Saturday, August 14, 2010

The homeless are on my nerves

I am so done with dealing with the homeless! Okay, so I don't actually "deal" with them but I do have to see them. I can't go to an intersection these days without seeing a freaking vagrant on the corner. Not only do they "pollute" the street with their presence, they have the audacity to come up to my window looking like pitiful people with these cardboard signs that say, "Please help, God bless" or "Hungry, please help God bless" or some variation of the form. Most of the signs usually have something about "God". Now, if these people truly believe in God do they really think that it was his plan for them to sit on a street corner looking for hand outs? Ok, ok...I know some of you will say that a lot of these people aren't there by choice. They are mentally challenged or some bullshit like that. Give me a break! I'm mentally challenged. Sure I have a high IQ and I have a job and family and blah, blah, blah, but that doesn't mean I'm not mentally challenged in some form or fashion!

I'm sick of these people invading my space. I can bare with the fact that they are on the street corner or wherever they may be. What I don't like is when they approach my vehicle. I don't know if they are just going to stand there and beg or they are going to reach in my window - if open - and grab my McDonald's double cheeseburger! Seriously though, they are inches from my vehicle and they could attack me, my vehicle or anyone else for that matter.

I consider these people no different than the phone salesman that calls me at home anywhere from 9am to 9pm. You don't like these people so why do you feel any pity for the vagrants stinking up our street corners? They both are making money. The phone salesman probably is making a steady base versus the vagrant who reaps what he sows. A lot of these vagrants make a decent, tax free living. Our local news channel did a study on these people and one reporter even pretended to be homeless and made about $100 for his day of work. I've seen a few myself walk from the street corner to a local parking lot not far from where he was pacing and get into a vehicle that's newer and in better shape than mine!

My problem with these people, whether they are on the phone or on the street, is that they are intruding on my personal time and space. Why should I be made to feel - it's a very quick feeling - a sense of guilt for these "homeless and hungry" because they are putting themselves in my personal space? I work hard for my money. I work hard for my free time. I don't need my time and space infringed upon by these people. I mention again how safe do you feel when some burly man - black, white, mexican or whatever - comes about a foot away from your vehicle window? It's a dangerous situation, especially if you encounter one of the "mentally ill" ones. Why would a person feel safer if one of these vagrants approached their car versus some other "normal" person? No sane person would.

They could buy buy some island in the middle of the ocean or something that has vegetation and wildlife - I don't want the guys to starve to death anymore than they already are! But I do think that they should fend for themselves and stop polluting our streets with their...bodies. There is this movie called No Escape where prisoners are sent to this "prison" island. In the movie, they get supplies dropped off periodically but all in all they pretty much fend for themselves. No bothering people that contribute to society and no littering the city streets. Now I don't know how fancy we'd get with the homeless because in the movie they were hardened criminals - most of them anyway.

Sometimes I drive by these people on the street and they are wearing name brand clothing like Nike, Addidas, Gap or FUBU. Some even have newer clothes than I do. I even saw one guy with a dog. I can't even afford to have a dog! Anyhow, I am sure these people have tried to enter and contribute to society in an "official" manner but have failed or bailed for some reason. It's never their fault, right, like a druggie or alcoholic?

My local city is a booming metroplex. They have come up with a possible plan to "help" the homeless problem. They have proposed to make some kind of center downtown, which is where the homeless typically tend to hover, wander and sleep. This sounds like a wonderful thing but that's only if the homeless take advantage of it, the center provides them with whatever the hell it is they might be looking for and if they bums stop begging on the street corners. I hope that the city doesn't expect the working people in the city to pay for this venture through our tax dollars. I'm not into helping out those that don't want to help out themselves. I need all my money just as much as they don't want to work!

So there is my rant. Just put your feelings into perspective...you don't like that phone salesman calling while you are eating dinner or waking you from a nap. Why would you want to have this "street salesman" interrupt you while you are driving or leisurely walking around town with your family or friends? At least the phone salesman doesn't have the chance to reach into your vehicle window or attack you on the street!

Later!


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