topic Re: Spikes to deter the homeless.. in Community Spirit

Spikes to deter the homeless..

amalan11 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:53:04 GMT

I think this is an interesting fuss in the UK...first a unit block now a supermarket have installed spikes in the ground to stop people sleeping outside their premises.I can see it seems mean but I would not be happy to have homeless people sleeping outside my home or work.It is an unfortunate truth that most of them have issues or beg and I will avoid places if that kind of person is around .

I think it should be legal to do it if you want and feel it is needed .

The supermarket has just had radicals ruin their spikes with concrete poured over them even though actual customers were complaining of being harassed by people sleeping outside .I wonder how common this kind of thing will become and if we will see human pigeon spikes here in Australia?

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

*crikey*mate* — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:56:20 GMT

"In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread."

Anatole France

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

boris1gary — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:58:06 GMT

@amalan11 wrote:
I think this is an interesting fuss in the UK...first a unit block now a supermarket have installed spikes in the ground to stop people sleeping outside their premises.I can see it seems mean but I would not be happy to have homeless people sleeping outside my home or work.It is an unfortunate truth that most of them have issues or beg and I will avoid places if that kind of person is around .
I think it should be legal to do it if you want and feel it is needed .
The supermarket has just had radicals ruin their spikes with concrete poured over them even though actual customers were complaining of being harassed by people sleeping outside .I wonder how common this kind of thing will become and if we will see human pigeon spikes here in Australia?

Looks like they will be removing the spikes in London.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

amber-eyed-girl — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:09:52 GMT

Accident waiting to happen, for anyone with a little ice or liquid on the pavement...imagine the outcry if a wealthy tenant was injured on a spike outside their building. Not a good idea, in any way.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

azureline** — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:11:17 GMT

I count myself fortunate that I don't have to be homeless and that I don't see homeless people where we are.............. I had cause to be driven through the city one morning at 7.30 am and was stunned to see them sleeping in bus stops, in the park and in shop doorways, some with mattresses. I wondered where they put the mattress for the day.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

jimmy*part4 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:46:27 GMT

I left "home" at 15 and my biggest challenge was finding a place to sleep without being sought out by the police and asked to leave. They weren't seeking me specifically, just anyone crashing on an empty lot or abandoned building.

My first day it was the middle of winter and snowing hard. I left without having any idea where I was going, just picked a direction and went. After about a mile I was already freezing...blowing snow, way below freezing. I saw a condominium complex and took a shot.

I walked straight to a basement door and couldn't believe it was unlocked...what luck! Not only that, it was a toasty warm boiler room with a mattress laying on the floor as if it was put there just for me. I had a good nights sleep and was woken by a strange sound. I've heard the sound only a couple of times in my entire life.

At first I shocked because "it" was only inches from my face. As my eyes focused on what it was and said, "holy .....! I see it's a cat with a bird in it's mouth. The cat makes the sound one more time and lays the down and casually walks away.

My first meal supplied by a cat. I'll never forget! 🙂

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

cherry*135 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:54:07 GMT

There was a homeless person asleep, on a sofa in the furniture area, of a Salvo's store in Sydney CBD, last week. One of the staff woke him up and asked him to move on.

Further down the street I saw a checked blanket laid out in a smalled grassed area of the footpath (late afternoon). I did wonder what happened to the person that had slept there.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

jimmy*part4 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:56:41 GMT

.... lays the bird down and casually walks away.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

crystal**flake — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:29:48 GMT

I feel that tthe spikes are ok around business' and housing.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

*pepe — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:38:28 GMT

how inhumane.

I'm surprised they don't set bear traps as well.

but then i guess the riffraff would be in their face and they can't go on pretending they don't exist.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

boris1gary — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:47:44 GMT

@crystal**flake wrote:
I feel that tthe spikes are ok around business' and housing.

where do you suggest homeless people sleep?

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

the_bob_delusion — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:52:57 GMT

Tough one. Supposely you put a sign saying don't sleep here. Do you think this will work as well?

If you say it's inhumane, why wouldn't you offer your own home to them. Either you're a hypocrite or you don't care. Choose your poison.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

*pepe — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:58:27 GMT

@**what_would_bob_do** wrote:
Tough one. Supposely you put a sign saying don't sleep here. Do you think this will work as well?

If you say it's inhumane, why wouldn't you offer your own home to them. Either you're a hypocrite or you don't care. Choose your poison.

you can call me a hypocrite if you like but no, i don't invite strangers into my home, regardless of their status.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

the_bob_delusion — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:02:03 GMT

@*pepe wrote:
@**what_would_bob_do** wrote:
Tough one. Supposely you put a sign saying don't sleep here. Do you think this will work as well?

If you say it's inhumane, why wouldn't you offer your own home to them. Either you're a hypocrite or you don't care. Choose your poison.
you can call me a hypocrite if you like but no, i don't invite strangers into my home, regardless of their status.

Would you let them sleep outside your front door then? Even that is still inhumane wouldn't you say?

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

*pepe — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:03:03 GMT

i'd give them a cardboard box, i'm caring like that.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

boris1gary — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:23:58 GMT

@**what_would_bob_do** wrote:
Tough one. Supposely you put a sign saying don't sleep here. Do you think this will work as well?

If you say it's inhumane, why wouldn't you offer your own home to them. Either you're a hypocrite or you don't care. Choose your poison.

it's not really up to you ask a question, then only give your own 2 answers as options though is it?

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

*pepe — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:31:51 GMT

bob likes to appear controversial, edgy and knowledgeable, unfortunately his responses don't always reflect that.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

jimmy*part4 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:42:40 GMT

@boris1gary wrote:
@**what_would_bob_do** wrote:
Tough one. Supposely you put a sign saying don't sleep here. Do you think this will work as well?

If you say it's inhumane, why wouldn't you offer your own home to them. Either you're a hypocrite or you don't care. Choose your poison.
it's not really up to you ask a question, then only give your own 2 answers as options though is it?

You're right Boris. I didn't expect anyone to offer me to stay at their home, or business, or in front of either. I didn't ask for givernment assistance either, although being under age that might have been a problem anyway.

Our rain water drains from the streets into sumps. They're deep wide holes with slanted sides dug down to allow water to drain back into the ground. There a thousands of them on the island and I found them to be a good place to sleep and not be bothered. I guess even the cops didn't want to go there, lol.

I feel sorry for the ones in the city. How do they manage? It must be tough always being told to move along.

They've since cleared this place out, but I wouldn't have minded living in there....not for too long though.

Short video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2BYoPUOXhVA

This one goes into more detail...27 minutes

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

boris1gary — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:51:59 GMT

Jimmy, I can't really imagine how terrible it must be to find yourself homeless (for whatever reason). Wouldn't drain things be dangerous? I would try and stay close to buildings for safety reasons if i was homeless. I would be too terrified to go into a park or anywhere hidden away.

Re: Spikes to deter the homeless..

jimmy*part4 — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 14:07:17 GMT

It didn't bother me one bit, I was finally free! The only time I've ever been scared was before I escaped. I guess it would be the same type of fear if I was captured by the taliban. I've faced death since, but didn't have one shred of fear, but being held captive, being tortured not know if today is your last day and possibly die in a horrible way.

To this day when I see an empty wooded lot I think, "I could live there".

The only dangers of sleeping in the sumps...rats, raccoons, possums, and bugs!! Most are wooded with lots of animals, some have water year round with goldfish and carp, and some are always dry. I can still remember the exact directions to navigate the tunnels from one sump to another. They're small tunnels that you could crawl through and you could only stand up when you reached a manhole.