Rough Sleepers
Discussion
Not sure which forum was the best place for this, so happy for it to be moved.
We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not f
king pigeons, Jon, they're people..."
It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not f
king pigeons, Jon, they're people..."It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
Offering them food does encourage them. They now know the easy-mark building manager will politely move them on in the morning with a cup of tea and will then go and pick up the faeces they have left behind. You need to get tough, though perhaps not by throwing a bucket of cold water over them or anything like that.
romeogolf said:
<snip>
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit.
<snip>
To add a different perspective to this...On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit.
<snip>
Across the road from my house are a small group of council flats, which for the past 20+ years have been occupied by pensioners (until recently) but I digress.
Recently, a young lad (mid 20's) was moved in to one of the flats, and one of the neighbours was told by his social workers that he is 'vulnerable'.
He lived there for about 8 weeks and then went AWOL - it transpired he had been brought in off the streets and housed by the council.
However.. he preferred his life on the streets, so that's what he went back to.
The flat has stood unused for about 5 months now - until earlier this week when he reappeared, presumably prompted by the colder weather.
When he moved in - all new furniture and bedding was provided and it would seem that his life on benefits was quite comfortable given the amount of alcohol consumed through the summer.
But yet apparently he prefers the 'street life' (until it gets cold).
All paid for by welfare / the taxpayer.
Word is that the flat won't be available to him for much longer.
I have encountered this in the past, we had a partly enclosed rear fire exit that was fairly warm in most weathers. On a number of occasions I came in and found someone sleeping there.
All were polite and apologetic when I asked them to move on. One guy appeared regularly for about a month, we agreed to let him use our toilets to wash and one of the women in the office started bringing him in sandwiches. He re-appeared about a year later, had a job and a flat, he brought in some chocolates and beer as a thank you for the kindness we showed him.
Many people don’t want to be a burden they just want to be treated as a human being.
All were polite and apologetic when I asked them to move on. One guy appeared regularly for about a month, we agreed to let him use our toilets to wash and one of the women in the office started bringing him in sandwiches. He re-appeared about a year later, had a job and a flat, he brought in some chocolates and beer as a thank you for the kindness we showed him.
Many people don’t want to be a burden they just want to be treated as a human being.
I suspect very few of us understand how easy it is to end up homeless, a marriage breakdown, loss of a job, mental health issues etc. I don't suppose many of them would choose it if they got the help they needed. I applaud you for at least trying to do the right thing and treating them as human, many people forget that's it will be someone's Son or Brother or Father. Could you contact a homeless charity for advice, worst case talk to them explain that some tenants are concerned and see if they would find somewhere else. I suspect they feel reasonably safe where they are, or as safe as you can feel sleeping rough.
Andy OH said:
alorotom said:
I’d offer them nothing , the last time I bought some homeless guys some food (what they asked for on their sign) they threw it at me - McDonald’s cheeseburgers for reference
obviously a very fussy rough sleeper....romeogolf said:
Not sure which forum was the best place for this, so happy for it to be moved.
We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not fking pigeons, Jon, they're people..."
It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
Surely a building manager should know how to deal with a situation like this IF it arose, which I doubt.We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not f
king pigeons, Jon, they're people..."It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
romeogolf said:
Not sure which forum was the best place for this, so happy for it to be moved.
We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not fking pigeons, Jon, they're people..."
It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
Surely a building manager should know how to deal with a situation like this IF it arose, which I doubt.We've had a number of instances of rough sleepers spending the night in our work car park. Not an issue in itself, but they're usually still around in the morning when people start arriving and one or two have used corners of the car park as a toilet.
On the one hand, these are people who have quite literally nothing to their names and have just spent a cold night sleeping outside. I feel for them and usually offer them a cup of tea and ask them to shuffle on when they've woken up as people will be driving in to park and there's a chance they'll be hit. On the other hand, I am the acting building manager and my clients are complaining about people being there. I've even had one comment that "giving them food or drink will encourage them to come back" which took a lot of personal strength not to reply with "they're not f
king pigeons, Jon, they're people..."It's not a criminal offence to sleep rough, so the police won't attend, and the council don't act unless the rough-sleeper approaches them directly as they don't operate outreach programs. My current only option if they're still there for too long is to call our security company who can be a bit more forceful/persuasive but even then I feel fairly guilty.
Looking for other options or views - What else can be done? Am I being too soft and just call security straight off the bat? Should I tell some of my clients to STFU and be thankful for the roof over their own heads?
Why wouldn't homeless people seek shelter in deserted car park? It seems entirely plausible to me.
PAULJ5555 said:
They have asked you to sort it and get rid of these people, its your job to do it.
Or maybe he understands that any of us could end up in this position and has decided that he can do his job and still behave with some humanity towards "these people" and not just try and "get rid" of them. It's times like this I truly wonder about some of the people on Pistonheads. I suspect most of them would go out of their way to help a stray dog if they found it, but somehow our fellow humans don't deserve the same help. Alpacaman said:
Or maybe he understands that any of us could end up in this position and has decided that he can do his job and still behave with some humanity towards "these people" and not just try and "get rid" of them. It's times like this I truly wonder about some of the people on Pistonheads. I suspect most of them would go out of their way to help a stray dog if they found it, but somehow our fellow humans don't deserve the same help.
Interesting comment - a stray dog could not help it’s own situation whereas homeless humans often can change their situation and seek assistance but quite frequently choose not to (from my own experiences of volunteering etc.) - so I do understand the contra perception you raise and don’t necessarily see issue with it tbhPAULJ5555 said:
OP sounds like you are mixing your own personal feelings with the job you have taken on.
They have asked you to sort it and get rid of these people, its your job to do it. Either bite the bullet or don't do that job.
Sorry for being blunt.
get rid of these people !?They have asked you to sort it and get rid of these people, its your job to do it. Either bite the bullet or don't do that job.
Sorry for being blunt.
They aren`t f
king roaches. Another thing, if you force them off you may commit an assault. A little compassion would probably work better.Don Roque said:
Offering them food does encourage them. They now know the easy-mark building manager will politely move them on in the morning with a cup of tea and will then go and pick up the faeces they have left behind. You need to get tough, though perhaps not by throwing a bucket of cold water over them or anything like that.
"Tough on faeces: tough on the causes of faeces"?A bucket of disinfectant perhaps? Jeyes Fluid?
alorotom said:
I’d offer them nothing , the last time I bought some homeless guys some food (what they asked for on their sign) they threw it at me - McDonald’s cheeseburgers for reference
It would have taken a lot of my mental strength not to kick fk out of them for that. Perhaps not helped by my view that by and large those people are there through their own poor decisions (possibly whilst in circumstances that weren't their own making) throwing the support I'd offered to them would be a red rag to a bull.f
king scum. Swathes of them there through not facing up to their problems and wanting Jeremy Corbyn to come and wipe their arse for them.Pegscratch said:
alorotom said:
I’d offer them nothing , the last time I bought some homeless guys some food (what they asked for on their sign) they threw it at me - McDonald’s cheeseburgers for reference
It would have taken a lot of my mental strength not to kick fk out of them for that. Perhaps not helped by my view that by and large those people are there through their own poor decisions (possibly whilst in circumstances that weren't their own making) throwing the support I'd offered to them would be a red rag to a bull.f
king scum. Swathes of them there through not facing up to their problems and wanting Jeremy Corbyn to come and wipe their arse for them.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff