Homelessness

[Scooby Dudek]

1 hour ago, Arniepie said:

Always ratty when I haven't had a proper kip

Rough sleep?

[Section_31]

Will probably take shit for this but what the fuck is going on with big issue sellers these days? Most of them seem to be Romanian pensioners. Back in the day it was random blokes.

 

There's about four I encounter regularly now.

 

Walked out of a shop doorway the other day and one was just sat cross legged on the floor next to it and I shit myself.

 

She clocks me and goes "ello!" and I replied hi and then she just started making funny noises which sounded like gargling mixed with beat boxing. Damndest thing I've ever seen.

[stringvest]

Despite train strikes I had to be in London today.  The announced the trains were stopping at 5pm so I just about got the train- it was like the last plane out of ‘Nam, or Afghanistan, or Magaluf or somewhere equally horrific.  Flailing manbags and roll top rucksacks everywhere.  Anyway, as soon as the train left Waterloo a young man strides halfway down the carriage and begins a spiel about being homeless and asking whether the hardworking people determinedly avoiding eye contact could spare him a few pennies so that he might have a hot meal, or a few more pennies so that he might get a bed for the night.  This lad was fantastic - he commanded the carriage, he projected, he engaged with the audience fore and aft, I was convinced he had had theatrical training.  Anyway, I gave him no money as I dont carry cash, and when the card reader came out, two words ladies and gentlemen… As If.

[Bruce Spanner]

11 minutes ago, stringvest said:

Despite train strikes I had to be in London today.  The announced the trains were stopping at 5pm so I just about got the train- it was like the last plane out of ‘Nam, or Afghanistan, or Magaluf or somewhere equally horrific.  Flailing manbags and roll top rucksacks everywhere.  Anyway, as soon as the train left Waterloo a young man strides halfway down the carriage and begins a spiel about being homeless and asking whether the hardworking people determinedly avoiding eye contact could spare him a few pennies so that he might have a hot meal, or a few more pennies so that he might get a bed for the night.  This lad was fantastic - he commanded the carriage, he projected, he engaged with the audience fore and aft, I was convinced he had had theatrical training.  Anyway, I gave him no money as I dont carry cash, and when the card reader came out, two words ladies and gentlemen… As If.

 

I was on the Strand today and between the underground station and the Nicholsons boozer on the corner there were 15 beggers of various types.

 

Its wild how bad it is down here.

 

I was last up in Liverpool in Feb and it was nearly as bad though.

 

Burnham has done a lot of good work in Manchester as that was horrific about 5/6 years back with spice zombies and that is much better now and a model to follow.

[Creator Supreme]

3 minutes ago, Bruce Spanner said:

 

I was on the Strand today and between the underground station and the Nicholsons boozer on the corner there were 15 beggers or various types.

 

Its wild how bad it is down here.

 

I was last up in Liverpool in Feb and it was nearly as bad though.

 

Burnham has done a lot of good work in Manchester as that was horrific about 5/6 years back with spice zombies and that is much better now and a model to follow.

I stopped working in Manchester full time 4 years ago (start of COVID lockdown), and finished there completely 2 and a half years ago.

 

There were less spice zombies, but the homeless levels seemed just as high.

[Bruce Spanner]

2 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

I stopped working in Manchester full time 4 years ago (start of COVID lockdown), and finished there completely 2 and a half years ago.

 

There were less spice zombies, but the homeless levels seemed just as high.

 

Nah, it has noticeably improved, at one point it looked like Resident Evil we're doing an immersive promotional drive for the next edition.

 

Piccadilly is still a dump, but nowhere near what it was a few years back.

[Bjornebye]

1 minute ago, Creator Supreme said:

I stopped working in Manchester full time 4 years ago (start of COVID lockdown), and finished there completely 2 and a half years ago.

 

There were less spice zombies, but the homeless levels seemed just as high.

Manchester City centre is brutal for homeless. I think it’s worse than Liverpool. Bouncers on the Greggs during the day. Defo less spice zombies compared to as Bruce said 6/7 years ago. That underpass from Piccadilly over to Piccadilly gardens is a horrible site. It’s like skid row. I used to get into work just depressed seeing despair like it. 

[stringvest]

8 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Manchester City centre is brutal for homeless. I think it’s worse than Liverpool. Bouncers on the Greggs during the day. Defo less spice zombies compared to as Bruce said 6/7 years ago. That underpass from Piccadilly over to Piccadilly gardens is a horrible site. It’s like skid row. I used to get into work just depressed seeing despair like it. 

Yes, that bit of Manchester around Piccadilly Gardens is fucking awful.  I go up there for work and I do try to avoid that shithole

[Bjornebye]

2 minutes ago, stringvest said:

Yes, that bit of Manchester around Piccadilly Gardens is fucking awful.  I go up there for work and I do try to avoid that shithole

Yeah I ended up getting the train into Victoria as much as I could. Nowhere near as bad there. 

[HazelyCosmicJove]

Just been looking at the Crisis plan posted by Gnasher. It states that homelessness is currently around 160,000 and is projected to double to 320,000 by 2041. The plan suggests that the country needs to build 100,000 social housing homes per year for the next 15 years giving a total of 1.5m homes. Anyone understand the logic of why so many would be needed? It doesn't explain it.

[Creator Supreme]

7 hours ago, Bruce Spanner said:

 

Nah, it has noticeably improved, at one point it looked like Resident Evil we're doing an immersive promotional drive for the next edition.

 

Piccadilly is still a dump, but nowhere near what it was a few years back.

 

6 hours ago, stringvest said:

Yes, that bit of Manchester around Piccadilly Gardens is fucking awful.  I go up there for work and I do try to avoid that shithole

 

6 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

Yeah I ended up getting the train into Victoria as much as I could. Nowhere near as bad there. 

My work was right by Oxford Road Station, so I stayed round there mostly, unless I worked late and had to go to Victoria to get the train home.

 

You tended to see the same people all the time on the streets round by the Palace theatre, the station and that. Mostly decent folks from what I remember.

[A Red]

10 hours ago, stringvest said:

Anyway, I gave him no money as I dont carry cash, and when the card reader came out, two words ladies and gentlemen… As If.

Big issue sellers will often have card readers and are actively encouraged to do so, makes sense really. 

[Arniepie]