The Right to Camp in Bus Shelters

[Anonymous]

What type of laws are there regarding this? As someone who grew up with a single mother who always had to ride the bus with my small siblings it seems outrageous that people with small children, elderly and disabled people can’t use benches to wait for buses that sometimes take 15-30 minutes to come because someone has decided to make a makeshift encampment in one.

The typical response would be to call someone insensitive for not privileging the homeless people in these situations, but imagine if you’re an elderly person with a walker or someone else who desperately needs to sit but either can’t or doesn’t want to risk a confrontation when asking a squatter to move.

[Anonymous]

Unhoused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unhoused.

Academics and researchers are pushing this change in name but front line organizations and workers have not. It's not as clear cut as you think it is. Just FYI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of laws are there regarding this? As someone who grew up with a single mother who always had to ride the bus with my small siblings it seems outrageous that people with small children, elderly and disabled people can’t use benches to wait for buses that sometimes take 15-30 minutes to come because someone has decided to make a makeshift encampment in one.

The typical response would be to call someone insensitive for not privileging the homeless people in these situations, but imagine if you’re an elderly person with a walker or someone else who desperately needs to sit but either can’t or doesn’t want to risk a confrontation when asking a squatter to move.

I agree with you and there are definitely local laws you could cite that wouldn't allow it. Call the police.

[Anonymous]

The law doesn't allow camping in bus shelters, obviously.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the people you are bit7hing about are also disabled and elderly.

Are you also the poster who wants to protect the children from the homeless at the Tennleytown library?

[Anonymous]

I grew up the same way, OP, but in NYC. Few on dcum care or relate to the exhausted, working poor commuting families who have to experience more exhaustion, discomfort and inconvenience because of a few people who should be in shelters. Some of my worst childhood memories are of commuting with my single mom, knowing how little protection we had.

I'm a staunch Democrat but hate this side of liberal politics. And no one cares if you say unhoused or homeless! It's a nonsense signifier designed to deflect and soothe academic egos.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn’t WMATA clear them out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up the same way, OP, but in NYC. Few on dcum care or relate to the exhausted, working poor commuting families who have to experience more exhaustion, discomfort and inconvenience because of a few people who should be in shelters. Some of my worst childhood memories are of commuting with my single mom, knowing how little protection we had.

I'm a staunch Democrat but hate this side of liberal politics. And no one cares if you say unhoused or homeless! It's a nonsense signifier designed to deflect and soothe academic egos.

I am so, so, so sorry that you had to ENDURE the homelss when you were young. That must have been so very hard.

I also hate that we are not taking care of these people. As a society, we shouldn't be pushing them around out of your very sensitive space. We should invest a hell of a lot more into programs that actually help the unhoused. And yes, how we refer to these people matters. They are human beings worthy of decency even if you can't see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up the same way, OP, but in NYC. Few on dcum care or relate to the exhausted, working poor commuting families who have to experience more exhaustion, discomfort and inconvenience because of a few people who should be in shelters. Some of my worst childhood memories are of commuting with my single mom, knowing how little protection we had.

I'm a staunch Democrat but hate this side of liberal politics. And no one cares if you say unhoused or homeless! It's a nonsense signifier designed to deflect and soothe academic egos.

I am so, so, so sorry that you had to ENDURE the homelss when you were young. That must have been so very hard.

I also hate that we are not taking care of these people. As a society, we shouldn't be pushing them around out of your very sensitive space. We should invest a hell of a lot more into programs that actually help the unhoused. And yes, how we refer to these people matters. They are human beings worthy of decency even if you can't see it.

I assume this is satire

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up the same way, OP, but in NYC. Few on dcum care or relate to the exhausted, working poor commuting families who have to experience more exhaustion, discomfort and inconvenience because of a few people who should be in shelters. Some of my worst childhood memories are of commuting with my single mom, knowing how little protection we had.

I'm a staunch Democrat but hate this side of liberal politics. And no one cares if you say unhoused or homeless! It's a nonsense signifier designed to deflect and soothe academic egos.

I am so, so, so sorry that you had to ENDURE the homelss when you were young. That must have been so very hard.

I also hate that we are not taking care of these people. As a society, we shouldn't be pushing them around out of your very sensitive space. We should invest a hell of a lot more into programs that actually help the unhoused. And yes, how we refer to these people matters. They are human beings worthy of decency even if you can't see it.

I assume this is satire

Sarcasm.

[Anonymous]

Police dispatcher here:
Couple different perspectives. We get calls about this all the time, probably daily/several times a week. Legally we can’t cite someone for trespassing or laying in a bus shelter because there is no “ victim” per se and they’re not breaking the law either. Also, the bus shelter falls under metro bus or ride on, not the local police.
Also, everyone films the police now, so if they go out and ask someone to move along, next thing the police are being accused of “ harassing the homeless” and it’s all over everywhere how awful the police are for harassing people.
We do go out and check on the person, they say they’re ok, they refuse services and we carry on our way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Police dispatcher here:
Couple different perspectives. We get calls about this all the time, probably daily/several times a week. Legally we can’t cite someone for trespassing or laying in a bus shelter because there is no “ victim” per se and they’re not breaking the law either. Also, the bus shelter falls under metro bus or ride on, not the local police.
Also, everyone films the police now, so if they go out and ask someone to move along, next thing the police are being accused of “ harassing the homeless” and it’s all over everywhere how awful the police are for harassing people.
We do go out and check on the person, they say they’re ok, they refuse services and we carry on our way.

Interesting. This "no victim" interpretation implies that I can build a house on public land and live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the people you are bit7hing about are also disabled and elderly.

Are you also the poster who wants to protect the children from the homeless at the Tennleytown library?

Are you ok with some tents in your yard?

[Anonymous]

They don't have a lot of options and its cold. Have some empathy.