The street beggars are out of control

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a guy selling water in the median by the intersection of Georgia Ave and Military rd who drives me nuts. It’s so unsafe and also he has all these signs, little slogans, the water all the time. He’s more than demonstrating that he’s capable of managing a job and he’s fairly creative and entrepreneurial. So why should he get to run an unsafe, unlicensed, dangerous and annoying business in the middle of the road?

He makes more money selling water, makes his own schedule, doesn’t pay taxes, and probably gets a fair number of government benefits on top of his tax free income selling water. Pretty good gig.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So is there a way to behave so that they leave me alone? I can’t squirt them with water or god forbid throw things at them, but is there a legal way to make them keep away from me? I haven’t had my car window banged on (yet) or my hand grabbed (yet) but how do I scare them off without getting in trouble myself?

I have never given a panhandler money. If one asks, I say no thank you and keep it moving. If I’m in my car, I put my windows up and don’t make eye contact. It’s not that hard. I do give to homeless causes and volunteer at soup kitchens. I’ve even gotten to know some of the homeless who come to the church where I volunteer. For the most part, they have addiction, job loss, or mental health issues. I feel for them but I wouldn’t directly give them money if asked.

You're better than me. I don't do either --but I would like to up my donating to charities when I am in a better position to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a guy selling water in the median by the intersection of Georgia Ave and Military rd who drives me nuts. It’s so unsafe and also he has all these signs, little slogans, the water all the time. He’s more than demonstrating that he’s capable of managing a job and he’s fairly creative and entrepreneurial. So why should he get to run an unsafe, unlicensed, dangerous and annoying business in the middle of the road?

He makes more money selling water, makes his own schedule, doesn’t pay taxes, and probably gets a fair number of government benefits on top of his tax free income selling water. Pretty good gig.

Pretty good gig? How many bottles of water could he possibly be selling a day? Let's say he's out there for 10 hours. Think he's selling more than 100? 200? At not more than $2/pop, minus whatever his cost for the water is, that's still less than minimum wage to stand around in the middle of the road all day. I'm sure he'd happily trade positions and salaries with you if you asked.

[Anonymous]

Did you see that one unhoused person stabbed and killed another in NW Petworth library yesterday? This is tragic and I am in no way minimizing the loss of life and humanity. However, this again brings up so many issues for me of our city (and so many residents) "ignoring" this issue of what is happening right in front of us on the streets with the unhoused and panhandlers. Claiming it's not a chaotic and dangerous mix.

Why can we not address the chronic homeless? Why can we not address all the nuisance crime and activity to disincentivize it? Why do we use libraries as day shelters??? Can you imagine being a kid trying to do your homework at the computer bank and witnessing this? Yes, it happened at the computer banks of course.

[Anonymous]

PP I go regularly to that petworth library. They do drugs in the bathrooms and then flood the library main floor.

I don’t feel super comfortable bringing my kids there, so we hustle upstairs to the kids area and hustle them out as fast as I can. This story really bothered me to my core. I knew this was coming.

I realize many of these unhoused people have nowhere to go, but isn’t it unfair to our kids and non drug using patrons? It’s hard enough to live in this city, but yet another resource is taken up by the often very high unhoused population?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So is there a way to behave so that they leave me alone? I can’t squirt them with water or god forbid throw things at them, but is there a legal way to make them keep away from me? I haven’t had my car window banged on (yet) or my hand grabbed (yet) but how do I scare them off without getting in trouble myself?

I have never given a panhandler money. If one asks, I say no thank you and keep it moving. If I’m in my car, I put my windows up and don’t make eye contact. It’s not that hard. I do give to homeless causes and volunteer at soup kitchens. I’ve even gotten to know some of the homeless who come to the church where I volunteer. For the most part, they have addiction, job loss, or mental health issues. I feel for them but I wouldn’t directly give them money if asked.

You're better than me. I don't do either --but I would like to up my donating to charities when I am in a better position to do so.

This. Give to charities that help the poor and homeless. DO NOT give to individuals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you see that one unhoused person stabbed and killed another in NW Petworth library yesterday? This is tragic and I am in no way minimizing the loss of life and humanity. However, this again brings up so many issues for me of our city (and so many residents) "ignoring" this issue of what is happening right in front of us on the streets with the unhoused and panhandlers. Claiming it's not a chaotic and dangerous mix.

Why can we not address the chronic homeless? Why can we not address all the nuisance crime and activity to disincentivize it? Why do we use libraries as day shelters??? Can you imagine being a kid trying to do your homework at the computer bank and witnessing this? Yes, it happened at the computer banks of course.

The chronic homeless need mental health treatment and/or substance abuse rehab, and most of them refuse treatment. And despite having the authority to make it happen, no politician has the political will to make it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a guy selling water in the median by the intersection of Georgia Ave and Military rd who drives me nuts. It’s so unsafe and also he has all these signs, little slogans, the water all the time. He’s more than demonstrating that he’s capable of managing a job and he’s fairly creative and entrepreneurial. So why should he get to run an unsafe, unlicensed, dangerous and annoying business in the middle of the road?

Why? Because you happen to encounter him on your drive home? Poor you. Should probably incarcerate him to spare your feelings.

DP this guy is causing a traffic hazard. His stuff is on a narrow median at a dangerous intersection and has blown into traffic. There is homeless and then there is traffic safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you see that one unhoused person stabbed and killed another in NW Petworth library yesterday? This is tragic and I am in no way minimizing the loss of life and humanity. However, this again brings up so many issues for me of our city (and so many residents) "ignoring" this issue of what is happening right in front of us on the streets with the unhoused and panhandlers. Claiming it's not a chaotic and dangerous mix.

Why can we not address the chronic homeless? Why can we not address all the nuisance crime and activity to disincentivize it? Why do we use libraries as day shelters??? Can you imagine being a kid trying to do your homework at the computer bank and witnessing this? Yes, it happened at the computer banks of course.

The chronic homeless need mental health treatment and/or substance abuse rehab, and most of them refuse treatment. And despite having the authority to make it happen, no politician has the political will to make it happen.

The only way they will respond is if their constituents pressure them to do so. Get your heads out of the sand and insist that our public spaces be respected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP I go regularly to that petworth library. They do drugs in the bathrooms and then flood the library main floor.

I don’t feel super comfortable bringing my kids there, so we hustle upstairs to the kids area and hustle them out as fast as I can. This story really bothered me to my core. I knew this was coming.

I realize many of these unhoused people have nowhere to go, but isn’t it unfair to our kids and non drug using patrons? It’s hard enough to live in this city, but yet another resource is taken up by the often very high unhoused population?

For three years DC has been peppering the Connecticut Avenue apartment buildings with these folks at incredibly outrageous rates. On any given day the Cleveland Park commercial strip has a dozen or so of these folks asking for handouts. A once thriving area has become blighted and feels unsafe. This is what CM Frumin means when he wants to make Ward 3 more welcoming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP I go regularly to that petworth library. They do drugs in the bathrooms and then flood the library main floor.

I don’t feel super comfortable bringing my kids there, so we hustle upstairs to the kids area and hustle them out as fast as I can. This story really bothered me to my core. I knew this was coming.

I realize many of these unhoused people have nowhere to go, but isn’t it unfair to our kids and non drug using patrons? It’s hard enough to live in this city, but yet another resource is taken up by the often very high unhoused population?

Yes, the conflict with what libraries are designed for is undeniable. I remember being a kid trying to use MLK library downtown and being scared of the stairwells etc. It's just not OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a guy selling water in the median by the intersection of Georgia Ave and Military rd who drives me nuts. It’s so unsafe and also he has all these signs, little slogans, the water all the time. He’s more than demonstrating that he’s capable of managing a job and he’s fairly creative and entrepreneurial. So why should he get to run an unsafe, unlicensed, dangerous and annoying business in the middle of the road?

He makes more money selling water, makes his own schedule, doesn’t pay taxes, and probably gets a fair number of government benefits on top of his tax free income selling water. Pretty good gig.

He also gets to pee in a bottle and leave it by the side of a road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP I go regularly to that petworth library. They do drugs in the bathrooms and then flood the library main floor.

I don’t feel super comfortable bringing my kids there, so we hustle upstairs to the kids area and hustle them out as fast as I can. This story really bothered me to my core. I knew this was coming.

I realize many of these unhoused people have nowhere to go, but isn’t it unfair to our kids and non drug using patrons? It’s hard enough to live in this city, but yet another resource is taken up by the often very high unhoused population?

For three years DC has been peppering the Connecticut Avenue apartment buildings with these folks at incredibly outrageous rates. On any given day the Cleveland Park commercial strip has a dozen or so of these folks asking for handouts. A once thriving area has become blighted and feels unsafe. This is what CM Frumin means when he wants to make Ward 3 more welcoming.

Yes, it has become tiny island of dereliction. I was truly surprised walking through the other day by what CM Frumin has done with the place. They have also driven out rent control apartments for middle income workers to turn these units over to illegally overpaid city vouchers, which landlords will continue as long as they make a profit, and then they will run them out and we won't have rent control or housing for the homeless.

[Anonymous]

Genuinely curious: You never read about conflicts as to who gets to occupy the more lucrative intersections (location, time of day, etc). Is there a union or a master scheduler coordinating them? Or is it first-come, first serve?

[Anonymous]

Singapore has very few homeless people or filth. We don't have to copy them, but neither is it true to pretend there's nothing DC could do about the crisis-level destruction of pur public spaces and violence in the streets.