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A stranger secretly lived in my home

theguardian.com

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Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#61

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

trulyme wrote: post #44
noasaservice wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because I'm pretty sure that the people going through the trash would stop in an instant if they were offered a better alternative. Mostly, yes. Having been homeless myself for an extended period, I saw just how much mental illnesses impact so many people experiencing homelessness. In my completely unscientific lodgings with them, I'd say its probably around 30% of the people have some sort of debilitating mental i…

Or maybe just offer them some basic food for free, so they don't need to dig in trash cans for it? At least the western societies (I don't know and have no opinion on others) are producing enough food that there is no reason not to offer some basic nutrition to everyone.

> At least the western societies are producing enough food that there is no reason not to offer some basic nutrition to everyone.

I live in one of the southern US states that tends to be hostile towards people in need. My kids and I had on-and-off hunger 2008-2018.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#62

Post by ipaddr »

throw1234651234 wrote: post #42
pbourke wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or at least a meal from the restaurant.

Yea, there is that aspect of it. Ideally, I will go buy them a meal, so they can't use the money for other things. I personally don't indulge in "other things", but I don't know how concerned I am about them using the money for that either. I think it's very, very difficult for someone digging through trash to get their life together, so if they indulge, they indulge. Note that it's not a comment on their character o…

From a logical point of view from a resource management perspective you giving them money is better and allows them to get more bang from that gift.

You buy a McD combo drop it off and feel good. They have to eat it right away. There stomach will not be able to handle it all. They cannot save split the food.

If you give them money they could still dumpster dive for food, keep the money and buy other things they need like (maxi pads, or 1 food bar every morning for a week or a stamp to mail someone or quarters to make a call). They can buy a smaller meal or food in a form that will allow them to space it out over time. Most importantly they can buy the type of food that works best from them.

5 dollars could have multiplier effect. A pre-purchased fast food meal will leaving the homeless person craving for days.

The homeless are drinking/doing drugs less than homed people drinking/doing drugs because they don't have the resources. I would be concerned with salaried beggers.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#63

Post by kirsebaer »

noasaservice wrote: post #28
lisper wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people going through your trash is quite a nuisance. Sure, but who is ultimately responsible for this, the people going through the trash, or the people who have structured our society in such a way that there are people who think their best option in life is to scavenge other people's trash? Because I'm pretty sure that the people going through the trash would stop in an instant if they were offered a better alter…

> Because I'm pretty sure that the people going through the trash would stop in an instant if they were offered a better alternative. Mostly, yes. Having been homeless myself for an extended period, I saw just how much mental illnesses impact so many people experiencing homelessness. In my completely unscientific lodgings with them, I'd say its probably around 30% of the people have some sort of debilitating mental i…

There are very few mentally ill people wandering the streets in Oslo, Norway. I have seen one guy with unkept dredlocks who seems to enjoy hanging around and chatting to passers by, but he almost certainly has a public-funded apartment and generous disability pension.

The difference is very striking compared with Boston (a city with similar climate to Oslo) where there are many obviously mentally ill people wandering around talking nonsense, begging for money, carrying their things in plastic bags, and sleeping on the ground.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#64

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

yesasaservice wrote: post #56
trulyme wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe just offer them some basic food for free, so they don't need to dig in trash cans for it? At least the western societies (I don't know and have no opinion on others) are producing enough food that there is no reason not to offer some basic nutrition to everyone.

(created alt cause of HN's idiotic "posting too fast" - how dare I have a conversation with people online) I don't understand what I said somehow excludes helping in other ways. My views are probably a bit more radical, in that I think that everyone should have free food. Homeless, homeful, working, unemployed, citizen, foreigner. Everyone. No exceptions. And, we already have a basis to maintain this system - SNAP. S…

My 1 second old idea is for their psych clinic to offer free food in trade for checking their blood levels. It the meds are insufficient, they get Rx food.

Can't tell if I'll offer that idea again, once I think about it.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#65

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

b112 wrote: post #48
throw1234651234 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pro-tip on charity - see someone eating out of the trash? They could probably actually use your money. Much more effective than giving it to panhandlers.

They're looking for recyclables (for deposit refunds), and other things of value.

I have been wondering how I'd feel if someone cleaned out our recycle bins, before the truck picks them up. Our house alone goes thru a lot of aluminum.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#66

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

watwut wrote: post #40
noasaservice wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because I'm pretty sure that the people going through the trash would stop in an instant if they were offered a better alternative. Mostly, yes. Having been homeless myself for an extended period, I saw just how much mental illnesses impact so many people experiencing homelessness. In my completely unscientific lodgings with them, I'd say its probably around 30% of the people have some sort of debilitating mental i…

AFAIK, it is kind of cycle. Being mentally ill makes you more likely to be homeless. Being homeless makes all your mental health issues much much worst.

> AFAIK, it is kind of cycle.

For folks who need meds, getting them to stay on them can be hugely difficult. It's even harder when that person lacks shelter and support.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#67

Post by throw1234651234 »

ipaddr wrote: post #62
throw1234651234 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, there is that aspect of it. Ideally, I will go buy them a meal, so they can't use the money for other things. I personally don't indulge in "other things", but I don't know how concerned I am about them using the money for that either. I think it's very, very difficult for someone digging through trash to get their life together, so if they indulge, they indulge. Note that it's not a comment on their character o…

From a logical point of view from a resource management perspective you giving them money is better and allows them to get more bang from that gift. You buy a McD combo drop it off and feel good. They have to eat it right away. There stomach will not be able to handle it all. They cannot save split the food. If you give them money they could still dumpster dive for food, keep the money and buy other things they need…

That's a valid point as well.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#68

Post by lisper »

SmkyMt wrote: post #27
lisper wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there, but for the grace of god go I You might be interested in this: https://graceofgodmovie.com/ [Disclosure: that is my movie.]

I look forward to viewing it this evening. And FWIW: It could motivate me to _buy_ ($20) rather than _rent ($4) [from Amazon] if I knew the respective portions that go to (your) production company rather than just to Amazon.

Yes, I get a cut of every sale and rental, thought I don't recall exactly how much. It's a very small income stream and I don't really need the money. So much as I appreciate the gesture, you should feel free to rent. Frankly, a good review is worth much more to me than a sale.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#69

Post by bloodguard »

whirlingdervish wrote: post #24

A couple years ago one of the devs I work with came in to the office very early for some reason and discovered a man sleeping in one of the conference rooms. After the fact we discovered that an emergency exit door wasn’t locking properly. He didn’t take anything even though he could have easily made off with tens of thousands of dollars of electronics. He just needed somewhere to sleep.

We had an AC tech ask us if we knew someone was living on our roof. Turns out an coworker's GF kicked him out of his house* and he was living up there.

Tent, free wifi, showers next to the bike room, full kitchen and big 80 inch TVs down in the conference rooms. He was livin' the life. He said he usually took down the tent and hid everything every morning but just got complacent.

*Yes. His house. She told the cops she felt in danger. Cops told him he had to stay somewhere else and go through the eviction process. Mad world.

Re: A stranger secretly lived in my home

#70

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

vegetablepotpie wrote: post #53
WarOnPrivacy wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We should be viewing these situations as a cry for help instead of a criminal activity. You're right. When we uphold a law for the law's sake, we've lost our way.

Right, but laws enforced selectively based on feelings is its own form of tyranny.

It can be but usually isn't.

The value of a local, penalty-backed law is in it's ability to guide bulk behavior. These laws imply a bargain we make with our governments, that enforcement will be limited to the stated objective.

Reducing traffic speeds by citing a few speeders - this upholds that bargain. Citing every possible speeder while those fines fatten the police budget is a gross perversion.

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