Houston public 'lie-berry' is a shelter for bums (Dallas, Howe: to buy, tax)

[Grunn]

I support local 'lie-berrys' and am glad they exist.

However I went downtown to try and use the facility provided for the public and found it full of stinking bums using it as a day shelter.

I agree that it should be open to anyone however I saw

Dirty, pestilent looking people eating fast food on reading tables

Idiots mouthing their purile garbage at the top of their voices- a taser would resolve this nicely

Scabby sots sleeping with a book grasped in their festering hands

'Homies' making out or having loud cellphone conversations about their bail situation

Addicts obviously meeting up for drug deals

I went there to borrow some books and possibly use the facility to read. Sadly other people seemed more interested in hanging around, hogging all the seats and reading material (despite them not actually looking at it in the case of periodicals) and generally intimidating the tax paying, decent citizens who pay for all this.

They need a bunch of hardcore marshalls/security guards cracking heads and beating the living crap out of the SCUM that pervade this place to make it decent for people who *shock horror* want to go to a 'lie-berry' to read and borrow literature rather than hanging around like a festering sore.

[RCH99]

Grunn, the really dirty, pestilent, idiotic, scabby sots are energy sector rejects from Europe. I was under the impression that was common knowledge.

[hsw]

Would argue public libraries are an incredibly archaic waste of tax dollars, much like mass transit in modern urban regions like Houston, Dallas or SiliconValley

Maybe 15yrs ago new Barnes&Noble/Borders supersized bookstores were de facto public libraries in newer suburban areas (and even in cities like Manhattan or Chic)

But in last few yrs, wireless Net/Amazon/Kindle/google have made bricks-and-mortar bookstores/libraries as archaic and inefficient as typewriters or printed newspapers or CDs or public pay phones or trains

[Kenpar]

Originally Posted by hsw

Would argue public libraries are an incredibly archaic waste of tax dollars, much like mass transit in modern urban regions like Houston, Dallas or SiliconValley

Maybe 15yrs ago new Barnes&Noble/Borders supersized bookstores were de facto public libraries in newer suburban areas (and even in cities like Manhattan or Chic)

But in last few yrs, wireless Net/Amazon/Kindle/google have made bricks-and-mortar bookstores/libraries as archaic and inefficient as typewriters or printed newspapers or CDs or public pay phones or trains

Not true. There are plenty of people that can't afford computers to even look for things online like books. Libraries are where these people have the resources to get what they need.

[CitrusFruit]

Originally Posted by Kenpar

Not true. There are plenty of people that can't afford computers to even look for things online like books. Libraries are where these people have the resources to get what they need.

I agree. Not only that, but quite a few of us want to actually HOLD a book in our hands as we read, rather than staring at a screen even more than we already do. Also, people might not always have the money on hand to buy a book, but don't feel comfortable using B&N as a library.

[Kenpar]

Originally Posted by CitrusFruit

I agree. Not only that, but quite a few of us want to actually HOLD a book in our hands as we read, rather than staring at a screen even more than we already do. Also, people might not always have the money on hand to buy a book, but don't feel comfortable using B&N as a library.

Exactly! I want to hold that smelly book in my hands. I want to turn the page. I want to put my page marker in it, and not have to wait for it to warm up so it can load on a screen. I want it there when all the electricity goes out when a bad storm hits Houston. Heck, I want to take it to the park. Why would I take a Laptop to a park?



Sorry about the rant. I just don't like when people forget about the little people. Everyone can't afford everything.

[XodoX]

Well, gotta go somewhere....

[loves2read]

I have not lived in Houston for more than 25 yrs but when I did--the same story was being told...

[citizen_jane]

But in last few yrs, wireless Net/Amazon/Kindle/google have made bricks-and-mortar bookstores/libraries as archaic and inefficient as typewriters or printed newspapers or CDs or public pay phones or trains

You can "check out" audiobooks, ebooks and even music through both the Houston Public and the Harris County libraries. It's free and you can do it from your home.

[Grunn]

The point isn't that these 'people' shouldn't be allowed in, more that they shouldn't be allowed to use it to eat greasy chicken, sleep, feel up their girlfriend or sell drugs.

Also what's with these people having cellphones and talking on them in a fecking 'lie-berry'.

There was some bum snoring his head off last time I was in there. Where are the staff in all this? Why don't the security guards kick this dross out?

It's seriously out of control.