Homeless man starting over again from Interco Plaza
Just after arriving at the office Thursday, picture editors rushed over to tell me that the park next door to the Post-Dispatch downtown office was being cleared of homeless people.
Grabbing cameras from the car and literally crossing the street, I arrived at the same time as Clint Smith was riding up on his bicycle. Smith, 38, was one of several people to lose their belongings as sanitation workers tossed everything in sight inside their truck, overseen by city park rangers.
Smith grabbed his umbrella out of the truck, but that was all he was allowed to do, as a park ranger stepped in. Rangers told concerned workers spilling from nearby St. Patrick Center that the homeless people had been warned the night before that Interco Plaza, a city park, would be cleared. Staff members from the social services agency that serves the homeless protested, asking why they had not been notified in advance. They could have made sure the belongings were moved before the trucks came.
Smith had no idea this was going on. He had slept elsewhere the previous evening and didn’t get the warning. For homeless people from out of town, as Smith is, finding a shelter bed is especially difficult. Beds go first to those with a local recent address.
Leaving with his umbrella and his bike in tow, he headed across the plaza with social service workers, trying to replace his medicine, which was lost to the trash truck. That, and his coveted triple X size shirts.
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This has to be a joke. Everyone knows that you don’t leave your belongings in a public park. Can you imagine if everyone just decided to set up a “home” in the public park? Only in downtown Saint Louis is this allowed. I have NEVER seen a homeless person in Clayton’s Shaw Park. These homeless people should be charged for leaving their belongings in the park and should be charged for the clean up. I thought the city government was trying to clean up the downtown area? Good job sanitation workers!
I support the city on this one. Good point tm63104 about Shaw Park, those crying the most about this are the ones who live furthest away. How about inviting some of the homeless to your neck of the woods to panhandle and trash your parks.
So, if you own a restaurant you can’t light up a smoke in your own place . . but bums are free to pee and poop in city parks. Do figure?!
This ridiculous action was carried out by numbskulls like you, tm63104 and saintlouis guy, who think having a pretty park takes precedence over aiding your fellow human beings who do not have the roof overhead and the Temperpedic matress inside that you enjoy.
Good riddance to bad rubbish. The park is not your home. Yes, the homeless have many reasons for being so. That doesn’t mean the park is a defacto living place. We need to do more to help the homeless for sure, but so many of these people are on the streets because they want to be there. Making life difficult for them will only help reduce the desire to be homeless by those making a semi-rational choice.
Dear “HatesHomeless” I take it from your login name, that you hate the homeless. And you believe they want to live on the streets and eat the garbage restaurants throw away. God help you. I sincerely pray your job holds out or that you have an inheritance coming to you. I hope you never suffer from mental illness. I hope your children never feel the need to run away. And I hope you pray every night thanking God for your blessings. You might also ask for some compassion for others less fortunate than you in your prayers.