Found a homeless guy on my lawn today.
I ended up going outside and having a 20 minute long conversation with him.
My takeaways:
1) it’s a lot easier to have a policy for homelessness if you never have to have a face to face conversation with them as people.
1/n
I ended up going outside and having a 20 minute long conversation with him.
My takeaways:
1) it’s a lot easier to have a policy for homelessness if you never have to have a face to face conversation with them as people.
1/n
2) Austin and Texas banned public camping and he told me this has been a problem for him but that he had a solution.
3) His solution is move farther out. I told him “well what about coming in to get food etc?”. He said that’ll be a problem but he can solve with a battery
2/n
3) His solution is move farther out. I told him “well what about coming in to get food etc?”. He said that’ll be a problem but he can solve with a battery
2/n
(I was halfway thorough writing this thread and my kid had explosive diarrhea)
3) (continued) he needed a battery for his electric razor scooter. His backup was to live by a river where there are fish. To me this sounds impossible and that he’s not going to be able to camp.
3/n
3) (continued) he needed a battery for his electric razor scooter. His backup was to live by a river where there are fish. To me this sounds impossible and that he’s not going to be able to camp.
3/n
4) How’d he become homeless? First explanation was that he made bad investments in the oil and gas industry. He said he was a salesman who was very good and I believe that because he was eloquent, handsome, and charming. But later he admitted that he loved to party hard.
4/n
4/n
He was missing all his front teeth so I think what really did him in was actually drugs.
5) I asked him what his plan was and it was to get a job and he was certainly smart enough to hold one but when I asked him for his email and phone number he didn’t have a phone # and
5/n
5) I asked him what his plan was and it was to get a job and he was certainly smart enough to hold one but when I asked him for his email and phone number he didn’t have a phone # and
5/n
Not only could he not figure out his email address but he gave me the impression that he was pretty dyslexic and had terrible computer skills. Basically there is no way he’s getting a job to do anything but general labor.
6) he was born in 1964 and was 56 but seemed
6/n
6) he was born in 1964 and was 56 but seemed
6/n
pretty healthy and said he had a 5 year old son and 3 past wives. He seemed like he was good with the ladies. In fact, I think the reason why he was sitting on my lawn was he had just been kicked out of a hotel for the homeless for getting in a fight with his girlfriend.
7/n
7/n
7) I took a call during our conversation about a bike I have held at a local store. He offered to sell me a bike because he has many including a nice Schwinn back in his hotel, which almost certainly is stolen if it exists.
8) he was surrounded by trash on the sidewalk
8/n
8) he was surrounded by trash on the sidewalk
8/n
by my lawn and after our conversation closed and he saw me pick up some trash on my lawn, he actually cleaned up everything which I really respect.
Conclusion: he’s a dude. I’m a dude. He knew he had made some mistakes and he’s in a tough situation that I don’t see him
9/n
Conclusion: he’s a dude. I’m a dude. He knew he had made some mistakes and he’s in a tough situation that I don’t see him
9/n
solving. It’s sad. I feel like without drugs he’d be wayyyy better off, but I don’t know, maybe it’d just be drink instead.
That’s it. Life is tough and it will chew you up and spit you out if you let it.
10/10
That’s it. Life is tough and it will chew you up and spit you out if you let it.
10/10
11/10 I think the public camping ban will work for Texas and Austin. These guys will go to where they can live more easily.
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