What is going on?! (Greenville, Donalds: restaurants, law, baby sitter)

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

I don't disagree that they make people uncomfortable, but as long as they aren't harassing anyone I don't see how they can be forced out of a public setting. There are laws against loitering, but it is very difficult to enforce those evenly.

Well, they pee in the fountain and sleep on the ledges and benches. Some of them are so persistent that tourists and others feel threatened. There are homeless shelters for them and no reason for them to hang around harrassing working people.

[g-vegas]

Wow I did not really intend for all of this to happen when I started the post. Everyone should agree no city want thugs, or homeless people out causing problems, and our city has both. Somethings we dont need to throw tax dollars at and these are two of them. If parents would be parents there would be no thugs and if the homeless would stop looking for handouts and work that problem would be solved. Unfortunately the city will wait until it is out of hand to do anything about it. Everyone can say it is not that big of a problem right now, but you wait too long and it will not be able to be stopped.

[The Drizzle]

Originally Posted by g-vegas

Wow I did not really intend for all of this to happen when I started the post. Everyone should agree no city want thugs, or homeless people out causing problems, and our city has both. Somethings we dont need to throw tax dollars at and these are two of them. If parents would be parents there would be no thugs and if the homeless would stop looking for handouts and work that problem would be solved. Unfortunately the city will wait until it is out of hand to do anything about it. Everyone can say it is not that big of a problem right now, but you wait too long and it will not be able to be stopped.

Although idealistic, good parenting won’t eliminate thugs and telling homeless people to work won’t suddenly motivate them to do so. I don’t believe there is a “one-size-fits-all” answer to these issues. If there was, society would have solved these problems hundreds of years ago. There will always be homeless people and there will always be kids (and a lot of adults) that get in trouble.

[g-vegas]

I wasnt talking about eliminating it, you cant eliminate anything, all you have to do is curb it and discourage it and that is the parents job; and also the homeless not recieving handouts.

[Tinabean]

I don't accept that we as taxpayers can't take control of the situations discussed in this forum. I believe that burying our heads and just saying, well, what can you do? fuels the fire. Yes, we will always have the poor among us. And I venture a guess that we will always have the ill-behaved and criminal among us. BUT.....we have to demand action when issues begin to arise. And we can't just arbitrarily say, Police Chief - do something. Doing something costs money and takes resources. City Council, County Council, local citizens and business owners ALL have a vested interest in keeping our beautiful areas, safe, beautiful and clean. I for one refuse to let punk kids and troubled adults dictate how my world will be. What happened to the fired-up AMerican spirit and can-do attitude? I still believe that there are more good and willful South CArolinians with principles who WILL do something. Am I right?

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by The Drizzle

Although idealistic, good parenting won’t eliminate thugs and telling homeless people to work won’t suddenly motivate them to do so. I don’t believe there is a “one-size-fits-all” answer to these issues. If there was, society would have solved these problems hundreds of years ago. There will always be homeless people and there will always be kids (and a lot of adults) that get in trouble.

Excellent post; one can't just wish for "undesirables" to go away. If they are not causing physical harm to property or another person then there isn't a lot the city can do about it.

[Greenville]

Perhaps you can comment on what is being done in Columbia regarding homelessness, waccamatt. I know it's a big problem there downtown, and am curious to know what the City of Columbia has done and is doing to address the issue.

In any city, it seems that a public/private approach is best. Public officials can't eliminate it, but they can help control it. And private charity certainly helps and is part of any solution. I know that places like the Greenville Rescue Mission do a lot to give homeless people a hot meal and a warm place to sleep, and I think that is a big reason why Greenville doesn't have much of a homeless problem (relatively speaking).

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

Well, they pee in the fountain and sleep on the ledges and benches. Some of them are so persistent that tourists and others feel threatened. There are homeless shelters for them and no reason for them to hang around harrassing working people.

Just to clarify, I was speaking of the homeless in ATLANTA on this one!

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Greenville

Perhaps you can comment on what is being done in Columbia regarding homelessness, waccamatt. I know it's a big problem there downtown, and am curious to know what the City of Columbia has done and is doing to address the issue.

In any city, it seems that a public/private approach is best. Public officials can't eliminate it, but they can help control it. And private charity certainly helps and is part of any solution. I know that places like the Greenville Rescue Mission do a lot to give homeless people a hot meal and a warm place to sleep, and I think that is a big reason why Greenville doesn't have much of a homeless problem (relatively speaking).

The city recently passed an aggressive panhandling ordinance and I think they limited the hours that Panhandling is allowed. There are signs posted in a number of areas discouraging people from giving money to panhandlers and instead to donate money to organizations that help the homeless. If people would heed that advice there would be next to no panhandling, but some individuals just can't say no. Having spent a lot of time in New York, DC and Boston, there are really no places in South Carolina where there is a large homeless population.

[Mrs. P]

Originally Posted by The Drizzle

I for one stayed out well past 11 when I was in high school (as I bet a lot of other people on here had) and I turned out just fine. I put myself through College, got a Master's Degree, and am pretty successful at what I do. I don't think you can pin anything on how late kids stay out at night. True, most crimes are committed at night, but some of those crimes are committed by adults as well. Putting the city on lock down after a certain time isn't going to solve anything. I think there are more constructive was to deal with things then punishing the masses for acts committed by a few.

Maybe you turned out well, but that's not the point. The question or quote was that the downtown was starting to be unenjoyable for some. Also 2 things. Kids today are much much more violent than ever. And what possible reason does any kid need to be out after 11 anyway?

I understand if there is a special event, but on a regular basis?
I can't imagine not have kept track of my own son when he was out and about especially as a teenager. We also had an area of town called Riverwalk with waterfalls (nature provided not man) and a river. There were bands, food, vendors etc down there on the weekends...he was still home by 11, as were all the kids.


Most places (mid to large cities) do have panhandling laws on their books, as well as curfew's. If you want to call having kids inside their house by 11pm a lockdown, go ahead, but you can bet your bottom dollar it stops much of the petty crime, trash, and general kid type mayhem (vandelism).