Police Arrest A Homeless Man For Charging His Mobile Phone At A Public Park

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04

originally posted by: Greathouse
a reply to: alienjuggalo

Look on the bright side. He is entitled to one phone call now .

Haha that's actually not true. There is no such law. It's a TV myth. It depends on where you are arrested and on what charge. You may be entitled to exactly zero.

I've always wondered how someone is supposed to prepare a legal defense if they are locked up before their court appearance. Even if you got one phone call, who do you call? A relative? A lawyer? How would you even know what lawyer to call? I would need hours if not days on the internet to research which lawyer I would want, and that's assuming that lawyer chooses to accept my case!

Back when I was in school we went to a courthouse to see a court proceeding take place. I remember one guy showing up and being handed a court-appointed lawyer. I could tell even then, as a little kid, that the lawyer was a total sleazeball.

a reply to: alienjuggalo

Now, correct me if im wrong here, but if a person is arrested for violating a "law" that doesnt actually exist, doesnt that amount to kidnapping? Or do police who fantasize their own made-up laws get a pass on that?

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Am I the only one that sees the irony of a homeless person having a cell phone?

Not sure if he's even paying for his cell phone or if it's SafeLink Wireless - which would mean it's probably free. If he is paying for his cell phone, it's probably something like $30 bucks a month. If you could rent a place for $30 a month then he might have a house instead of a phone.

It's not as if he could stop paying his cell phone bill and suddenly be able to afford to rent a place.

originally posted by: NthOther
We are so far removed from what poor really is. We have no clue--even our homeless people have cell phones.

This country is in for one hell of a shock when "poor" actually pays a visit to our shores...

...which would be why the police are preparing to go to war against us. The temper tantrum that is about to be thrown will be, dare I say, biblical.

Sorry to say but your old paradigms are no longer valid. Isolated tribes in Africa have internet connections and sustenance farmers in China have cell phones, hell some North Koreans have cell phones, don't tell me they aren't poor and impoverished. A person can have a cell phone and still be in poverty. This country isn't unique in this, the whole world is a different place and you can't keep applying old notions of what poverty means to the modern world.

There are generally programs that provide prepaid cell phones to homeless and low income people, especially with homeless people it's helpful as it provides them with a number they can be reached at for services or job opportunities. Otherwise they would rely on shelters for a number, and that can be troublesome for employers.

Everyone these days has plenty of cheaply made toys, but that doesn't make them wealthy. The majority of people have no land, extremely little or no currency, and no goods or skills of value. They are people of zero means. At any time in history that has made someone poor, if you want to use traditional definitions.

The police are being prepared to defend the owners from us when enough people realize the truth that we are all dirt poor when the cheap toys run out.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Lets say i am a homeless guy living in a typical urban environment. It would not be unusual for me to come across all manner of "burner phones" throughout my day. Sometimes some will even have some airtime left on them.

It is only ironic if we don't consider that he came by the phone the same way he comes by most things: he found it living amongst financially prosperous people.

originally posted by: JHumm
I made an observation the other day. ...in two towns almost alike in every way except for one thing .....one area has money one doesn't have as much . There is a school zone in both,one had a radar gun in it and a display of how fast you are going. The other has a radar gun and cameras that send drivers and ticket that is double the fine of a regular ticket. ...money neighborhood gets a free speedometer check and the poor neighborhood gets a double speeding ticket. ....can anyone tell me other than its there to generate revenue for the county , not for safety or any other BS reason. ...why not give the tickets to the area that can afford it?

Because the area that can afford it can also afford lawyers to fight it.

originally posted by: NthOther
We are so far removed from what poor really is. We have no clue--even our homeless people have cell phones.

This country is in for one hell of a shock when "poor" actually pays a visit to our shores...

...which would be why the police are preparing to go to war against us. The temper tantrum that is about to be thrown will be, dare I say, biblical.

Most third world countries also involve poor people having cell phones these days. The difference is that phone service plans are much higher in the US than anywhere else in the world, including other developed countries. Once you get past the level of development in a nation like Haiti where there's no sewage lines or running water being poor on the streets of the US isn't much different from being poor and on the streets of a developing country. In many ways it's worse because there's much less charity, the US has much more crime that targets the homeless, and cities like to ship the homeless out of town so that they're cut off from food, water, and shelter.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
Am I the only one that sees the irony of a homeless person having a cell phone?

You are aware of the lifeline program right? It has been around since the 70's, as part of cost cutting the program in the last decade switched to cell phones rather than landlines.

From the coffee shop I'm sitting in right now and posting this I can walk literally half a block to a kiosk set up along the road, stand in line for a few minutes, and be given a free cell phone with free minutes.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I would add that it's also likely that it is a phone that works but has no paid service but he uses it as a watch, phonebook, and calendar so charges it up when he gets a chance.

Might still have pictures of his kids on it from before his life went to sht.

originally posted by: Pimpish
a reply to: SlapMonkey

Am I the only one that sees the irony of a homeless person having a cell phone?

Not sure if he's even paying for his cell phone or if it's SafeLink Wireless - which would mean it's probably free. If he is paying for his cell phone, it's probably something like $30 bucks a month. If you could rent a place for $30 a month then he might have a house instead of a phone.

It's not as if he could stop paying his cell phone bill and suddenly be able to afford to rent a place.

Yes, I know...it's almost like my next sentence in that post of mine was:

Yes, I know, some homeless can afford things like phones and cars yet choose not to have a home...

Maybe "choose not to have a home" should be "can't afford a home," which is what I meant, but still, you don't need to lecture me on something that I already made clear that I understand.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: SlapMonkey

Lets say i am a homeless guy living in a typical urban environment. It would not be unusual for me to come across all manner of "burner phones" throughout my day. Sometimes some will even have some airtime left on them.

It is only ironic if we don't consider that he came by the phone the same way he comes by most things: he found it living amongst financially prosperous people.

That's quite the assumption on your part, as you have no idea how he came across the cell phone (at least not from the article, which is more of an opinion piece than anything). This could be one of those free gov't cell phones (incorrectly dubbed "Obamaphones"), too. Or, hell, he could have family who pays for it to keep in touch with him.

But there is still irony in him having a cell phone--something that is a luxury, not a life's necessity--while being homeless.

originally posted by: JHumm
I made an observation the other day. ...in two towns almost alike in every way except for one thing .....one area has money one doesn't have as much . There is a school zone in both,one had a radar gun in it and a display of how fast you are going. The other has a radar gun and cameras that send drivers and ticket that is double the fine of a regular ticket. ...money neighborhood gets a free speedometer check and the poor neighborhood gets a double speeding ticket. ....can anyone tell me other than its there to generate revenue for the county , not for safety or any other BS reason. ...why not give the tickets to the area that can afford it?

Because, if they truly are two different municipalities, it's not the same people deciding what to enforce and how to enforce it.

In either case, you're approaching it all wrong--the better question would be, "Why are they using unconstitutional speed cameras to ticket citizens?" It's not that the wealthier area should have these cameras too, it's that neither should have one.

Cops seem to have it out for the homeless.

It's just like how cops have harassed my ex on multiple occasions for one, sleeping in a walmart parking lot and two, for using the wifi at a public library after closing. Both not being illegal at all. Thankfully my ex is a friggin genius and knew exactly what to say to get these cops off his back having one officer even admit that he wasn't doing anything illegal but that he just WANTED him to leave.

Like these guys have nothing better to do than harrass guys who aren't causing any harm and just wants be left alone. What's the deal!?

a reply to: alienjuggalo

a reply to: PageLC14

Some friends of mine got behind on their rent due to medical expenses and ended up getting evicted. They packed what they could in their car and ended up staying at a Salvation Army shelter for a few months until they could get back on their feet.

One of the things they kept was the coffee pot which they would take down the street every morning to the city park with the baseball diamonds and plug into the outlet by the bleachers. They'd share the coffee with several other homeless before they set off to work.

My point being it is hard to judge a situation or a person by a brief view of someone's actions.

Now are you referring to the cops' actions or the homeless' actions? But you're right either way.


a reply to: quercusrex

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Its not an assumption....its a scenario. I have no idea how he got that phone, but though sharing one scearios might help.

Anyone with a foodcard can get a lifeline phone.And yes homeless people need to be in touch with caseworker,organizations and charities trying to help them overcome their desperate situations.
It seems to me the cop Didn't have a chance to bully anyone that day.

Its illegal for a mustached man to kiss a woman in public in Iowa.

a reply to: Retikx
No. It isn't.
smithblawg.blogspot.com...

a reply to: Phage

Good on You!!! LMAO & I so badly needed
a good one...Thanks!

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: PageLC14
The homeless's actions. But it could be viewed either way. You can't tell good or bad intent by a blurb from a newscast.