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  • LAVA Moderator: Mysterier

Homeless by choice

for whatever reason someone is homeless, its a tough gig, no shit.:\
 
I just want to clarify that I plan on travelling/backpacking... homeless by choice might have been the wrong title. I definatly don't want to become a "homebum"...

Edit - I believe this was my 2,000 post :)
 
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AxL BLaZe said:
...you'd be surprised at the many ways you can fill your wallet w/o the depravity of pan handling.

...go to older women, slightly primp looking and explain to them your sob story on how your girlfriend's an alcoholic so therefore she kicked you out so therefore you need gas money ASAP. you'd be surprised to how many people will throw you some bones this way.
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so lying/begging is less depraved than pan handling?
 
The difference I see between the homelessness BlueLava is talking about versus what xxanxx is talking about is that the latter is more or less PLANNED. People who choose to live on the road out of a sense of adventure rather than desperation typically plan it out fairly well, I'd bet. Before they get their security depost back and give their boss the finger, I think most have given some very realistic thought to where they're going to sleep, how they'll find food / gas / drugs, what they'll do about staying somewhat clean and respectable when they need to, and most of all, how they'll make enough money to get by.

There are, and have always been, hobos, or people who have life on the move down to a science and wouldn't have it any other way. In some cultures there are even whole classes of people who've been on the road for centuries! (Britain's "Pikeys" come to mind.) I'd venture a guess most are not only very street smart, but also very good networkers, who know "somebody" vitrually everywhere they go, both settled people and fellow hobos.

It seems to me certain social skills would take on especial importance to someone PLANNING ON living homeless:
*** Never forgetting a name, face, or conversation, even if it was only one encounter long ago.
*** Leaving no trace as a guest, never "making onesself at home" too much.
*** Being able to spot someone who'll likely buy a sob story or offer something of help, as xxanxx mentioned.
*** An arsenal of quick and confident replies to the question "ExCUSE me, what are you doing there?"
*** Always keeping something on hand that anyone would appreciate as a gift.

Becoming homeless out of desperation, like most things done out of desperation, is a whole other kettle of fish. BlueLava, you're talking about people who don't even have the chops to make it in ordinary society, let alone at the mercy of the elements.

chrissie, I'd say begging and panhandling are both pretty depraved, and should ONLY be done out of real desperation, when all other options have been exhausted. It makes me sick when I hear stories of some hot girl who'll dress in dirty scanty clothing on a streetcorner, collect hundreds of dollars in a day, then go back to her b/f's house and order pizza and a MovieOnDemand. How can some people be so shameless? If pimps harrass her / try to get her on board, good. She deserves it.

As for travelers who lie / steal / con their way across the country / world? All I can say is karma travels faster than the fastest airplane, and WILL catch up to you someday. And you, too, will deserve it when it comes. If you don't have it in you to live on the road honestly and show the proper thanks to those who've helped you, you shouldn't try to live on the road, because it's people like you who give vagrants a bad name. :p
 
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chrissie said:
so lying/begging is less depraved than pan handling?
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being a steelhead, i bet he knows all the sob storys ever invented.8)


get by on your own steam, dude.;)
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
The difference I see between the homelessness BlueLava is talking about versus what xxanxx is talking about is that the latter is more or less PLANNED. People who choose to live on the road out of a sense of adventure rather than desperation typically plan it out fairly well, I'd bet. Before they get their security depost back and give their boss the finger, I think most have given some very realistic thought to where they're going to sleep, how they'll find food / gas / drugs, what they'll do about staying somewhat clean and respectable when they need to, and most of all, how they'll make enough money to get by.

There are, and have always been, hobos, or people who have life on the move down to a science and wouldn't have it any other way. In some cultures there are even whole classes of people who've been on the road for centuries! (Britain's "Pikeys" come to mind.) I'd venture a guess most are not only very street smart, but also very good networkers, who know "somebody" vitrually everywhere they go, both settled people and fellow hobos.

It seems to me certain social skills would take on especial importance to someone PLANNING ON living homeless:
*** Never forgetting a name, face, or conversation, even if it was only one encounter long ago.
*** Leaving no trace as a guest, never "making onesself at home" too much.
*** Being able to spot someone who'll likely buy a sob story or offer something of help, as xxanxx mentioned.
*** An arsenal of quick and confident replies to the question "ExCUSE me, what are you doing there?"
*** Always keeping something on hand that anyone would appreciate as a gift.

Becoming homeless out of desperation, like most things done out of desperation, is a whole other kettle of fish. BlueLava, you're talking about people who don't even have the chops to make it in ordinary society, let alone at the mercy of the elements.

chrissie, I'd say begging and panhandling are both pretty depraved, and should ONLY be done out of real desperation, when all other options have been exhausted. It makes me sick when I hear stories of some hot girl who'll dress in dirty scanty clothing on a streetcorner, collect hundreds of dollars in a day, then go back to her b/f's house and order pizza and a MovieOnDemand. How can some people be so shameless? If pimps harrass her / try to get her on board, good. She deserves it.

As for travelers who lie / steal / con their way across the country / world? All I can say is karma travels faster than the fastest airplane, and WILL catch up to you someday. And you, too, will deserve it when it comes. If you don't have it in you to live on the road honestly and show the proper thanks to those who've helped you, you shouldn't try to live on the road, because it's people like you who give vagrants a bad name. :p
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awesome post...

ive made a point in being close to the homeless community in whatever city ive lived in. wether, it be europe, asia or australia.

of course, oz would have by far the most facilitys, help, call it what you like of all places. in fact you can be well looked after once you find your feet.

there is one "type" of homeless that i come across that i find hard to deal with and that is the vulnerable almost defenceless type, someone who would normally mind his own business for the most part. they may have a mental ilness, more than likely there will be no one to see, nothing to do and nowhere to go for them.

the only contact they will have from people is the junkies that hassle them.

they have probably suffered from horrendous abuse and have decided to drop out of life altogether.


and yeah, i also know the ones who are on the take. i just give them a smile and move on.
 
Hah, I'd freak out after a few days of no showers, electric tootbrushes, television, XBOX Live, or internet. I mean, I could see having a house and not going there for weeks at a time and just crashing at random places and cruising the streets from 2 am to midday, ect, but being completely homeless would be lame.
 
lol chrissie , pan handling is just asking for money , what the average government does is more criminal , although a bit of lying is usually involvolved in begging (if you want to make more than minimum wages)
 
^ yeah you obviously see through the misconceptions society puts on those types of people, BB.

but woah I'm in no way a pan handler of any form. in fact you could go as far as saying I am the antithesis of such. I work a 9-5 and try to squeeze in school.

but chrissie, I have been in situations before where I've been on the road. I am in a band that travels around the midwestern region, so I know the road very well. although my advice seemed kinda contradictory to what you above quoted, I was trying to offer my advice and opinion on helping someone out who might be in the situation.
 
BingeBoy, I think all she's saying is that there's no dignity in it. Just like Jerry Springer's guests have sold every shred of their dignity for one shot to be on national TV, when you make the choice to hold out a cup and say "Spare a little change?", you're in essence pawning your proverbial "face". I would be mortified enough to double over and vomit if anyone I knew and respected were to see me panhandling.

I think anyone who would feel no shame at all in panhandling (who wasn't doing it out of desperate need) is a tad psychopathic. Before you flame me for saying that, look up "psychopath" or "Antisocial Personality Disorder" on Wikipedia, and be sure you know exactly what that term means.

I'd just like to clarify one more point, out of my own experience as a traveler who's had many encounters with other travelers, both permanent and non: I find most successful and happy transients are not loners or introverts. On the contrary, I find they know exactly who their people are, and never forget their own. In fact, when their asses are to the wall, their morality tends to take the shape of "my compadres right or wrong". This is just a clarification of what I was saying about networking. Ask any Rromany (Gypsy), Irish Traveller (Tinker, Pikey), travelling carnival worker (carny), serious biker (no, not cyclist), street gang member, or even any long-term backpacker who's spent years and miles with the same core crew of traveling companions, if you don't believe me on this.
 
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