Sleeping bag guy

[mstone]

@rcannon100 44034 wrote:

Please be careful of soft thinking

Always a good rule?

[baiskeli]

@mstone 44026 wrote:

Given that the source is a fox news article and rush limbaugh, I’d like a bit more data before forming an opinion. On the surface it sounds like it applies to people walking in with home-cooked meals, as opposed to produce or processed food; but again, I’d want actual data before expounding too much.

I dug, and it’s sad but true. The stated reason is that the donated food might have too much salt or fat. Really.

Bloomberg’s administration has just overdone it this time, by a long shot.

However, apparently Bloomberg didn’t know about the policy and didn’t know it was new, and criticized it when asked about it. So he needs to get on top of his own people.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/03/19/bloomberg-strikes-again-nyc-bans-food-donations-to-the-homeless/

[baiskeli]

@rcannon100 44034 wrote:

* One barrier is whether the food is perishable. Most food banks and soup kitchens dont want and cant use perishable food – certainly not on the scale that Costco would be unloading.

Exactly. It’s likely that food going into a dumpster has gone bad.

[thecyclingeconomist]

“the cost of dumping it is cheaper than the cost of donating it.” That’s the problem. Unless corporations somehow can recoup those costs, real organized donation flows will never occur.

What does that mean? The food was TOO cheap in the first place. Waste should never occur on the order it does. When over $14 billion is dispersed to farmers to induce them to produce, no matter what; it artificially lowers the price of food (while demand is generally inelastic: in other words, no more is purchased than would be at the higher price). So what happens? Waste, and tons of it.

[birddog]

This guy has got to go. He’s a major nuisance and has nearly caused an accident a few times. During rush hour on the trail, having one of the two lanes blocked is a big deal. Also, I have seen him up and moving around in the morning while in the bike lane. The police have to make it clear to this person that this part of the park is not a good place to sleep. If he chooses to live outside, that’s his choice. But he should be choosing to do that somewhere that’s safe for him and safe for others.

[eminva]

At the risk of extending us off topic, I have friends who volunteer to pick up leftover produce from a local farmer’s market each week and take it to a local feeding program. Maybe because it is a regularly scheduled thing, the kitchen is able to work the donations into their menus without waste and is appreciative of the fresh produce.

Just wanted to note that these things do happen, at least on a small scale.

Liz

[krazygl00]

@mstone 44026 wrote:

Given that the source is a fox news article and rush limbaugh, I’d like a bit more data before forming an opinion. On the surface it sounds like it applies to people walking in with home-cooked meals, as opposed to produce or processed food; but again, I’d want actual data before expounding too much.

If you follow the source trail a little further you’ll find it ends at The New York Post. And since in that article they cite matters of public record, it would probably be difficult for it to be falsified.

[mstone]

@krazygl00 44055 wrote:

If you follow the source trail a little further you’ll find it ends at The New York Post. And since in that article they cite matters of public record, it would probably be difficult for it to be falsified.

Oh, I’m sure there’s some policy. I’m equally sure that people trying to get ratings by stirring the pot can pull things that are actually reasonable completely out of context and present them as unambiguously ridiculous. I haven’t seen any response explaining the rationale for the policy, or the exact parameters. If they’re actually rejecting donations of produce or packaged food, that’s certainly ridiculous, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that. I’m sure I could dig through public records to determine the truth, but why would I bother doing that for something in another jurisdiction that affects me not in the least? I’m merely not going to get worked up over yet another right-wing conspiracy piece.

edit to add: and tracking it back to the New York Post does not exactly imply that it’s not an overblown sensationalist piece.

[baiskeli]

One caveat to this story – it looks like this is the NY Dept. of Homeless Services not accepting food donations, which is different from banning donations to private agencies that may be feeding the homeless.

[arlrider]

@birddog 44048 wrote:

This guy has got to go. He’s a major nuisance and has nearly caused an accident a few times.

While not this particular individual, this reminds me of a story from when I first moved to DC…one of my first rides I was headed inbound on the Custis and was starting to descend the switchbacks from the Lee Highway bridge down to the Italian Store plaza. As I’m flying down the switchbacks I pass another cyclist coming the opposite way. Huffing and puffing his way up the hill, he manages to spurt out “Lktouttheremmmfthmlessguytrl”. I’m like “Huh?” Then I cut back on the last turn and around the blind corner and immediately understand. Sure enough, homeless guy sprawled out across both lanes of the trail. Welcome to the big city!

[Terpfan]

@mstone 43984 wrote:

It’s a myth that regulation prevents food donations, in fact the law provides Good Samaritan exemptions for donations made in good faith. The barriers typically are misinformation and lack of information about available options. Best bet is to talk to capital area food bank for details if you’re in a position to make food donations.

I worked at a fast casual type restaurant as a kid. We used to take all of our left over baked goods to a nearby shelter in the evenings. The folks over at corporate found out and we received a memo about liability. I don’t know if it’s so much a regulation or not, but the lawyers were scarred enough to prevent us from doing it anymore. Of course this was quite some time back.

As for the homeless man discussion, is it the same guy who sleeps atop the hill just south of Reagan Airport (other side of concrete bridge) along MVT? I haven’t seen him in a while, but he usually has a little encampment back there with a tarp and all.

[krazygl00]

Ok, I saw SBG for the first time last night. Wow. When I read here that he was blocking part of the trail I figured his feet were sticking out onto the trail and people were swerving to avoid, but no, he was sleeping smack dab in the middle of the westbound lane. While I’m not up on the latest urban camping spots that particular locale offers, I don’t know how he can sleep right there in such a bad spot. Surely there must be a better spot nearby. I cannot imagine that no one has had an accidental run-in with him.

But that’s not the surprising thing I saw: I noticed 20 feet further along he had a neighbor. Except this guy — we can call him “Just Napping Here For A Bit Guy” — was sleeping face down on the rocks to the side…without a sleeping bag, just in his clothes. It was easily 35 degrees or lower at the time, and dropping (this was about 6:30pm). I called 911 to report it because I thought for sure someone could die from exposure at those temperatures without anything other than clothes. I don’t even really care about SBG other than I think he ought to find a new spot, but I didn’t like the idea of ignoring JNHFABG and finding out later he died from pneumonia or hypothermia.

[Terpfan]

This all does coincide with the disappearance of sleeping bag/homeless man on MVT right near entrance to 4MR. I’m willing to bet it’s the same guy.

[rcannon100]

VDOT’s response to the homeless campo at the end of the Custis Trail, right before the MVT bridge (just east of the intersection of doom)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2846[/ATTACH]

The homeless guy could be seen moving his stuff out of the campo.

[consularrider]

He was talking with two guys in hi-viz vests at 8am and there there was a work zone caution sign coming up from the Roosevelt Island parking lot. That photo looks like they are doing more than just moving the homeless guy out.

[Author]

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