homeless on the trail?

[emerald]

You did the right thing to post what you did. Knowing how threads typically develop having observed this website for 5 years, I'd do likewise, but wouldn't monitor the thread or reply to it and simply post an advisory.

[Blissful]

Sorry but when one reads of drifters and then recalls that maniac down south that ended up killing hikers in GA TN and FL, I would hike on too. I'm sure Meredith thought that one guy was a "nice" guy to talk too, and then ends up dead.

Guys who all posted here, you can stay and help the drifters at the AT shelters holed up there...thanks for offering. Really

Ladies, march on.
The way of the jungle these days, sad but true

[DAJA]

How backward can our world get?

We're affraid of the homeless and poor, while we praise the wealthy ... Yet poverity is a consiquence of the wealthy..

Pretty sure the homeless had nothing to do with the oil spill, bank frauds, market meltdown, realty bubble and burst, etc, etc.. In fact I have no doubt every one of those criminals would look very respectful, well groomed and behave "on" in thier fancy suits..

Misplaced logic...

[Blissful]

You did the right thing to post what you did. Knowing how threads typically develop having observed this website for more than 5 years, I'd do likewise, but wouldn't monitor the thread or reply to it and simply post an advisory.

Agreed. You are better off more times not looking at replies to your post. Esp hot button issues.

[Blissful]

How backward can our world get?

We're affraid of the homeless and poor, while we praise the wealthy ... Yet poverity is a consiquence of the wealthy..

Pretty sure the homeless had nothing to do with the oil spill, bank frauds, market meltdown, realty bubble and burst, etc, etc.. In fact I have no doubt every one of those criminals would look very respectful, well groomed and behave "on" in thier fancy suits..

Misplaced logic...

Here we go...

Didn't take long...

[emerald]

It's page 2. The standards drop when the new page begins.

[Blissful]

It's page 2. The standards drop when the new page begins.

oh yeah

[Frosty]

How backward can our world get?

We're affraid of the homeless and poor, while we praise the wealthy ... Yet poverity is a consiquence of the wealthy..

Pretty sure the homeless had nothing to do with the oil spill, bank frauds, market meltdown, realty bubble and burst, etc, etc.. In fact I have no doubt every one of those criminals would look very respectful, well groomed and behave "on" in thier fancy suits..

Misplaced logic...

Ah jeez, some people simply cannot relate to anything on a personal scale. How people can read the original post and see only an opportunity to make general political statements is beyond me.

A thruhiker was distrubed by someone bothering her (read the original post with an eye to comprehension rather than responding) and wanted to share her experience as a heads up to others. If she were in Duncannon and talked about this with other hikers, it would have received a far different response than the agenda-driven crap in this thread, including the blowhard "Well, what I would have done was..." No one cares who brave and noble you are. You weren't there. It's not always about you. Really.

[ed bell]

Misplaced logic...

Actually, misplaced comment.

[warraghiyagey]

I like cheesecake. . .

[Connie]

I will weigh-in on this one.

From what I have read in this forum, a lot of the AT thru-hikers are homeless in the very real sense: no home, have storage, or not, many are traveling on-the-cheap.

"Homeless" however, are displaced persons: they had a home, perhaps a family they have lost to divorce, perhaps due to the job they lost, and very likely not getting their disability benefits for injury at the workplace, either that or the unemployment check ran out.

At the minimum, they are displaced persons suffering all the emotional trauma and physical deprivation of their situation. At best, they identify a "niche" and get in to some semblance of safety. Hiker, is one. Bicycle tour, is one. Fishing license and camping is one. Photographer. Freelance writer. Travel writer.

The "semblance of safety" is from John Q. Public, who stigmatizes them, and, from predators who make them crime victims.

They have to evade notice of "law enforcement" to be free people, even if it means having less.

Ever go for "help"? Ever go to "social services"? Ever go for "public assistance"?

How much do you think you have to give up to do so? Do you think it is only your dignity? only your self-worth? only your pride? No, it is your identity, judged by standing in the community, by your job, by your education, by your self-image. In large cities, if you go to those programs you are marked for a crime victim: put in a hotel room, you are a crime victim; put in a shelter, you are a crime victim; put in a program, you are a crime victim.

It is not the "safety net". It is a corral and you are captive.

It is my direct experience, I have made a conscious decision to find out good programs and tell a homeless person. I found a good free meal. I know it is a good free meal, because I checked it out by eating there more than once. I found a helpful church, synagogue or mosque or senior center. A senior meal. A good food pantry.

If I don't know a good place, I say so. I say, I don't know.

I say, this is not a good place for you. Not here.

If asked for a meal, I can't do it. If asked for cash, I can't do it.

My income is a social security check. That's it.

If asked, I offer the answers I found out around here.

One time, I found out a couple was "off the bus" has come out to West Marin, in California. They had come out for a job that included living accommodation, and were told there is no job. I offered to drive them where they asked.

For a couple of weeks, I drove them to see about another job. To town, to sign up for foodstamps. To take them to a short term job. To the campground.

Someone else heard I was doing that, gave me "gas money". I spend all of it on that couple. I had to borrow $40 from someone else to finish the month for myself.

In another instance, the MD in the tiny town allowed someone to park their car in their medical office parking lot, because it is "private property" and so the property owner has to complain for law enforcement to do anything about a person sleeping in their car.

That is effective help.

That is a "community". Just sayin'.

In my view, anything short of that is a dysfunctional community.

We are seeing a lot more homeless, because of the housing bubble and because of the credit bubble and because of the inflation bubble.

They are going to be displaced persons...

Either we are a functioning community or a dysfunctional community: that is how I see it.

I think this woman did the right thing, as far as she knew to.

[hellomolly]

Ah jeez, some people simply cannot relate to anything on a personal scale. How people can read the original post and see only an opportunity to make general political statements is beyond me.

A thruhiker was distrubed by someone bothering her (read the original post with an eye to comprehension rather than responding) and wanted to share her experience as a heads up to others. If she were in Duncannon and talked about this with other hikers, it would have received a far different response than the agenda-driven crap in this thread, including the blowhard "Well, what I would have done was..." No one cares who brave and noble you are. You weren't there. It's not always about you. Really.

I very much appreciate your post, but wanted to clarify one thing - I'm not thruhiking; I was on an overnight trip with my boyfriend, who IS thruhiking.

[makoboy]

My $.02, Molly did the right thing by tenting elsewhere. In my experience volunteering with the homeless i have found that there are 2 kinds of destitute homeless, which this person seems to have been. There are those that ran into hard times, got layed off, house foreclosed, car repo'd, and are in a downward sprial they just cant seem to pull out of, but they are still doing everything they cant to get their lives back.

The others are the mentally ill who have fallen through the cracks of society. They can be the nicest, most honest people you will ever meet, but they can also be very unpredictible and dangerous. They dont mean harm, but their reality as they see it is not the same as ours. They need professional help (and sometimes medication) and do not belong hanging out in shelters (or even under an overpass for that matter).

[Yukon]

I like cheesecake. . .

Me too, it's a real weakness...

[warraghiyagey]

Me too, it's a real weakness...

Although home-made strawberry shortcake is pretty sweet too. . . .

[Darwin again]

On behalf of one of the maintaining clubs in the area mentioned - please, it would be good if you could call the ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office and relay your observations about this individual directly - 717 258-5771 - they can access resources up to and including Federal law enforcement if necessary.

By federal law enforcement, you mean the NPS ranger?

I understand there's one ranger with jurisdiction on the entire trail, and that the local law enforcement, city police, sheriffs and the like, are the ones with jurisdictional authority at any given point on the trail.

[Pedaling Fool]

Whenever this issue of homlessness comes up it always gets intertwined with dangerous people. They really are two different subjects, despite the fact that some homeless can be dangerous they really shouldn't be considered related.

The fact that the OP used the term "Homeless" in the title that is really not the real issue of this thread. Homelessness is usually a symptom of something larger in America. I know any one of us can find ourselves homeless, but the fact of the matter is most homeless are not simply down on their luck.

[modiyooch]

i have found that there are 2 kinds of destitute homeless, which this person seems to have been. There are those that ran into hard times, got layed off, house foreclosed, car repo'd, and are in a downward sprial they just cant seem to pull out of, but they are still doing everything they cant to get their lives back.

I would say 3 kinds, one being career homelessness. Again, harmless, but tend not to get the compassion that the mentally disabled, or the "hard times" homelessness should get. It's also hard to distinquished between the two.

[kayak karl]

you probably would of thought the same thing if you ran into Henry Charles Bukowski
YOUR LOSS.

many of us are only 4 paychecks away from these people. they are US. talk to them, get involved in shelters and kitchens. it may change your thoughts.

i lived on the streets, but it wasn't that bad. i lived in a refrigerator box. others only had smaller appliance boxes.
i was BETTER then them.................

[Yukon]

Although home-made strawberry shortcake is pretty sweet too. . . .

And less calories and fat