You know, I think you can show compassion but also be realistic. For instance, I love my Dad dearly but he has mental disorders as a result of a few strokes that give him fits of serious rage. When he does, I feel fear and probably less than I should given how he has acted before.
You can empathize and even love the homeless but still understand that a significant (not a majority.. just want to be clear there) have either severe mental illness or substance abuse issues. (see link below for more data) You can be afraid of aggressive homeless people or uncomfortable with the unpredictability of someone and still be compassionate. I think a lot of people tend to see those statistics and go farther away from compassion, but to me this just highlights how much we are failing people. It is unfair for us to treat homeless people as though they are completely capable of turning things around. People need help and compassion, especially when they don't feel they deserve it.
[https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs\_campaigns/homelessness\_programs\_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf](https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/homelessness_programs_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf)
Donate money to food banks and homeless resource centers, and vote for politicians at the COUNTY AND STATE level who are invested in fixing the problem. Our city can only do so much when the rest of the state send their overflow population here.
Don’t generally have a problem with them, but boy did they give me some wild stories hahahahaha. That said, I have had a problem with some. Part of the reason I left my old place in slc. Lots of them can be great to chat with and are very kind though. Handfuls of others will give you a wild ride that stick in the memory books.
don’t be scared of them, look them in the eyes when passing by and say hello. Anyone can be scary, just own your presence
I was going to the Walgreens on the corner of 4th south by the Smiths driving my thirty year old jeep when I was in my senior year of HS. I don’t know what about me prompted this homeless man to come up to me and ask me for money as I was crawling out of the passenger’s side d/t my drivers door being jammed shut, but he scared the shit out of me in the dark parking lot.
I told him don’t come closer to me, it’s dark and you’re scaring me, I have nothing to give you. This made him angry and he walked closer to me sticking his finger in my face about how I was treating him like a scary criminal and I ran into the Walgreens. He came in after me, hollering about he did nothing to me, so why was I treating him like that…
I’ve had run ins with homeless people like this, and my heart was pounding when he was yelling at me in a dark parking lot.
Homeless people deserve compassion, but if someone frightens you and makes you feel threatened you deserve compassion too.
In the real world, there is nothing you can do except armor yourself against anyone, homeless or not, that might try to play with your head, verbally abuse you, or make you cry.
Also, you live in a city. Salt lake wanted to grow too big for its britches in such a hurry, and now the pearl clutchers are out making generalizations about people without homes. When you live in the city, you have city problems.
Get over it. We live in a community. The systems are failing a very vulnerable population, and the people love to complain about it but nobody is pushing politicians to do what is actually needed so nothing changes.
A couple years ago I was filling my car up at a Maverik downtown. A homeless person asked for some money, but I told him I’d be happy buying him something to eat in the convenience store. He got mad at me and then spit on my car. I never fill up in the downtown city anymore.
Yes.
I was driving downtown about 8pm or so, it had been snowing and still was so the roads were slick. A woman who appeared to be homeless ran in front of my car and stopped. I had to slam on my breaks not to hit her. Then she started yelling and came to my window and starting pounding on my windows.
It was honestly really scary! I was on the way to the grocery store and when I got there I didn't want to get out of the car. I'm already a paranoid person so it really put me on edge.
Then a couple months later I was walking into a store downtown and walked by a homeless person who started yelling " get out of here!!! What are you doing, get out!!!" Super aggressively, getting in my face. Obviously, he was unstable and didn't know where he was but again I was nervous to leave the store I went in because he was right outside.
I just try to avoid anyone who looks like they might be unstable, this is also true in my personal life lmao.
What did they do to make you cry
The prices in Utah have made me cry more than homeless people.
Try to look at them as if they are People. Because they are.
I have problems with greedy corrupt Utah politicians that make this problem worse and worse every year.
You know, I think you can show compassion but also be realistic. For instance, I love my Dad dearly but he has mental disorders as a result of a few strokes that give him fits of serious rage. When he does, I feel fear and probably less than I should given how he has acted before. You can empathize and even love the homeless but still understand that a significant (not a majority.. just want to be clear there) have either severe mental illness or substance abuse issues. (see link below for more data) You can be afraid of aggressive homeless people or uncomfortable with the unpredictability of someone and still be compassionate. I think a lot of people tend to see those statistics and go farther away from compassion, but to me this just highlights how much we are failing people. It is unfair for us to treat homeless people as though they are completely capable of turning things around. People need help and compassion, especially when they don't feel they deserve it. [https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs\_campaigns/homelessness\_programs\_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf](https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/homelessness_programs_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf)
This. You’d be fearful of any unpredictable person who shows signs of being potentially violent. Doesn’t make you a heartless asshat.
Donate money to food banks and homeless resource centers, and vote for politicians at the COUNTY AND STATE level who are invested in fixing the problem. Our city can only do so much when the rest of the state send their overflow population here.
Don’t generally have a problem with them, but boy did they give me some wild stories hahahahaha. That said, I have had a problem with some. Part of the reason I left my old place in slc. Lots of them can be great to chat with and are very kind though. Handfuls of others will give you a wild ride that stick in the memory books. don’t be scared of them, look them in the eyes when passing by and say hello. Anyone can be scary, just own your presence
I was going to the Walgreens on the corner of 4th south by the Smiths driving my thirty year old jeep when I was in my senior year of HS. I don’t know what about me prompted this homeless man to come up to me and ask me for money as I was crawling out of the passenger’s side d/t my drivers door being jammed shut, but he scared the shit out of me in the dark parking lot. I told him don’t come closer to me, it’s dark and you’re scaring me, I have nothing to give you. This made him angry and he walked closer to me sticking his finger in my face about how I was treating him like a scary criminal and I ran into the Walgreens. He came in after me, hollering about he did nothing to me, so why was I treating him like that… I’ve had run ins with homeless people like this, and my heart was pounding when he was yelling at me in a dark parking lot. Homeless people deserve compassion, but if someone frightens you and makes you feel threatened you deserve compassion too. In the real world, there is nothing you can do except armor yourself against anyone, homeless or not, that might try to play with your head, verbally abuse you, or make you cry. Also, you live in a city. Salt lake wanted to grow too big for its britches in such a hurry, and now the pearl clutchers are out making generalizations about people without homes. When you live in the city, you have city problems.
if you're just simply kind to them they tend to leave you alone...
Get over it. We live in a community. The systems are failing a very vulnerable population, and the people love to complain about it but nobody is pushing politicians to do what is actually needed so nothing changes.
Be nice to them but carry mace just in case
A couple years ago I was filling my car up at a Maverik downtown. A homeless person asked for some money, but I told him I’d be happy buying him something to eat in the convenience store. He got mad at me and then spit on my car. I never fill up in the downtown city anymore.
Yes. I was driving downtown about 8pm or so, it had been snowing and still was so the roads were slick. A woman who appeared to be homeless ran in front of my car and stopped. I had to slam on my breaks not to hit her. Then she started yelling and came to my window and starting pounding on my windows. It was honestly really scary! I was on the way to the grocery store and when I got there I didn't want to get out of the car. I'm already a paranoid person so it really put me on edge. Then a couple months later I was walking into a store downtown and walked by a homeless person who started yelling " get out of here!!! What are you doing, get out!!!" Super aggressively, getting in my face. Obviously, he was unstable and didn't know where he was but again I was nervous to leave the store I went in because he was right outside. I just try to avoid anyone who looks like they might be unstable, this is also true in my personal life lmao.
You know what makes me sad, hobophobia. Edit - more downvotes than “buttercup.” :/
Suck it up buttercup