Austin Under Siege!!!

Austin is under siege........... by BUMS. I bet you thought this was going to be about the Occupy movement

(not sure the best forum for this...)

I am generally a progressive libertarian so some of you might be surprised at how much I loathe bums. I was once much more well-wishing and had some empathy, but now I don't. If you don't live in Austin (or maybe San Francisco) you just don't understand.

What we have here is a bumocalypse!! I can't take it any more!
Yesterday I had one chase me in the grocery parking lot, then lean against my window asking for money then when I backed up he ran in front of my car and laid across my hood asking for money, blocking my way. A couple months ago I had one screaming at me for not giving him a dollar as I was gassing up my car. Then he acted like he wanted to fight me because I told him I didn't want to listen to his bull**** story he had just told three other people in the parking lot. Dude I heard it. I know you're lying. I'm not giving you my money. Thursday night, a bum kept following my girlfriend asking her for a dime. Finally he said "eff u" when we didn't give him one, then he bitched about having to use his credit card to buy a drink. HIS CREDIT CARD!!!!

God I hate bums. It's a social ill that we have to find a way to fix, because they all move to my city and won't leave anyone alone. They are on EVERY corner all day begging for money. How about you go collect some cans and make some beer can ashtrays to sell or something?? No?? You just want people to give you money for being lazy. For choosing to be professional bums.

I understand how hard it is right now, but this is ridiculous. The bums literally CHASE you down the street. They stand in free parking spaces and motion you in and then pretend they are a parking attendant to charge you. They make up stories about their wife having a baby right then and having no gas money. Two days later, you see them again and they are saying the same thing. Go make something. Go clean something. Leave me alone you stinking bums.

Can we put these people to work to earn their pay or what?? Don't we have bridges that need building or streets that need cleaning or something?

It's like that south park episode here, the one where the bums all migrate to south park and turn into zombies asking for change. Except they all migrated to Austin! They are probably wandering into my gf's apartment complex right now so drunk you can't understand what they are saying and if you ask them to leave you alone they go into BUM RAGE.


And you don't want BUM RAGE. Seriously.

(Note: I do not consider all homeless to be bums. You might be surprised to find out that more than half the bums in Austin have homes)

Please please, do something with these bums.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen in Austin.

Ha!
I agree, in general. In New Orleans, some of our bums are obviously mentally disturbed, physically handicapped, or just so old and dirty there's no way anyone would give them a job. If I have cash on me, I'll give them a couple bucks (even though I'm not super financially secure - hey compared to them I'm Bill Gates).
What I hate is when some young, able bodied person is begging. It's pathetic. They got construction jobs all over town, dude(NO still has a decent amount of recovery work going on). And these turds act like you owe them money. Like you said, they act like obnoxious POS's when you don't give them money that you earned by working for it.
Knowing what I do about Austin, your bums probably fall into the latter category.

One thing I do try to do is donate to street musicians, and if they're good I try to give them a good amount.
At least they are doing something for the handout.

Looks like you are outta luck... your holier than thou Governor Rick Perry dislikes the poor (and middle-class) more than you do. Ricks too busy trying to cater to the wealthy to do anything to help the unemployed get back on their feet.

OH WAIT, maybe he will just have them executed if you are lucky. They seem to like executing folks down there. Wasnt here like a dozen innocent men just released from death row recently from being FALSELY CHARGED after DNA testing proved their innocence??

Good ol Rick Perry, he likes to play christian, but somehow always seems to forget that commandment that clearly states THOU SHALL NOT KILL...

Funny thing, eh?

reply to post by pirhanna

C'mon, tell us how you reallly feel....I do know what you mean though. It makes it harder for the ones that are legitimate. Unfortunately, some of these people really ARE desperate. There are no jobs. When you have someone who has a BA in Engineering working in a movie theater cleaning up popcorn under your seat, things are bad. It's sad, really. Still, their behavior is inexcusable. (and scary if you are a female.) If the one hanging on your hood had "fallen", he could probably sue you. There are so many new scams going on everywhere. Wait til the holiday season!

Funny,
you call them "Bums".

It helps to be able to degrade them, treat them with disrespect, turn your back to them, and treat them like an inconvenience if we dehumanize them by giving them a name like "BUM".
It helps us sleep at night knowing they are less than human.
It helps us have a clear conscious after we deny them the respect we would show any house pet.
The Nazis did the same thing with the Jews.
It is what made it ohh so easy for the SS gaurds to turn the lever on the gas valve and choke those
filthy Jews to to death like they deserved.
It was and is called dehumanization.
It is the only way we will ever be able to continue to get away with what we are doing.

If we call them what they truely are then it gets complicated and we feel all bad and sorry for them.
We can no longer look the other way,
We can no longer refuse them respect and love.
We are no longer inconvenienced by them, instead we feel obligated to help them which
takes precious time,money,energy,compassion,empathy, and love.
TOO much of a pain in the ass.
Way too much of a pain in the ass when we call them what they really are.

So they shall remain "BUMS"

reply to post by pirhanna


Positive reinforcement of the word 'NO' with mace, followed up by a stun gun tends to get the point of 'NO' across when dealing with aggressive 'urban outdoorsmen'.

Urban outdoorsmen especially in this economy, are sadly a fact of life. I don't recommend mace or taser out of any malicious intent, or loathing of the indigent. Many of these people are also mentally ill also.
As a matter of safety, a little bit of harmless pepper spray, or the taser can be used when "NO' doesn't translate into what filters through their untrimmed ear hairs.
Bear mace, is also good for personal security in the respect that some brands will paint the offender orange. All bears pretty much look alike ya know, and if there's ever call for needing to describe the offending 'bear', it's easy enough to point out they are now painted orange.

Yeah and what are you doing to attract all these bums?

reply to post by radosta

My family was talking about street musicians just this evening, and the fact that so many people will pass them by. There are some really amazing musicians out there, and like you said, at least you are getting something in return for your couple of bucks!

Originally posted by pirhanna

Yesterday I had one chase me in the grocery parking lot, then lean against my window asking for money then when I backed up he ran in front of my car and laid across my hood asking for money, blocking my way. A couple months ago I had one screaming at me for not giving him a dollar as I was gassing up my car. Then he acted like he wanted to fight me because I told him I didn't want to listen to his bull**** story he had just told three other people in the parking lot. Dude I heard it. I know you're lying. I'm not giving you my money. Thursday night, a bum kept following my girlfriend asking her for a dime. Finally he said "eff u" when we didn't give him one, then he bitched about having to use his credit card to buy a drink. HIS CREDIT CARD!!!!

I'd start showing them pieces of paper that look like money, wad it up and toss it out of the way to get them to leave you alone long enough for you to make your getaway. Give them the finger when they realize what had happened, perhaps.

LOL It would make me feel better.

Originally posted by satron

Originally posted by pirhanna

Yesterday I had one chase me in the grocery parking lot, then lean against my window asking for money then when I backed up he ran in front of my car and laid across my hood asking for money, blocking my way. A couple months ago I had one screaming at me for not giving him a dollar as I was gassing up my car. Then he acted like he wanted to fight me because I told him I didn't want to listen to his bull**** story he had just told three other people in the parking lot. Dude I heard it. I know you're lying. I'm not giving you my money. Thursday night, a bum kept following my girlfriend asking her for a dime. Finally he said "eff u" when we didn't give him one, then he bitched about having to use his credit card to buy a drink. HIS CREDIT CARD!!!!

I'd start showing them pieces of paper that look like money, wad it up and toss it out of the way to get them to leave you alone long enough for you to make your getaway. Give them the finger when they realize what had happened, perhaps.

LOL It would make me feel better.

Your creator would be so proud.
We have the best of the bst of humanity posting in this thread tonite, that's for sure.
Thank you for your contribution to humanity.

reply to post by Screwed


I just think the OP is talking about the ones who become aggressive when you don't (or can't) give them money. Being homeless and panhandling is not an excuse for being rude, and frightening people. However, if more and more of our society continues to become desperate to feed their children or pay for heat, this will become more commonplace. When you can't find work, or have no money for food, clean water, heat, shelter, just where do these people go to for help? What do you do when you become desperate? Unfortunately, there are so many people using social programs in these times, there just isn't enough money to help everyone. Donate to your local food bank, go through your coat closets and donate unused, outgrown coats to homeless shelters. Next year, it could be you....

Originally posted by jdb51
reply to post by radosta

 

My family was talking about street musicians just this evening, and the fact that so many people will pass them by. There are some really amazing musicians out there, and like you said, at least you are getting something in return for your couple of bucks!

Yes, what you are getting is the same thing you'd be getting if you handed your "couple Bucks"
to anyone who needed it.

A warm feeling inside knowing that you tried to contribute, however little, to the welfare of a fellow human being.
What they in turn do with it is of no concern.
What matters is the fact that you tried.
You put out good vibes into the universe for which the rest of humanity can draw upon.

Good for you.

reply to post by pirhanna


Begging is a tradition. It was in good force before the time of Christ. You should ask street bums to get into your car so you could cuddle together. Street bums need good loving, too.----------

Originally posted by Screwed

Originally posted by satron

Originally posted by pirhanna

Yesterday I had one chase me in the grocery parking lot, then lean against my window asking for money then when I backed up he ran in front of my car and laid across my hood asking for money, blocking my way. A couple months ago I had one screaming at me for not giving him a dollar as I was gassing up my car. Then he acted like he wanted to fight me because I told him I didn't want to listen to his bull**** story he had just told three other people in the parking lot. Dude I heard it. I know you're lying. I'm not giving you my money. Thursday night, a bum kept following my girlfriend asking her for a dime. Finally he said "eff u" when we didn't give him one, then he bitched about having to use his credit card to buy a drink. HIS CREDIT CARD!!!!

I'd start showing them pieces of paper that look like money, wad it up and toss it out of the way to get them to leave you alone long enough for you to make your getaway. Give them the finger when they realize what had happened, perhaps.

LOL It would make me feel better.

Your creator would be so proud.
We have the best of the bst of humanity posting in this thread tonite, that's for sure.
Thank you for your contribution to humanity.

LOL My parents would be proud, they gave me the idea.

reply to post by Screwed


HUH? If you truly had the light shining on you, you would not perpetuate poverty and homelessness by looking down your high horse at others.

Yes, that is what you are really doing...

Does it make you personally feel closer to your maker to give to the dangerous bums?

My suggestion to you from the Maker is to use your intuition to its highest.

reply to post by Screwed


Nice strawman.

Comparing aggressive "bums" to the holocaust is ridiculous and you know it.

pirhanna, I would like for you to read this post..I did a thread about the homeless last year and an ATS member sent me this ..Brought me to tears so when i have a buck i have no problem giveing it to them..Peace,sugarcookie1

When I was a kid (age 11) things became really hard for my family, no work, dad sick, we eventually were homeless for quite a while. My mother, sister and I would sleep in the car, trying to get help where we could. My mother and sister would work when they could but when you don't have an address or a place to clean up, good clothes to wear, it is hard to get work. Thankfully there were people that were kind and would help. But there were the others who wanted to taunt and torment us - one night while sleeping in the car a group of jerks on motorcycles kept circling our car banging on it trying to scare us - as if we weren't already scared before they arrived - nights were hard and many people who haven't seen hardship can be jerks. It is easy to say "get a job" or "take a shower" when the person doing the yelling gets to go home to 4 walls and a bathroom, hot dinner and the escape of the television.

That time of my life shaped my way of thinking and I will never forget being so hungry that I thought I would die, so scared all the time, and so thristy that even now I feel panic when I don't have water handy. And the worse part was the humiliation. We lived in a shelter for a while, slightly better choice than being on the streets - shelters are just a different kind of frightening and nasty (at least from what I remember).

There was this family, and not sure how we ended up in their home, but they took us in for an evening and made us breakfast for dinner. There was so much food and I couldn't believe that people could have so much or be so kind. I will never forget that. There were many people who came along to asist us. A group of young people helped us and would bring us things in the shelter and they kept some of our stuff that we couldn't take in (we didn't have much but didn't want to lose what we had). They never bothered our things and were very kind. Unfortunately the kind people were fewer than the mean ones.

There were so many people living on the streets and some were mentally ill, a few were really scary, some drug addicts, and some were really fine but just didn't know they had a choice. Not knowing a choice is available is probably the saddest of all. But even the "crooks" on the street were doing what they felt they had to do so they could survive - can't imagine things are much different now. The rules are very different when you are in that position. There were a few who were just lazy but in reality most just wanted to eat, some wanted to self-medicate (can't say that I blamed them) and others just wanted to be left alone. There are so many reasons people end up homeless and in many ways it is a trap that is hard to get out of. Even when the body is taken out of the situation, the mind is still there for a long time and that is why so many keep falling back into that same place.

When things changed for us and we were back in our hometown and I went back to school I just couldn't shake that part of me who had lived on the streets and had to beg. It took a long time to crawl out of that place. Long after I had my own home and a great job making good money (I am one of the lucky ones) I still felt like that kid who didn't have a place to live, who most thought of as trash to toss aside or make fun of. I can still feel panic inside and have that fear of being homeless (not even close to a reality but the fear still hangs in the back of my mind).

I work in the real estate industry and now with all the foreclosures and going into homes where people have been evicted, seeing kids toys and special things that had to be left behind, sometimes even pets (so sad), it takes me back. Makes me feel sick to think another family may be going through the very thing I did and knowing they will never be the same again.

So, to answer the question, When I see a homeless person, I give what I can and treat everyone with respect. Sometimes the respect means more than the dollar I can toss in their cup. I don't choose what to give them, I give them what they ask for if I have it. They make the choice with what they do with the money. So if my dollar goes for a bottle of cheap wine, then wine it is.
LRP2010

I once had a bum ask me. What's the greatest nation on the plant? Donation. And he held out his hand.

I gave the guy awithering look. And I said, well I'm from procrastination so I'll give you some money tomorrow.

He didn't like that very much

Originally posted by Screwed
Funny,
you call them "Bums".

It helps to be able to degrade them, treat them with disrespect, turn your back to them, and treat them like an inconvenience if we dehumanize them by giving them a name like "BUM".
It helps us sleep at night knowing they are less than human.
It helps us have a clear conscious after we deny them the respect we would show any house pet.
The Nazis did the same thing with the Jews.
It is what made it ohh so easy for the SS gaurds to turn the lever on the gas valve and choke those
filthy Jews to to death like they deserved.
It was and is called dehumanization.
It is the only way we will ever be able to continue to get away with what we are doing.

If we call them what they truely are then it gets complicated and we feel all bad and sorry for them.
We can no longer look the other way,
We can no longer refuse them respect and love.
We are no longer inconvenienced by them, instead we feel obligated to help them which
takes precious time,money,energy,compassion,empathy, and love.
TOO much of a pain in the ass.
Way too much of a pain in the ass when we call them what they really are.

So they shall remain "BUMS"

edit on 8-10-2011 by Screwed because: (no reason given)

I'm just saying how it is here. I have as much concern as anyone for the downtrodden I've probably helped more "bums" than just about anyone on this message board.

That's why you got to understand how ridiculous it's getting here.
This is coming from a bleeding heart.

I'm saying we need to get rid of the "bum" disease. The bumocalypse. Not the people.
But dude, something has go to be done. Seriously. And also seriously, I'm talking about BUMS, not all homeless. My girl has our homeless friend (I guess that makes him not homeless now?) staying on the couch - we know how bad it is right now. I spent a day, just a couple days ago, fighting the medical system to help someone with no money.

I know.

But you can't deny the bumocalypse.

Feed the homeless to the hungry and solve two problems at once!