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The non-visible homeless (people down on their luck, to an approximation) get mentally sorted into the vast category of "that's unfortunate but it doesn't affec

The non-visible homeless (people down on their luck, to an approximation) get mentally sorted into the vast category of "that's unfortunate but it doesn't affect me directly," which might influence people's votes or charitable donations, but doesn't arouse much passion for most of us. By contrast, the visible homeless are a visceral inconvenience, even a danger, so people feel strongly about how that problem is addressed. As a smallish woman, I am on high alert in certain areas of San Francisco, Oakland, etc. I'm not all that likely to be accosted, but if I ever am, it will be a big deal, so navigating those places is nerve-wracking because my threat-detection is constantly dialed up. I would compare it to, like, road planning versus traffic enforcement. The former has far-reaching, long-term impact (like housing policy) but the latter is what gets people heated, due to the immediate impact in their day-to-day lives. --- Full disclosure, reposting a comment from a similar thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33961731 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33961731

themitigating 4y ago
"visceral inconvenience" The problem with the homeless isn't how it offends your senses. "I'm not all that likely to be accosted, but if I ever am, it will be a big deal, so navigating those places is nerve-wracking because my threat-detection is constantly dialed up." Have you ever thought that being this worried about threats is something you're partially responsible for?
- novok 4y ago
  Are you a large tall white man by any chance?
  - themitigating 4y ago
    I'm a white man but I don't see how that matters. If I was Black would be more likely to be assaulted for some reason? Do homeless people avoid assaulting white people? I get that you implying that I would feel safer because I'm less likely to be sexually assaulted and that I have a greater chance to defend myself. However, that doesn't prevent me from criticizing other's feelings. It's like a someone who is racist saying "well you don't live with them so you don't understand"
    - prottog 4y ago
      Why do you capitalize black and not white?
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - themitigating 4y ago
        A mistake, I should have capitalized both. I was reading what the parent wrote when I typed it and they didn't capitalize it.
- googlryas 4y ago
  Every self preservation instinct is something each person is ultimately responsible for, but that doesn't mean that is the only dial that can be adjusted to solve the issue. Some people really do worry too much. Some areas really could be cleaned up so that random people feel comfortable moving through them without threat of assault.
  - wolverine876 4y ago
    > Some areas really could be cleaned up Cleaned? People who are homeless are dirt?
    - johnnylambada 4y ago
      Way to strawman a comment
    - googlryas 4y ago
      When you clean up your house, you might put everything back in a good place designed for it. For example, people in homes. If I were being as ridiculous as you, I would say you must not believe in people having homes.
wolverine876 4y ago
I'm guessing that you misunderstand the threats, and are much more likely to be hit by someone in an SUV. I've spent lots and lots of time in cities; I've never had a problem with a homeless person.
- misterprime 4y ago
  Would you count having to step over an active urine stream on your way to the grocery store as "a problem"? How about walking with your pregnant wife past someone who is splitting his time yelling at the sky and scratching his crotch from the inside of his pants? Sure, in both scenarios we weren't physically harmed, but it certainly made us feel unsafe and uncomfortable. It's not something that I think we should all just get used to.
  - Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
    Those are great opportunities to teach your children about the consequences of an apathetic voting base. It’s also a great time to nurture children’s empathetic abilities by teaching them to juxtapose indecent behavior, mental illness, poverty, and general despair. Want more action? Try protesting and demanding solutions that include no questions asked housing, healthcare, food, water, and basic essential communication technology and interconnection. Unless people want to misery murder homeless people en masse, the above is the solution. Hard stop. Don’t like it? That’s not my problem, I’m not complaining about desperate people from a place of immense privilege.
    - joenot443 4y ago
      There are so many countries on earth with a far, far more apathetic voting base than San Francisco which face a fraction of the homeless issues. It’s not fair to tell regular citizens that the homeless people harassing them on their walk to work are only there because they haven’t protested hard enough, that’s just baloney. Something’s very, very wrong in SF and it’s absolutely okay for tax paying law abiding citizens to be making noise about it.

themitigating 4y ago

"visceral inconvenience" The problem with the homeless isn't how it offends your senses. "I'm not all that likely to be accosted, but if I ever am, it will be a big deal, so navigating those places is nerve-wracking because my threat-detection is constantly dialed up." Have you ever thought that being this worried about threats is something you're partially responsible for?

novok 4y ago
Are you a large tall white man by any chance?
- themitigating 4y ago
  I'm a white man but I don't see how that matters. If I was Black would be more likely to be assaulted for some reason? Do homeless people avoid assaulting white people? I get that you implying that I would feel safer because I'm less likely to be sexually assaulted and that I have a greater chance to defend myself. However, that doesn't prevent me from criticizing other's feelings. It's like a someone who is racist saying "well you don't live with them so you don't understand"
  - prottog 4y ago
    Why do you capitalize black and not white?
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - themitigating 4y ago
      A mistake, I should have capitalized both. I was reading what the parent wrote when I typed it and they didn't capitalize it.
googlryas 4y ago
Every self preservation instinct is something each person is ultimately responsible for, but that doesn't mean that is the only dial that can be adjusted to solve the issue. Some people really do worry too much. Some areas really could be cleaned up so that random people feel comfortable moving through them without threat of assault.
- wolverine876 4y ago
  > Some areas really could be cleaned up Cleaned? People who are homeless are dirt?
  - johnnylambada 4y ago
    Way to strawman a comment
  - googlryas 4y ago
    When you clean up your house, you might put everything back in a good place designed for it. For example, people in homes. If I were being as ridiculous as you, I would say you must not believe in people having homes.

wolverine876 4y ago

I'm guessing that you misunderstand the threats, and are much more likely to be hit by someone in an SUV. I've spent lots and lots of time in cities; I've never had a problem with a homeless person.

misterprime 4y ago
Would you count having to step over an active urine stream on your way to the grocery store as "a problem"? How about walking with your pregnant wife past someone who is splitting his time yelling at the sky and scratching his crotch from the inside of his pants? Sure, in both scenarios we weren't physically harmed, but it certainly made us feel unsafe and uncomfortable. It's not something that I think we should all just get used to.
- Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
  Those are great opportunities to teach your children about the consequences of an apathetic voting base. It’s also a great time to nurture children’s empathetic abilities by teaching them to juxtapose indecent behavior, mental illness, poverty, and general despair. Want more action? Try protesting and demanding solutions that include no questions asked housing, healthcare, food, water, and basic essential communication technology and interconnection. Unless people want to misery murder homeless people en masse, the above is the solution. Hard stop. Don’t like it? That’s not my problem, I’m not complaining about desperate people from a place of immense privilege.
  - joenot443 4y ago
    There are so many countries on earth with a far, far more apathetic voting base than San Francisco which face a fraction of the homeless issues. It’s not fair to tell regular citizens that the homeless people harassing them on their walk to work are only there because they haven’t protested hard enough, that’s just baloney. Something’s very, very wrong in SF and it’s absolutely okay for tax paying law abiding citizens to be making noise about it.