Elf Mommy
Well-Known Member
I know this is totally off topic, but lately we have been discussing more personal issues. I guess this is mine.
I live in Jacksonville, Florida, as most of you know. In the past fewmonths, the amount of times I've been approached by a homeless personlooking for money has increased dramatically. It seems that whenever Ileave a store, or come to the end of an exit ramp at a stop light, oram walking the dog or bunny....there's a vagrant looking for "sparechange."
The other thing that's occurring more and more is that they are rippingall of my garbage bags open on trash morning to look for aluminum cansor anything salvageable. The trash people won't pick up the strewngarbage, so I come home after work to a mess to deal with.
Sigh
I really don't consider myself a heartless person. I go to church, Igive to charities (ok, most of them are animal charities, but I do whatI can), and I would really like these people not to have to live on thestreet.
BUT
It's really beginning to aggravate, frustrate, and even frighten me abit. These people (because it is men AND women) seem to have no problemcoming up to me when my two young children (4 and 7) are with me. Theyget right in my face. They wander the streets with their lives in theirshopping carts and ravage through my garbage in broad daylight. Ireally used to think that I lived in an OK neighborhood. It's anhistorical district, nice old houses, right near the river. Now I worryabout letting my son take garbage out to the curb. I worry about thekids playing on the front porch without me staring over their shouldersevery second. I dread going to certain stores which have always beenconvenient because I know I'll get accosted as soon as I get out of myvan or walk out of the store.
My husband says it's because of the cold up north and that very soonthey will all move further south and I won't have to worry about it somuch. I think it also has to do with the Superbowl being here in townthis year, and the authorities are much more worried about other thingslike street improvement, so they aren't paying much attention to thebums roaming around.
Sometimes I do give them something, so I don't have to listen to themyell at me when my kids are with me. However, I know that is justencouraging them. Most times I will offer the very true explanationthat I use my debit card for everything, and do not carry cash with me.I rarely ignore them completely, mostly because they will yell atpeople or get way too close for comfort. sigh. I guess I shouldcomplain to store owners more than I do.
At any rate, there's my rant. Again, I hate to come off as a harsh,unfeeling, uncaring human being, but I just needed to let that out.
Thanks all
Minda
I live in Jacksonville, Florida, as most of you know. In the past fewmonths, the amount of times I've been approached by a homeless personlooking for money has increased dramatically. It seems that whenever Ileave a store, or come to the end of an exit ramp at a stop light, oram walking the dog or bunny....there's a vagrant looking for "sparechange."
The other thing that's occurring more and more is that they are rippingall of my garbage bags open on trash morning to look for aluminum cansor anything salvageable. The trash people won't pick up the strewngarbage, so I come home after work to a mess to deal with.
Sigh
I really don't consider myself a heartless person. I go to church, Igive to charities (ok, most of them are animal charities, but I do whatI can), and I would really like these people not to have to live on thestreet.
BUT
It's really beginning to aggravate, frustrate, and even frighten me abit. These people (because it is men AND women) seem to have no problemcoming up to me when my two young children (4 and 7) are with me. Theyget right in my face. They wander the streets with their lives in theirshopping carts and ravage through my garbage in broad daylight. Ireally used to think that I lived in an OK neighborhood. It's anhistorical district, nice old houses, right near the river. Now I worryabout letting my son take garbage out to the curb. I worry about thekids playing on the front porch without me staring over their shouldersevery second. I dread going to certain stores which have always beenconvenient because I know I'll get accosted as soon as I get out of myvan or walk out of the store.
My husband says it's because of the cold up north and that very soonthey will all move further south and I won't have to worry about it somuch. I think it also has to do with the Superbowl being here in townthis year, and the authorities are much more worried about other thingslike street improvement, so they aren't paying much attention to thebums roaming around.
Sometimes I do give them something, so I don't have to listen to themyell at me when my kids are with me. However, I know that is justencouraging them. Most times I will offer the very true explanationthat I use my debit card for everything, and do not carry cash with me.I rarely ignore them completely, mostly because they will yell atpeople or get way too close for comfort. sigh. I guess I shouldcomplain to store owners more than I do.
At any rate, there's my rant. Again, I hate to come off as a harsh,unfeeling, uncaring human being, but I just needed to let that out.
Thanks all
Minda