Being homeless in SD (San Diego, San Francisco: to rent, construction, income)

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by Bootstrap Bill

I currently work at a grocery store and see what my regular customers bring in day after day. All from collecting cans from trash cans, bushes, etc.

Certainly one can make some money collecting cans Bill. I didn't mean to say one could not. But I seriously doubt any of those customers who come in with bags of cans can collect 340 cans per day. They've most likely been collecting them over weeks if not a month. I've known some older ladies even who collected cans. One even made about $10 per day or so she said. But most of these would go out every day and pick here and there accumulating their cans until they got a whole bag. It might take them a few days, a week, or even longer to make $20 depending on how often they went out.

I've known some super can collectors in my time. I am talking about professional can collectors or about as close to one as one could come to being one. Professionals who would literally almost dive into dumpsters and leave no garbage can behind without looking inside for a can.

I went out with one just to see what it was like and because at the time I needed some money and I didn't know how else to make some. Never saw anything like it. This fellow would literally haul himself over a dumpster and just drop into one. Garbage and all. Diapers, rotten food...it didn't matter to him. He just had cans on his mind and that is what he was after.

And there is no way that he and other "professional" can collectors collected 340 cans a day. At least not on a consistent basis. If they had a regular run. Where they knew what dumpsters to hit and when they might get close to that in a day's worth of picking. But normally the pickings were slim.

We each made about $3 each that day for our efforts in can collecting. And he was one of the best! I even had a vehicle which allowed us to go to the best dumpsters.

But if one is new on the street and doesn't know their way around or have a regular "route" no way! And we're just talking about a measly $17 for 340 cans.

And I have been homeless. Sure, it's been 25 years, but I know what it's like to be on the street.

Then you certainly do not fall into that class of individual who doesn't know what they are talking about and who is so ready to give advice that just isn't very practical. My apologies if I implied otherwise by what I said.

I once spent a few months in Chicago. I was able to earn enough doing day labor to pay for a room at a residential hotel, food and bus fare. I didn't have much left over, but I survived. I even went to a few movies.

Now we're talking. Picking cans is no good for daily living fare unless one becomes devoted to it as an ongoing occupation and has a consistent route but even then it would be real tough to make $17 per day I think.

But day labor...sure one could survive and quite nicely on that. We're talking $50-60 for 8 hours of work before taxes.

Unfortunately the day labor places, last I checked, weren't hiring much if at all. If I had a dollar for every person who suggested I go to a labor place (without having tried any in recent times to see if they actually had work) I might have been able to eat reasonably well when I didn't have any money coming in at all. They just weren't hiring.

But if you can find one that is..by all means that is a good way to make ends meet if one can physically do the work.

Maybe things are different today.

Not really. Cans, day labor places, dumpster diving, bartering for what one needs. It's all good as long as one is not stealing or begging.

Carlos

PS. So much for gracefully bowing out of this thread LOL. I forgot I had said that.

[moved]

Originally Posted by Bootstrap Bill

I currently work at a grocery store and see what my regular customers bring in day after day. All from collecting cans from trash cans, bushes, etc.

And I have been homeless. Sure, it's been 25 years, but I know what it's like to be on the street.

I once spent a few months in Chicago. I was able to earn enough doing day labor to pay for a room at a residential hotel, food and bus fare. I didn't have much left over, but I survived. I even went to a few movies.

All while being "homeless".

Maybe things are different today.

Things are quite different now, in the fact that times are harder. The only place that I've seen a lot of cans for collecting is during/after the Chargers games at Qualcomm. And the people collecting them have to be fast, because the Urban League empties all the trash cans on a regular basis.

[JakeDog]

Originally Posted by carlos123

What...homeless people can't be in San Diego now? Where would you suggest that them rich folks who may end up loosing their homes and all they have go?

Carlos

If the question was about finding work, I wouldn't have responded as I did. But the OP suggests the person is looking for a place where you can mooch. Try San Francisco or Portland. In all honestly, you will be treated with hostility in San Diego. And again, don't come.

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

If the question was about finding work, I wouldn't have responded as I did. But the OP suggests the person is looking for a place where you can mooch. Try San Francisco or Portland. In all honestly, you will be treated with hostility in San Diego. And again, don't come.

Not sure what mooch means exactly but I don't call trying to find a place to take a nap without being disturbed unreasonable.

I mean if one is homeless they are homeless and telling them that they ought to move somewhere so that they can avoid the supposed legions of San Diegans who are going to hassle them (which makes San Diegens seem like the most stuck up and snobbish people in the world)...well...that itself does not seem very reasonable or realistic to me.

We ought to be able to take a nap somewhere without offending the sensibilities of those in our culture who don't like the idea of someone taking a nap on a park bench and being forced to go all the way to San Francisco or Portland to...well...get some undisturbed rest.

Carlos

[JakeDog]

Originally Posted by carlos123

Not sure what mooch means exactly but I don't call trying to find a place to take a nap without being disturbed unreasonable.

I mean if one is homeless they are homeless and telling them that they ought to move somewhere so that they can avoid the supposed legions of San Diegans who are going to hassle them (which makes San Diegens seem like the most stuck up and snobbish people in the world)...well...that itself does not seem very reasonable or realistic to me.

We ought to be able to take a nap somewhere without offending the sensibilities of those in our culture who don't like the idea of someone taking a nap on a park bench and being forced to go all the way to San Francisco or Portland to...well...get some undisturbed rest.

Carlos

It's called loitering and it is illegal. If you are able bodied, get a job and a place to live.

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

It's called loitering and it is illegal. If you are able bodied, get a job and a place to live.

So I take it then that you are of the opinion that one can get a job if they are able bodied. That anyone that does not is...well...the type of person that you might find just loitering around doing nothing much. And unwilling to do much.

And that anyone who does not have a place to live is likewise not working hard enough, looking hard enough, or otherwise doing something wrong as the reason why they do not have a place to live?

If that is what you think may God humble your pride and cause you to experience the very thing you are being so judgmental about.

Carlos

[JakeDog]

Originally Posted by carlos123

So I take it then that you are of the opinion that one can get a job if they are able bodied. That anyone that does not is...well...the type of person that you might find just loitering around doing nothing much. And unwilling to do much.

And that anyone who does not have a place to live is likewise not working hard enough, looking hard enough, or otherwise doing something wrong as the reason why they do not have a place to live?

If that is what you think may God humble your pride and cause you to experience the very thing you are being so judgmental about.

Carlos

Come on. Anyone with any sense can avoid becoming literally homeless.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

Come on. Anyone with any sense can avoid becoming literally homeless.

You seriously should leave the thread since you know nothing about being homeless. Being able bodied has nothing to do with it. What a about a recent felony that has prevented the person from getting any job, especially in this economy?? What about all the construction workers in Sacramento who are now living in tents because there is absolutely no work?? I should add I have been homeless before, and was able to pull myself out of it on my own. In these times, I would not be able to though.

[carlos123]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

Come on. Anyone with any sense can avoid becoming literally homeless.

We'll just have to agree to disagree Jake. I do not believe it is reasonable to believe that every single person who is homeless at any point in their lives is a lazy bum unwilling to improve their lot in life or unwilling to do what they can about their situation.

Anymore than we can say that every person of color is a criminal, or that every Mexican is illegal, or that every woman is excessively emotional.

To be sure there are lots of homeless persons who are unwilling to do what they can to help themselves (I'll be the first in line to tell such individuals that they need to get up off their butt to go get a job). Just as there are some young black dudes that engage in criminal activities, some Mexicans that are illegal, and some women that are hyper emotional and hard to deal with.

But that does not make ALL homeless people bums, blacks criminals, Mexicans illegal, or women hyper emotional!

Carlos

[Kansoku]

Originally Posted by JakeDog

If the question was about finding work, I wouldn't have responded as I did. But the OP suggests the person is looking for a place where you can mooch. Try San Francisco or Portland. In all honestly, you will be treated with hostility in San Diego. And again, don't come.

I would rather get a job there but I read that getting one is near impossible.

Why SF or Portland?