Union Station smells like urine, has a homeless problem, and is half deserted.

[Anonymous]

Today at Columbia Heights Target there was a homeless person in womens restroom sitting on toilet with pants down to her ankle fast asleep and snoring loudly. I reported it and they said they have already been informed. I asked what was keeping her from falling in toilet? Target management didn't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today at Columbia Heights Target there was a homeless person in womens restroom sitting on toilet with pants down to her ankle fast asleep and snoring loudly. I reported it and they said they have already been informed. I asked what was keeping her from falling in toilet? Target management didn't know.

Please call this number below. Just put it in your phone, since living in DC you will see this every day. It takes 30 seconds and you are not asked to identify yourself, just to provide the location of the person you are concerned about. You are not being a "Karen". This is a taxpayer subsidized service to do wellness checks in DC, and redirect people to the services they need. Maybe if the calls pour in, the city will be forced to take this type of homeless issue more seriously.

If you see someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, call the Shelter Hotline at [phone] or dial 311. The shelter hotline is open every day from 8 AM - 12 AM. During hypothermia season (November 1 - April 15), the shelter hotline is open 24 hours a day. Transportation to shelter and welfare checks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the hypothermia season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Union station is disgusting and an embarrassment but not much anyone can do.

Maybe stop electing a do-nothing Mayor

Union Station is a federally owned facility run by Amtrak in partnership with the Department of Transportation. That includes the land out front and the parking lots.

Here you go-- Also looks like you can tweet Pete Buttagieg directly

https://www.transportation.gov/office-of-secretary
US Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
United States

Phone: [phone]
Business Hours:
8:30am-5:00pm ET, M-F

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a train from Union Station yesterday. First time in a while. I was stunned at the homeless encampment in the circle out front. Stunned. WTH?? Why is the city letting an essential traveler/tourist site turn into homeless village in plain site?

I’m curious. I always thought US was federal land. When Ashcroft was US Attorney General, he required or demanded that the statutes removed and redone with covering shields. He was offended by their nudity. If he had the authority to revive and replace artifacts like that, it would seems yhst is federal property and not DC or private property. Maybe you are blaming the wrong overseer

I despised John Ashcroft but this is not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gosh this thread is making me feel better about turning down a job over between Union and Judiciary. I really would have loved it, but I spent some time over there to test the commute, and I felt really unsafe. It was late afternoon, some of the streets were pretty desolate, and there were more than what I expected in terms of people seeming to be really ill or addicted (e.g., shirtless and screaming in the street and blocking traffic). I used to work over in the area about 10 years ago, and it was on its way up. This was my first time over there in probably five years, and I was really shocked. I thought about how I’d commute after dark, and I just thought it would be kind of nerve-wracking given my gender and size. But I really would have loved the job, and I can honestly say the main reason I turned it down was not wanting to work in that area after seeing it. The whole thing is really sad. People really need medical help, like long-term, consistent, quality help, and they aren’t getting it. They need homes too, for sure, but it seems to me the medical help needs to come first or concurrently. Ignoring this aspect of the issue doesn’t seem humane to me, but what do I know, I guess.

My office is near union station and my colleagues talk if a time where they had to take a shuttle to the metro station after dark because it was so unsafe. In the time I was commuting in the years leading up to the pandemic I never had any issues but I had to go a couple times recently and the area is deserted and feels deteriorated. I spent the extra few minutes walking to the NoMA station for the return trip.

Curious where your office is and how old your colleagues are. Union Station was pretty safe for a good 20+ years before COVID hit.

Not OP, but my office is next to GPO and my colleagues said the same thing about having security walk them to the station when they stayed late to work. I usually left by 6 pm pre Covid, and it was fine, but went there recently in the afternoon and definitely felt unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a train from Union Station yesterday. First time in a while. I was stunned at the homeless encampment in the circle out front. Stunned. WTH?? Why is the city letting an essential traveler/tourist site turn into homeless village in plain site?

I’m curious. I always thought US was federal land. When Ashcroft was US Attorney General, he required or demanded that the statutes removed and redone with covering shields. He was offended by their nudity. If he had the authority to revive and replace artifacts like that, it would seems yhst is federal property and not DC or private property. Maybe you are blaming the wrong overseer

I despised John Ashcroft but this is not true.

Yeah, that's not true. They've had the "modesty shields" since they were installed in the early 20th century:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roman-legionnaire-modesty-shields#:~:text=The%2046%20Roman%20legionnaire%20statutes,stand%20in%20the%20loggia%20arches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a train from Union Station yesterday. First time in a while. I was stunned at the homeless encampment in the circle out front. Stunned. WTH?? Why is the city letting an essential traveler/tourist site turn into homeless village in plain site?

I’m curious. I always thought US was federal land. When Ashcroft was US Attorney General, he required or demanded that the statutes removed and redone with covering shields. He was offended by their nudity. If he had the authority to revive and replace artifacts like that, it would seems yhst is federal property and not DC or private property. Maybe you are blaming the wrong overseer

I despised John Ashcroft but this is not true.

Yeah, that's not true. They've had the "modesty shields" since they were installed in the early 20th century:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roman-legionnaire-modesty-shields#:~:text=The%2046%20Roman%20legionnaire%20statutes,stand%20in%20the%20loggia%20arches.

Meanwhile, let's not mind that statues in America are being melted down, not just having parts covered, because they 'offend'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of these people are honestly not fixable. We need to focus our efforts on preventing the next generation of mentally ill/addicted homeless people.

Take the existing homeless people to a camp out in South Dakota. Wall it off. They're ruining our nation's cities.

They should be rounded up and put in camps. Maybe get the trumpkins and gun nuts while we are at it.

Round them up how?

And knives.

They have guns.

Just use the national guard.

No way the national guard has guns. They’d have to be…. nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today at Columbia Heights Target there was a homeless person in womens restroom sitting on toilet with pants down to her ankle fast asleep and snoring loudly. I reported it and they said they have already been informed. I asked what was keeping her from falling in toilet? Target management didn't know.

Please call this number below. Just put it in your phone, since living in DC you will see this every day. It takes 30 seconds and you are not asked to identify yourself, just to provide the location of the person you are concerned about. You are not being a "Karen". This is a taxpayer subsidized service to do wellness checks in DC, and redirect people to the services they need. Maybe if the calls pour in, the city will be forced to take this type of homeless issue more seriously.

If you see someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, call the Shelter Hotline at [phone] or dial 311. The shelter hotline is open every day from 8 AM - 12 AM. During hypothermia season (November 1 - April 15), the shelter hotline is open 24 hours a day. Transportation to shelter and welfare checks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the hypothermia season.

This church pastor in southern MD told me several months ago, she called DC hotline to do a welfare check on a homeless woman who sleeps on the sidewalk and regularly passes out meals to. She appeared to have covid and seemed more off than usual. The pastor said she identified herself by name and a pastor from MD who delivers meals to homeless and is calling out of genuine concern. The pastor is a lovely woman and very concerned about the homeless and believes they are all innocent victims. The DC government hotline went completely ballistic on her telling her to go back to MD, she has no business in DC and isn't allowed to cross the district line, it's illegal etc. The pastor didn't get to the sidewalk location where the woman sleeps and decided the hotline person was "mentally unwell" and hung up the phone.

I told her "typical" sounds about right.

I called an ambulance for a guy i thought was dead on a bench in front of JCrew on Wisconsin. Of course, he showed signs of life when the ambulance came. I was relieved, but embarrassed. I was sure he was dead. I studied him up close for a long time. They told me he is a known drug user.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today at Columbia Heights Target there was a homeless person in womens restroom sitting on toilet with pants down to her ankle fast asleep and snoring loudly. I reported it and they said they have already been informed. I asked what was keeping her from falling in toilet? Target management didn't know.

Please call this number below. Just put it in your phone, since living in DC you will see this every day. It takes 30 seconds and you are not asked to identify yourself, just to provide the location of the person you are concerned about. You are not being a "Karen". This is a taxpayer subsidized service to do wellness checks in DC, and redirect people to the services they need. Maybe if the calls pour in, the city will be forced to take this type of homeless issue more seriously.

If you see someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, call the Shelter Hotline at [phone] or dial 311. The shelter hotline is open every day from 8 AM - 12 AM. During hypothermia season (November 1 - April 15), the shelter hotline is open 24 hours a day. Transportation to shelter and welfare checks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the hypothermia season.

This church pastor in southern MD told me several months ago, she called DC hotline to do a welfare check on a homeless woman who sleeps on the sidewalk and regularly passes out meals to. She appeared to have covid and seemed more off than usual. The pastor said she identified herself by name and a pastor from MD who delivers meals to homeless and is calling out of genuine concern. The pastor is a lovely woman and very concerned about the homeless and believes they are all innocent victims. The DC government hotline went completely ballistic on her telling her to go back to MD, she has no business in DC and isn't allowed to cross the district line, it's illegal etc. The pastor didn't get to the sidewalk location where the woman sleeps and decided the hotline person was "mentally unwell" and hung up the phone.

I told her "typical" sounds about right.

I called an ambulance for a guy i thought was dead on a bench in front of JCrew on Wisconsin. Of course, he showed signs of life when the ambulance came. I was relieved, but embarrassed. I was sure he was dead. I studied him up close for a long time. They told me he is a known drug user.

Huh-they didn't ask me for any identifying info. Just the location of the person of concern. I didn't stick around to see if the wellness check arrived, but they seemed very responsive.

And thank you for calling the ambulance. Why were you embarrassed? How were you to know? What's embarrassing it stepping over and ignoring people lying prone in the street, Kitty Genovese style. THAT's embarrassing. I'm embarrased for every single DC resident that I too often see walk by someone who could be in distress without calling for help.

[Anonymous]

Panhandler gives brain bleed to 70 year old woman at Cathedral Commons.

"The documents state 33-year-old Alexander Adams approached the couple and asked them for five dollars. When the couple only gave him one dollar, he replied, "That is not enough" and proceeded to punch the man. Then, Adams grabbed the woman's wooden cane and began to strike her in the back of the head repeatedly breaking the cane into two pieces. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took a train from Union Station yesterday. First time in a while. I was stunned at the homeless encampment in the circle out front. Stunned. WTH?? Why is the city letting an essential traveler/tourist site turn into homeless village in plain site?

I’m curious. I always thought US was federal land. When Ashcroft was US Attorney General, he required or demanded that the statutes removed and redone with covering shields. He was offended by their nudity. If he had the authority to revive and replace artifacts like that, it would seems yhst is federal property and not DC or private property. Maybe you are blaming the wrong overseer

I despised John Ashcroft but this is not true.

Yeah, that's not true. They've had the "modesty shields" since they were installed in the early 20th century:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roman-legionnaire-modesty-shields#:~:text=The%2046%20Roman%20legionnaire%20statutes,stand%20in%20the%20loggia%20arches.

Meanwhile, let's not mind that statues in America are being melted down, not just having parts covered, because they 'offend'.

Every human has anatomy. Pointless and stupid to be "offended" over that. Whereas, it was a choice to be a racist, slave-supporting Confederate general, whereas it is today a choice to remain racist and to glorify those Confederates with statues and we are right to be offended by that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of these people are honestly not fixable. We need to focus our efforts on preventing the next generation of mentally ill/addicted homeless people.

Take the existing homeless people to a camp out in South Dakota. Wall it off. They're ruining our nation's cities.

They should be rounded up and put in camps. Maybe get the trumpkins and gun nuts while we are at it.

Round them up how?

And knives.

They have guns.

Some of them have knives and shivs. Guns would get sold in a heartbeat, along with them not being likely to legally have them in DC. Worst case they can be tazed.

Who doesn’t own a knife? Serious question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair most of DC smells like urine and has a homeless problem outside of Ward3. There is just less places for them to go inside in spots like Cap Hill

Let’s bus the homeless to the bucolic circles of ward 3

This is annoying. Ward 3 has many homeless and homeless services, which frankly I think in some ways make it easy for homeless persons to stay on streets and NOT go to shelters or more permanent help. Ward 3ers are mostly guilt ridden liberals who dole out money food and care bags like it's a birthday everyday . Enabling behavior. They should stop, give directly to charities, and call for hospitalization and rehab efforts

There was a guy I'm sure was homeless next door to me. He was evicted for refusing to stop chain smoking. He smoked everything weed, cigarettes, crack and probably meth. This went on day and night.

My eyes were watering and I couldn't breathe. Every room in my apartment was contaminated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Panhandler gives brain bleed to 70 year old woman at Cathedral Commons.

"The documents state 33-year-old Alexander Adams approached the couple and asked them for five dollars. When the couple only gave him one dollar, he replied, "That is not enough" and proceeded to punch the man. Then, Adams grabbed the woman's wooden cane and began to strike her in the back of the head repeatedly breaking the cane into two pieces. "

Giant should ban panhandlers from their property. Why doesn't Mary Cheh propose a law for this?

I've seen them be verbally aggressive and the one with the loud music and microphone at Van Ness is annoying , but this physical attack is disturbing. The beating would have probably been worse if they didn't give the panhandler anything.