other two. I didn't take the tarps to be tents until a head poked out and just about scared me to death. The guy didn't look like he was in teriffic condition. I hopped back on my (road) bike and booked out of there with no regard to safety.

 

This is a pimo cache site. It's in philly, it requires about a quarter mile walk through an out of the way area near the highway, and you get an excellent view of the art museum. The bad side is that it apparently is also a place homeless people camp out, although this is a recent addition. How does everyone feel if I were to place a cache here? What are the appropriate precautions to take? Or is this all something you nonphilly residents are OK with? How do you philly residents, who are usually used to dealing with the homeless, feel about the whole idea?

[+IV_Warrior]

Plan on it going missing quickly. If someone's living that nearby, a cache isn't going to last.

[+Marcie/Eric]

Is there a good homeless shelter? [don't get me started]

 

I would say no, it's not only dangerous for kids, but also for normal people who may not be on a fast vehicle like a mtn bike.

 

I hate coming upon scumbags in the middle of nowhere, especially in groups, or their camp. There's a huge problem spot a few miles from my home down along the American River bike trail. There's camps, filthy people, and with them came litter, assaults on peds/cyclists, and even rapes.

 

Homelessness is a huge problem. We should take the homeless off the street by force and..[self-edited for political correctness ( ) ]

[tiber]

...and eat them?

 

I suppose this is a demographic question I'm phrasing wrong. If this camp is broken up, have the people returned to the site or does it seem people generally move on? Anyone else call the cops on a homeless camp? So far the one officer I've talked to said they can't really do anything about it if they keep to themselves. (It may be a fairmount park issue -- I'm not even sure of the jurisdiction aside of it being publically accessible land).

[DayTripper&Tagalong]

I'd go get it!

Philly in the house!

[+Renegade Knight]

Plan on it going missing quickly. If someone's living that nearby, a cache isn't going to last.

Ditto:

 

With the right kind of cache right up it would be a good cache. I like seeing the world I live in and this is part of it. However if it's being activly used odds are that cache is gonig missing.

 

It doesn't have to be that way. In Boise there was a cache where a homless man slept. The cache owner didn't know it at the time. When I found it I suspected it and posted as much. The next finders met him while night caching. After that he seemed to keep tabs on the cache for everyone. More than a few times geocachers left things for him as well.

[+5]

...and eat them?

 

Tastes like chicken...

[+justybug]

wow, that's a bit of an aggressive stance on the homeless don't ya think???

in my area, they tend to keep to themselves for the most part.

sleeping homeless folks don't really bother me.

wide awake tweekers rummaging through my car in front of my house really piss me off though. and we have NO shortage of those scumbags in pierce county washington, meth capital on more than a few lists...

if you have any concerns about the safety of the spot, you'd probably do best to go with your first instincts and find another spot. if they move on eventually, go for it..

[+Marcie/Eric]

[raving rant: begin]

There is no aggressive stance on homeless people anywhere.

 

One hundred-fifty years ago, if you couldn't fend for yourself, your family and your home, you died. Good riddence. Make way for those who are productive members of society.

 

Homelessness is a disease caused by the mindset that you have some right to sleep on the street, eat out of dumpsters, and relieve yourself on people's property. You don't. If you can't stay out of my sight and out of my neighborhood, I invite you to find a high bridge or tall building and end both our suffering.

 

[raving rant: finished]

[Iplayoutside]

The fact that YOU felt it was a good idea to move out of the area rather quickly I'd say no. Why would you put other people in the same situation where you didn't feel exaclty safe.

[+Pasha]

It doesn't have to be that way.  In Boise there was a cache where a homless man slept.  The cache owner didn't know it at the time.  When I found it I suspected it and posted as much.  The next finders met him while night caching.  After that he seemed to keep tabs on the cache for everyone.  More than a few times geocachers left things for him as well.

There's a cache in Tukwila, Washington where a local well-known homeless guy (called "Bicentennial Man") is one of the difficulty-inducing parts of the find - you have to find a time where he's not in "his spot" to get it, because his spot is within a few feet of where it's hidden. I had to go back 5 or 6 times, at different times of day, to find a time when he wasn't there. He's a pretty friendly guy if you happen to show up when he's "home."

[+ohgr]

A local cache that's a quick and easy find, that I usually take newbs to on their first trip out had turned into a homeless camp some time between visits, we discovered it at the most inopertune time.

 

I was taking my Sister and her two very young children on their very first cache, we walked right through the living room that was now set up in the middle of the trail. I recognized the guy from seeing him around town. He didn't say a word and neither did we, I was just glad I didn't send them alone.

 

Nice introduction to the hobbie...

 

Ohgr

[+NotThePainter]

I don't think you should place it there but not only for the reasons listed above but out of respect for the residents. I certainly wouldn't want a cache placed in "my yard" without my approval.

 

Homeless people may be dirty, may be offensive to you, but they are still people and deserve your respect, they deserve their dignity. (I also think they deserve your help but that is so off-topic, we can take it there if you want.)

 

Paul

[+C&C+COMPANY]

There is no aggressive stance on homeless people anywhere.

 

One hundred-fifty years ago, if you couldn't fend for yourself, your family and your home, you died. Good riddence. Make way for those who are productive members of society.

 

Homelessness is a disease caused by the mindset that you have some right to sleep on the street, eat out of dumpsters, and relieve yourself on people's property. You don't. If you can't stay out of my sight and out of my neighborhood, I invite you to find a high bridge or tall building and end both our suffering.

Man you are pretty scary. It's a problem but wishing them to kill themselves is a but much. Did you ever think that something happend to them to get where they are, do you really think when they were Kids they dreamed about going up and living this kind of life.

[+Marcie/Eric]

Man you are pretty scary. It's a problem but wishing them to kill themselves is a but much. Did you ever think that something happend to them to get where they are, do you really think when they were Kids they dreamed about going up and living this kind of life. 

So we're to ignore this problem?

 

Maybe handing them money will help. Feeding them. Welcoming them. Avoiding their "yards" and "homes", will that help also? It only creates an incentive to turn to this disgusting behavior.

 

& they deserve nothing, not my respect, my taxes, my change, or my park where my children go to play.

 

-

Sorry, people, I get a little carried away. This is a huge problem in my area.

Edited April 29, 2005 by Marcie/Eric