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DAILY LIFE
As a pedestrian, my life is worth less than the two seconds you save
Daily hazards of being a pedestrian in a major metropolitan area
My partner and I just returned from a trip to Fred Meyer.
Yes, I know, I said I’d never shop there again.
Circumstances have changed. That happens a lot when you’re poor, don’t have a car, and have to shop wherever you can get to.
Part of the circumstances that changed was the opening of a permanent housing building for the local homeless population. While it is a positive step for the overall community, the local government decided that since the homeless now had a place to go, any remaining should be gotten rid of. After all, the ones who are left are the ones who don’t want the help, right?
Does it matter even a little that Bloomside is full? (I will be writing more about Bloomside and what it is hopefully soon.) Apparently not. The 140 available units were completely leased out only a short time after it opened. There are a lot more people who need help. The local government response to that? Go somewhere else. Anywhere but here. Get out of our sight.
It also means that the situation on the streets has gotten a lot worse. Tent encampments, often the…
