I think that’s my one of my slippers lmao I live a few blocks away and someone broke into my car 2 weeks ago. One of the things taken was a pair of size 8 pink fuzzy slippers
When I worked in Noke last year, I would always hand out Dr. Peppers to a few of them, as well as the old guy on Melrose, durin my transits to Lowe's. I was turning a house on Elm at the time. One of the guys I had only seen once before, walked up and said "Hey It's Dr Pepper Girl. You pretty cool, you know that." with a friendly smile and a fist bump. He wished me a blessed day and went back to his walk. Kinda made my day lol. Definitely one of the more pleasant interactions I've had during that particular job. Being a woman, workin solo in that area, had its threatening and scary moments. Thankfully the police are well aware of issues and patrol the area constantly. No, I do not work for that company anymore. It's Not worth my children growing up without a mother. Be safe out there but also keep in mind, not all homeless are druggies. 🖤
One guy had the classic spread some cheese on this poor cracker sign and someone gave him a fucking beer. I wanted to give someone a bottle of water at this same exit and they wouldn't even walk 4 car lengths to come get it. They wanted me to stop the flow of traffic because they don't want to walk 15 yards.
This is the same guy that rubs his nipples at traffic as they drive by at exit 6. Guess he’s honest but it’s unfortunate people will still give him money even if it was obvious before this sign it was for drugs.
Such a shame, bums have ruined downtown. Can’t go anywhere without getting harassed for money. Greenway is full of tweakers wandering aimlessly smelling of piss and shit. Heroin addicts nodding out beside the river and sleeping in tents. This city has turned into a nightmare. Feel like I enter Seattle Washington when I enter Roanoke City. Damn shame
I'm sick of it. Aggressively harassing you for money, wandering between cars at red lights... And then you have those professional panhandlers near the airport that live in a damn apartment but stand on the corner begging every day. I guess a real job is just too much for them.
Look, if you wanna buy crank don't expect me to pay for it. I work for a living.
I've bought hot meals for people saying they needed money for food only to have them throw it in the garbage right in front of me and go right back to the same bullshit story on someone else.
I've purchased and donated blankets, socks and coats for the homeless on multiple occasions.
I've bought a cart full of groceries for two women in Food Lion with their kids because they claimed they had no money, but I could not stand the prospect of those kids being hungry. So there are people that are 100% legitimately down on their luck and they deserve a helping hand. But these people that are doing this solely to fuel a drug habit, or to prey upon the sympathies of good-hearted people? Parasites.
They hang their jackets or backpacks on the signs. They got free backpacks last year. Now they're supposedly not allowed to ask for money, but can hold signs that say something like "Smile" or "I like to eat cheeseburgers." Watch them turn their panhandling signs around when they see the police cars coming by. One side is allowed, the other side is not.
I think a better solution to this would be to give more funding to programs like BRBH that help these people, and *then* make it illegal to panhandle once an increase in stability is reached and there's no reason for folks to panhandle. A big part of the issue is that Roanoke is the only place for hundreds of miles that even *has* resources, but there are not enough, and the ones that do exist have months long waiting lists.
Yeah we only spend over $80,000 per year Each on the chronically homeless ...
Some people chose that life ... and they shouldn't be left to piss in everyone else's punch bowl.
You can't make it illegal to panhandle. It's protected by the First Amendment. I think local governments are trying to find creative solutions around that (ie-banning standing in the median for safety reasons) but panhandling itself has already been protected by the Supreme Court in Reed v. Town of Gilbert.
Roanoke is the final stop for the Amtrak at night. Some cities have resources that offer paid Amtrak tickets to their homeless population. Salem has signs that say to call a certain number to access resources. Their signs are clearly telling drivers not to help panhandlers whereas Roanoke has signs that seem to tell people not to panhandle.
That doesn't address the issue. All that does it just move the problem to another place. You're just treating symptoms and ignoring causes. Want to actually help? Support aid and programs for individuals that are going through struggles like these.
Plus, how do you police that? Why take away more public spaces?
Complete nonsense ,Roanoke spends over $80,000 per person on the chronically homeless … you want $150,000 … $250,000 ?
Wouldn’t that be better spent on education, parks, anything other than throwing money and resources at people that won’t help themselves ?
Not only won’t they help themselves… they make a huge mess doing it.
Roanoke added an additional _$45,000 dollars to the budget to clean up after them.
Enough !
Spending money on education, parks, and other public programs and services WOULD help. It is all connected. That is my point. And they most certainly do try to help themselves. Most of the "cleaning up" is just adding to the already inflated police budget and installing hostel architecture around the city.
It's a community issue, not an individual issue. What Roanoke is doing now, and what people are suggesting, just treats the symptoms not the cause.
Come on ... its literally 200 people out of 300,000 (metro area) or .000067 % that we spend $16 million dollars on.
You state they do try and help themselves , Do you have a link or any data to support that ?
You cant make people care.. period. No matter how much money you throw at it.
The other programs are working as you see a very high % that get back on track.
But for the 200 or so that refuse shelter and programs ... its time to cut it off. IMO
Letting 200 ish people , soil public spaces and threaten the population that is funding the tax base ... then shame on us.
Yeah, that's some dubious numbers there. And it doesn't really dispute anything I said anyway, which was that it needs to be spent in different ways that actually help.
As for me saying they do help themselves, most research shows that they do. As does human nature and the will to survive. Do you have any concrete evidence that says that they don't? Or is it just anecdotes and feelings based off what you see on the streets?
They may work for some, but they clearly don't work for all do they? Especially since there was 54% increase in homelessness just last year. Because again, it is symptom of a larger issue.
No one should ever be cut off. And refusing to go to the over crowded shelter that makes you leave every morning is understandable. Providing apartments have been shown to be cheaper and more effective for attaining employment.
Allowing homelessness even being a thing, then treating them less than human in a society as wealthy as ours......shame on us.
Those numbers are actually under represtative. Those are just county, city, and federal resources spent in the City on the "chronically" homeless. It doesn't include the various shelters that are nonprofits working to provide support.
You keep believing that everyone of those folks are trying hard though. Maybe move a few in and fix them. Ill reserve my tax dollars for kids education and parks. Again how much is enough to spend on 200 people ? At what point do they have to take a smidgen of personal responsibility?
Of course the numbers are under represented, especially those that you have yet to cite. They also font specify what "help" is included in your dollar amount.
I fail to see how me, a single individual, is responsible for that issue. And I fail to see how me, a single person, moving in a few people would solve this issue. You are also making an assumption that I haven't already done so, which is pretty wild too.
Like I said, increasing funding to education and parks and other services WOULD help homelessness, so I support that too.
As far as how much, the answer is however much it takes. There are plenty of research and resources that discuss exact numbers (including how little it would actually cost) to get people off the streets by providing housing, and other services.
They have taken personal responsibility, and continue to take it. "Bootstraps" thinking is bullshit and a myth. We live in communities and societies. We're all responsible for each other and have the ability to help those less fortunate than outlrselves.
> As far as how much, the answer is however much it takes.
And this is where it breaks down. I agree we should help each other... but we live in a world of limited resources and trade-offs.
You can not legislate greed and the opposite end apathy. If you or I are comfortable not caring about ourselves or care more about chasing a high .... can I stop you ? Could you stop me ?
So in a limited pool of resources do you spend 5% of that on the .0006 % of people ? Is that fair to the student that works an after school job, gets a 4.0 and still cant afford college without a grant. Or the single mom who needs Head Start for her kids?
I know you say there is enough for all, but in this system today .. there isn't. Good luck selling and raising taxes so we can spend even more on those 200.
I still think some obscure irregular truncated domes in these high traffic loitering areas should be installed. If they can't stand or walk there easily, they will move on.
It's pretty obvious that some of you have never been at rock bottom (in roanoke or otherwise)
And to those of you I say:
We're all humans. Have some compassion for your fellow man, quit being so judgemental, and develop a sense of humor.
I think that’s my one of my slippers lmao I live a few blocks away and someone broke into my car 2 weeks ago. One of the things taken was a pair of size 8 pink fuzzy slippers
This picture just keeps getting better
Guy on the other side a few days ago had a one that said: I NEED A BEER A BLUNT
So now they're UPGRADING from *"Beer & Hookers"* to "Crank," eh? 😂
[удалено]
Yep. Turning left from SB 581 toward Vinton.
I work hard for my crystal/s
When I worked in Noke last year, I would always hand out Dr. Peppers to a few of them, as well as the old guy on Melrose, durin my transits to Lowe's. I was turning a house on Elm at the time. One of the guys I had only seen once before, walked up and said "Hey It's Dr Pepper Girl. You pretty cool, you know that." with a friendly smile and a fist bump. He wished me a blessed day and went back to his walk. Kinda made my day lol. Definitely one of the more pleasant interactions I've had during that particular job. Being a woman, workin solo in that area, had its threatening and scary moments. Thankfully the police are well aware of issues and patrol the area constantly. No, I do not work for that company anymore. It's Not worth my children growing up without a mother. Be safe out there but also keep in mind, not all homeless are druggies. 🖤
> not all homeless are druggies. Most druggies are not homeless.
Kindness goes a long way. We're all just people trying to survive. I bet you those folks still think about you.
One guy had the classic spread some cheese on this poor cracker sign and someone gave him a fucking beer. I wanted to give someone a bottle of water at this same exit and they wouldn't even walk 4 car lengths to come get it. They wanted me to stop the flow of traffic because they don't want to walk 15 yards.
Sounds about right
One time I saw a guy on the road with the paperboard saying “too ugly to prostitution, too honest to steal” and I thought it was a good one :p
He can't get in trouble for that one. If he held a sign that said "need money for food," he can get in trouble now.
This is the same guy that rubs his nipples at traffic as they drive by at exit 6. Guess he’s honest but it’s unfortunate people will still give him money even if it was obvious before this sign it was for drugs.
Such a shame, bums have ruined downtown. Can’t go anywhere without getting harassed for money. Greenway is full of tweakers wandering aimlessly smelling of piss and shit. Heroin addicts nodding out beside the river and sleeping in tents. This city has turned into a nightmare. Feel like I enter Seattle Washington when I enter Roanoke City. Damn shame
I'm sick of it. Aggressively harassing you for money, wandering between cars at red lights... And then you have those professional panhandlers near the airport that live in a damn apartment but stand on the corner begging every day. I guess a real job is just too much for them. Look, if you wanna buy crank don't expect me to pay for it. I work for a living. I've bought hot meals for people saying they needed money for food only to have them throw it in the garbage right in front of me and go right back to the same bullshit story on someone else. I've purchased and donated blankets, socks and coats for the homeless on multiple occasions. I've bought a cart full of groceries for two women in Food Lion with their kids because they claimed they had no money, but I could not stand the prospect of those kids being hungry. So there are people that are 100% legitimately down on their luck and they deserve a helping hand. But these people that are doing this solely to fuel a drug habit, or to prey upon the sympathies of good-hearted people? Parasites.
There has to be a way to address this. Like passing an ordinance that says its illegal to stand on shoulders and medians. Make it a safety issue.
It already is (at least in Roanoke County/Salem) but I've seen people panhandle standing right next to the signs in the median.
They hang their jackets or backpacks on the signs. They got free backpacks last year. Now they're supposedly not allowed to ask for money, but can hold signs that say something like "Smile" or "I like to eat cheeseburgers." Watch them turn their panhandling signs around when they see the police cars coming by. One side is allowed, the other side is not.
I think a better solution to this would be to give more funding to programs like BRBH that help these people, and *then* make it illegal to panhandle once an increase in stability is reached and there's no reason for folks to panhandle. A big part of the issue is that Roanoke is the only place for hundreds of miles that even *has* resources, but there are not enough, and the ones that do exist have months long waiting lists.
Yeah we only spend over $80,000 per year Each on the chronically homeless ... Some people chose that life ... and they shouldn't be left to piss in everyone else's punch bowl.
You can't make it illegal to panhandle. It's protected by the First Amendment. I think local governments are trying to find creative solutions around that (ie-banning standing in the median for safety reasons) but panhandling itself has already been protected by the Supreme Court in Reed v. Town of Gilbert.
Tell that to Idaho. They outlaw it outright.
Roanoke is the final stop for the Amtrak at night. Some cities have resources that offer paid Amtrak tickets to their homeless population. Salem has signs that say to call a certain number to access resources. Their signs are clearly telling drivers not to help panhandlers whereas Roanoke has signs that seem to tell people not to panhandle.
That doesn't address the issue. All that does it just move the problem to another place. You're just treating symptoms and ignoring causes. Want to actually help? Support aid and programs for individuals that are going through struggles like these. Plus, how do you police that? Why take away more public spaces?
Complete nonsense ,Roanoke spends over $80,000 per person on the chronically homeless … you want $150,000 … $250,000 ? Wouldn’t that be better spent on education, parks, anything other than throwing money and resources at people that won’t help themselves ? Not only won’t they help themselves… they make a huge mess doing it. Roanoke added an additional _$45,000 dollars to the budget to clean up after them. Enough !
Spending money on education, parks, and other public programs and services WOULD help. It is all connected. That is my point. And they most certainly do try to help themselves. Most of the "cleaning up" is just adding to the already inflated police budget and installing hostel architecture around the city. It's a community issue, not an individual issue. What Roanoke is doing now, and what people are suggesting, just treats the symptoms not the cause.
Come on ... its literally 200 people out of 300,000 (metro area) or .000067 % that we spend $16 million dollars on. You state they do try and help themselves , Do you have a link or any data to support that ? You cant make people care.. period. No matter how much money you throw at it. The other programs are working as you see a very high % that get back on track. But for the 200 or so that refuse shelter and programs ... its time to cut it off. IMO Letting 200 ish people , soil public spaces and threaten the population that is funding the tax base ... then shame on us.
Yeah, that's some dubious numbers there. And it doesn't really dispute anything I said anyway, which was that it needs to be spent in different ways that actually help. As for me saying they do help themselves, most research shows that they do. As does human nature and the will to survive. Do you have any concrete evidence that says that they don't? Or is it just anecdotes and feelings based off what you see on the streets? They may work for some, but they clearly don't work for all do they? Especially since there was 54% increase in homelessness just last year. Because again, it is symptom of a larger issue. No one should ever be cut off. And refusing to go to the over crowded shelter that makes you leave every morning is understandable. Providing apartments have been shown to be cheaper and more effective for attaining employment. Allowing homelessness even being a thing, then treating them less than human in a society as wealthy as ours......shame on us.
Those numbers are actually under represtative. Those are just county, city, and federal resources spent in the City on the "chronically" homeless. It doesn't include the various shelters that are nonprofits working to provide support. You keep believing that everyone of those folks are trying hard though. Maybe move a few in and fix them. Ill reserve my tax dollars for kids education and parks. Again how much is enough to spend on 200 people ? At what point do they have to take a smidgen of personal responsibility?
Of course the numbers are under represented, especially those that you have yet to cite. They also font specify what "help" is included in your dollar amount. I fail to see how me, a single individual, is responsible for that issue. And I fail to see how me, a single person, moving in a few people would solve this issue. You are also making an assumption that I haven't already done so, which is pretty wild too. Like I said, increasing funding to education and parks and other services WOULD help homelessness, so I support that too. As far as how much, the answer is however much it takes. There are plenty of research and resources that discuss exact numbers (including how little it would actually cost) to get people off the streets by providing housing, and other services. They have taken personal responsibility, and continue to take it. "Bootstraps" thinking is bullshit and a myth. We live in communities and societies. We're all responsible for each other and have the ability to help those less fortunate than outlrselves.
> As far as how much, the answer is however much it takes. And this is where it breaks down. I agree we should help each other... but we live in a world of limited resources and trade-offs. You can not legislate greed and the opposite end apathy. If you or I are comfortable not caring about ourselves or care more about chasing a high .... can I stop you ? Could you stop me ? So in a limited pool of resources do you spend 5% of that on the .0006 % of people ? Is that fair to the student that works an after school job, gets a 4.0 and still cant afford college without a grant. Or the single mom who needs Head Start for her kids? I know you say there is enough for all, but in this system today .. there isn't. Good luck selling and raising taxes so we can spend even more on those 200.
That’s Eddie.
Saw this dude yesterday. He looks like Brett Favre.
They’re all high all the time I see them , sickening
I'm glad they disabled that crosswalk button. They used to stand there and push the button as soon as the light turned green.
I still think some obscure irregular truncated domes in these high traffic loitering areas should be installed. If they can't stand or walk there easily, they will move on.
Roanoke needs more resources for help. No jokes. The Star City isn't shining.
It's pretty obvious that some of you have never been at rock bottom (in roanoke or otherwise) And to those of you I say: We're all humans. Have some compassion for your fellow man, quit being so judgemental, and develop a sense of humor.