# Have you ever been Homeless ?



## Bretrick (Oct 29, 2021)

I was homeless for about 4 months in the late 90's. Had alcohol problems.
I set up a tent in the hills surrounding Perth.
Used to visit the Soup Kitchen in Fremantle.
No home, no job, No money, no hope.
Very disheartening when society ignores one.
If you watch people walk past a homeless person, the majority avert their eyes.
They do not realise that at the stroke of a pen, there goes your job, your Mortgage payments, your home, your self esteem, your reason for living.
So many people are living on the edge of the Abyss, a slight tremor will make the foundation crumble and many people will fall to their demise


----------



## Ruthanne (Oct 29, 2021)

Yes I have too in the 1980s.  Not for very long though.  I agree with your post.  It's very true that anyone can become homeless in an instant.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 29, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> Yes I have too in the 1980s.  Not for very long though.  I agree with your post.  It's very true that anyone can become homeless in an instant.


Many people are living right on the edge. Lack of housing here is seeing a disaster taking place. Many landlords are evicting long term tenants so they can up the rent by $100 or more a week. Shocking what is happening


----------



## Ruthanne (Oct 29, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Many people are living right on the edge. Lack of housing here is seeing a disaster taking place. Many landlords are evicting long term tenants so they can up the rent by $100 or more a week. Shocking what is happening


I have a fear that can happen to me.  We have a new owner here now at the apartments.  I'm afraid they may up the rent and not take the subsidized rent payment anymore.  My lease is until August and then I will have been here 10 years. 

 If I have to move it will be hard to find another place that takes the subsidy and dogs too.  Maybe I should start praying.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 29, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I have a fear that can happen to me.  We have a new owner here now at the apartments.  I'm afraid they may up the rent and not take the subsidized rent payment anymore.  My lease is until August and then I will have been here 10 years.
> 
> If I have to move it will be hard to find another place that takes the subsidy and dogs too.  Maybe I should start praying.


Yes, prayers needed.
My owner is well into his 80's and my fear is, when he passes, his son may sell this place. More than likely new owners will up the rent


----------



## mellowyellow (Oct 29, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I have a fear that can happen to me.  We have a new owner here now at the apartments.  I'm afraid they may up the rent and not take the subsidized rent payment anymore.  My lease is until August and then I will have been here 10 years.
> 
> If I have to move it will be hard to find another place that takes the subsidy and dogs too.  Maybe I should start praying.


Hope the new landlord has a soft heart Ruth.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 29, 2021)

Have you ever been Homeless ?​
Yeah
Rode the rails a few months when young
Ya find out what yer made of, that's for sure




Bretrick said:


> So many people are living on the edge


Yes
We feed and clothe the homeless here in our little town.
Can't bring myself to pass by a guy huddled in a downtown alcove.


----------



## Ruthanne (Oct 30, 2021)

mellowyellow said:


> Hope the new landlord has a soft heart Ruth.


Me too!


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> I was homeless for about 4 months in the late 90's. Had alcohol problems.
> I set up a tent in the hills surrounding Perth.
> Used to visit the Soup Kitchen in Fremantle.
> No home, no job, No money, no hope.
> ...


I wasn't actually homeless but I was close several times. I mean, arriving in a country without a job and dwindling cash. In fact, I got a job in Fremantle just in the nick of time and found a  house/commune in Shenton Park, but that was back in January of 1980.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I wasn't actually homeless but I was close several times. I mean, arriving in a country without a job and dwindling cash. In fact, I got a job in Fremantle just in the nick of time, but that was back in January of 1980.


Lucky to get a job in Freo at that time. Before the America's Cup, Depressed labour market. Working on the wharfs?


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Lucky to get a job in Freo at that time. Before the America's Cup, Depressed labour market. Working on the wharfs?


Building an experimental glass fibre boat for the Aussie Coast Guard. First as a labourer then as a draughtsman.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Building an experimental glass fibre boat for the Aussie Coast Guard. First as a labourer then as a draughtsman.


Well done. Did you stay in Fremantle long?


----------



## katlupe (Oct 30, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I have a fear that can happen to me.  We have a new owner here now at the apartments.  I'm afraid they may up the rent and not take the subsidized rent payment anymore.  My lease is until August and then I will have been here 10 years.
> 
> If I have to move it will be hard to find another place that takes the subsidy and dogs too.  Maybe I should start praying.


No, I have never been homeless but I now have that same fear living in a subsidized apartment.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Well done. Did you stay in Fremantle long?


Thank you. I stayed in WA shy of a year then moved on to Sydney to start all over again. What about you? Are you still there now with a decent job and staying away from stubbies of  XXXX?


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Thank you. I stayed in WA shy of a year then moved on to Sydney to start all over again. What about you? Are you still there now with a decent job and staying away from stubbies of  XXXX?


I arrived in WA from Tasmania in 1988 and lived in Esperance for four years.
Moved to Fremantle in 92.
Freo today is a depressing place again with many boarded up stores and plenty of vagrants/homeless people.
I am now living 8 km North of the CBD and have full time work.
Though right now, off work with a broken ankle(Workplace Injury-Compo)
I have stayed away from all booze since 2001 - what a relief.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> I arrived in WA from Tasmania in 1988 and lived in Esperance for four years.
> Moved to Fremantle in 92.
> Freo today is a depressing place again with many boarded up stores and plenty of vagrants/homeless people.
> I am now living 8 km North of the CBD and have full time work.
> ...


I had no idea Perth was is in such a state. The only real piss-up I ever had was two weeks (every night) in the early 1970s. My best mate had been at it for months (his divorce you know) so when my own divorce was finalized I joined him but I couldn't take it so after two weeks I stopped and left him to destroy his life on his own. So, I don't have the experience you have but I appreciate the hardship that must have led you there and the even harder road it must have been to bring you back again. Good on 'ya! 

Ps. He eventually found Jesus and dried up. But he was a horrific smoker and died of cancer 3 years ago.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I had no idea Perth was is in such a state. The only real piss-up I ever had was two weeks (every night) in the early 1970s. My best mate had been at it for months (his divorce you know) so when my own divorce was finalized I joined him but I couldn't take it so after two weeks I stopped and left him to destroy his life on his own. So, I don't have the experience you have but I appreciate the hardship that must have led you there and the even harder road it must have been to bring you back again. Good on 'ya!
> 
> Ps. He eventually found Jesus and dried up. But he was a horrific smoker and died of cancer 3 years ago.


Thank you.
It is really only Fremantle that is having a hard time. Being a working Port not a lot of jobs going. Mostly Hospitality based now.
With what I consider rather too many overpriced, substandard eateries vying for the limited number of people who visit there every weekend.
Perth, and Western Australia is thriving given the pandemic situation. Huge mining industry bringing in billions of dollars. With a combined workforce of over 120,000.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Thank you.
> It is really only Fremantle that is having a herd time. Being a working Port not a lot of jobs going. Mostly Hospitality based now.
> With what I consider rather too many overpriced, substandard eateries vying for the limited number of people who visit there every weekend.
> Perth, and Western Australia is thriving given the pandemic situation. Huge mining industry bringing in billions of dollars. With a combined workforce of over 120,000.


You must be doing rather well, then! BTW, I don't suppose Toto's Pizza is still thriving, is it?


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> You must be doing rather well, then! BTW, I don't suppose Toto's Pizza is still thriving, is it?


Never heard of Toto's Pizza in all the time I have visited Fremantle. I would confidently say no to that


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Never heard of Toto's Pizza in all the time I have visited Fremantle. I would confidently say no to that


It was in Perth on Murray Street.  Toto (from Italy) made some very good pizza as long as he could concentrate on the job and resist casting glances at his waitress every time she bent over to get something.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> It was in Perth on Murray Street.  Toto (from Italy) made some very good pizza as long as he could concentrate on the job and resist casting glances at his waitress every time she bent over to get something.


I had a look.
No longer called Toto's, now called Simple Italian.
With these cuisines - Italian, Pizza, Mediterranean, Neapolitan, Campania, Southern-Italian


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> I had a look.
> No longer called Toto's, now called Simple Italian.
> With these cuisines - Italian, Pizza, Mediterranean, Neapolitan, Campania, Southern-Italian


Wow! Maybe it's still him? If you ever go inside ask if Toto's there .... or at least ask if it was called Toto's in the early 1980s.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Wow! Maybe it's still him? If you ever go inside ask if Toto's there .... or at least ask if it was called Toto's in the early 1980s.


It was called Toto's in 1984, found a State Library picture
Can not post a picture but here is the URL
https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3800012_27


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> It was called Toto's in 1984, found a State Library picture
> Can not post a picture but here is the URL
> https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3800012_27


You're a good mate, fair dinkum!


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 30, 2021)

Yes I was homeless for a short time when I ran away from home at barely 16 with no real plans and just enough money to get on a train and let it take me where it landed me...
 Long story short, I ended up living in the Salvation army hostel for women...


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> You're a good mate, fair dinkum!


Thank you
I always like to help people


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Yes I was homeless for a short time when I ran away from home at barely 16 with no real plans and just enough money to get on a train and let it take me where it landed me...
> Long story short, I ended up living in the Salvation army hostel for women...


Many people go through hard times during their life. Most are able to get through them and come out the other end, not unscathed, but still with a semblance of positive self esteem and awareness.


----------



## Aneeda72 (Oct 30, 2021)

In 1964, for a few hours, my father managed to help get me a place at the Salvation Army Home for young woman in Los Angeles, California.  I was 17, and they did not take any one younger than 18.  I had a job as a typist at an Insurance company in LA.  But, I had joined the army, during the Vietnam conflict and was waiting to be 18 for that as well.  Once I showed them my enlistment papers I had a room.

My father had remarried and I couldn’t live with him.  My mother was remarrying, and refused to let me live at home for only four more months, so I moved to my grandmothers.  My grandmother let me stay with her for two weeks, but she had a live in job, and her employer would not let me stay any longer.

Those that constantly say that there is always a choice have never really faced or understood the harsh realities of life.  Yes, there are choices, but sometimes all the choices are awful.


----------



## Alligatorob (Oct 30, 2021)

Not really, guess I have lead a fairly privileged existence, so far.

When I was between 18 and about 20 I spent summers in Wyoming and Idaho living in a tent and picking up work where I could.  But that was voluntary, I had a car and knew I could always go home to my parents.  The tent living was to save money.  And in college I lived in some very low rent housing, but it had some semblance of heat and running water, on most days anyway.

It is interesting reading the experiences of others here, gives me a better appreciation of real  homelessness.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Have you ever been Homeless ?
> Yeah
> Rode the rails a few months when young
> Ya find out what yer made of, that's for sure


I see what you mean. I never actually thought of it as being homeless but you're right. I spent about 7 years hitching around the world. First from Sweden to South Africa and then again from Europe in an easterly direction ... around the globe eventually back to Sweden. The world is definitely not flat!  I did stop and work now and then in Rhodesia, Australia, the US, Germany, France, and Norway but I was theoretically homeless because until I found work  ..... I was "homeless". I did save up enough money at each place to carry on again so I wasn't destitute except for a couple of times when my money ran out and I was forced to do some fast-talking to get a job and a place to stay. I did a whole lot of hitch-hiking but I never "rode the rails". I desperately wanted to try it but the only time I had half a chance a heavy storm came up and I had to seek shelter under a bridge.


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 30, 2021)

Alligatorob said:


> Not really, guess I have lead a fairly privileged existence, so far.
> 
> When I was between 18 and about 20 I spent summers in Wyoming and Idaho living in a tent and picking up work where I could.  But that was voluntary, I had a car and knew I could always go home to my parents.  The tent living was to save money.  And in college I lived in some very low rent housing, but it had some semblance of heat and running water, on most days anyway.
> 
> It is interesting reading the experiences of others here, gives me a better appreciation of real  homelessness.


I think starting conversations like this one allows people to talk about their experience and how they handled the situations that arose.
Many people become homeless and remain homeless their whole, usually shortened lives.
I personally knew two homeless people, alcoholics, who passed away on the street from hypothermia.
Life is becoming harder for millions of people with no end to their torment in sight.


----------



## Alligatorob (Oct 30, 2021)

If "hitching" counts I have a little more experience.  Hitchhiking around the Western US and sleeping along the roadside.  But again it was voluntary, I knew I could always go home.  I think that makes a big difference.

Summer of 1970 I was trying to hitch a ride near Jackson, Wyoming.  At the time Stanley Baker, another hippie hitchhiker murdered and cannibalized a man who gave him a ride, happened just a few miles north of where I was - made it real hard to get a ride... even though I never ate anyone.

From https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/baker-stanley-dean.htm

_On July 13, 1970, a hippie hitchhiker named Stanley Dean Baker was arrested in California for the murder of a Montana man who had stopped to give him a ride. According to police, Baker admitted that he had shot the man to death and then cannibalized the body. (In fact, Baker admitted to cutting out and eating the victim’s heart and also had bones from the man’s fingers in his pocket when apprehended).

Baker was branded a “hippie satanist” by the popular press because he had both a recipe for LSD and a copy of The Satanic Bible in his possession when he was arrested. While Baker would later tell both law enforcement officials and fellow inmates that he had participated in a “blood drinking cult” in Wyoming, he later confessed that his crimes were actually the result of his drug use and had nothing to do with any involvement with satanism._​After a few days being stuck I finally got a ride from a bunch of hippies in an old converted school bus.  A real classic of the time.  They seemed to have no radio and be unaware of the news, a good thing for me.  Rode a few hundred miles with them, to near my home.  Kind of ended that summer of fun...


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> ........................ I personally knew two homeless people, alcoholics, who passed away on the street from hypothermia.
> Life is becoming harder for millions of people with no end to their torment in sight.


Now it's drugs. I managed to stay clear of the worst of it. I played with a bit of hooch (very little really) but nothing else at all.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Alligatorob said:


> If "hitching" counts I have a little more experience.  Hitchhiking around the Western US and sleeping along the roadside.  But again it was voluntary, I knew I could always go home.  I think that makes a big difference.
> 
> Summer of 1970 I was trying to hitch a ride near Jackson, Wyoming.  At the time Stanley Baker, another hippie hitchhiker murdered and cannibalized a man who gave him a ride, happened just a few miles north of where I was - made it real hard to get a ride... even though I never ate anyone.
> 
> ...


"Ignorance is bliss" they say and being young is a bliss for sure. I've also had some close calls or found myself "in harm's way" several times.  I'm not going to tell you about all the wars I've been in and the various in-my-face dangerous situations I've experienced but your story about the hitch-hiking serial killer reminds me that I was in several of the places in India, Nepal, and Thailand where Charles Sobhraj met and eventually murdered some of his victims and I was there at the same time he was active.  I'm talking about the same hotels, hostels, and restaurants. Let's talk about something else for a while.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I did a whole lot of hitch-hiking but I never "rode the rails". I desperately wanted to try it but the only time I had half a chance a heavy storm came up and I had to seek shelter under a bridge.


Been to the under the bridge hotel
The accommodations were a bit under four star


----------



## Lawrence (Oct 30, 2021)

I think the longest I was ever unemployed was two months so I have never been homeless. My grandfather would say if a man is willing to work hard there is a job out there for him. In the Army I learned there are times when you have to put your pride in your back pocket and get the job done. So I have keep my nose to the grindstone and kept on with keeping on.


----------



## HoneyNut (Oct 30, 2021)

I was homeless for a couple days once, but a series of very kind strangers gave me money, found homes for the rescued puppies I was lugging around in a box, gave me a bed and food, connected me with a man who located someone whose kids I could nominally babysit (one was old enough to babysit the others which had been the family's plan) for a month while the mom was out of the country, and subsequently the man found me a job and arranged for me to get a government subsidized apartment.  And an agency gave me a starter set of bed, space heater, plate, one set of cutlery, etc.
I had to wash my laundry in a bucket for a while (probably just until I received some money from my parents) but everything worked out.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Been to the under the bridge hotel
> The accommodations were a bit under four star


Yes, the price is affordable but there is a distinct lack of windows and doors so there is one hell of a draft. And then there is the faulty wiring!  And if its' raining and blowing you have to climb up into the crevice otherwise your sleeping bag will get soaked.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> And if its' raining and blowing you have to climb up into the crevice otherwise your sleeping bag will get soaked.


Snakes already know this......especially moccasins


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Yes, the price is affordable but there is a distinct lack of windows and doors so there is one hell of a draft. And then there is the faulty wiring


Y'know, that reminds me of something I penned a couple decades ago
I try to put memories into the clarity of black and white before they become fuzzy

Anyway, I had an experience in a not so good area of Houston;


The familiar stench of pine sol, tobacco, and long ago spilt beer permeated my senses, as I traded a bright southern day for the dank refuge of Tony’s Bar and grill.
Marguerite, the well past middle age but still a bit fetching bar maid was deftly applying yet another coating of pine sol with her bar towel.
Old Charley, a sixteen hour fixture, sitting at the bar, half way through his dayshift of diluting the mourning of the loss of his two timing woman from previous decades, turned to focus on who just walked in.
The dirge of a refrain from ‘I Walk Alone’ twanged from the juke box.
It was Charlie’s favorite song.
It was Charlie’s only song.
It was Tony’s favorite song, as Marguerite yarded out a bag of quarters every four hours or so from the gaudy chest.

Big John was jacking his jaws toward a poor soul, gettin’ too close as usual, talking loud enough to make one think he had a miniature mega phone tucked in his mouth.
And he wasn’t as big as he thought he was…just tall, and loud…I called him loud John, just to get a rise outta him.
And there was Tony, at his post, way in the back, sitting at his round table, heavy black sun glasses, thick plaid shirt, Panama hat, eternal two day beard, accounting ledger under his pudgy hands…never could tell if he was studying his ledger or staring a hole through you. He was not animated. The odds were in favor of a bet that he was actually deceased.
His two cronies flanked his sides…never knew their names, but the one was always quite verbal, high pitched, gravelly voiced troll of a human. An unlit cigar perpetually toyed by his lips and teeth. Racetrack bookie type.
Barmaid legend has it that Tony had hundreds of thousands of dollars hidden upstairs where he resided, and a revolver in his lap at the table, where he spent all his waking hours.
Yeah, happy hour.

I settled into a dark wooden booth.
Marguerite brought me my beer.
I tried to lose myself in thought.
Had I become one of these predictable fixtures?
If so, was that so bad?
Can I just drift through the rest of my life?
Up to now, it had all been pretty traumatic, and hectic.
Now, living hand to mouth was quite liberating.
Yeah, long range planning was non-existent, but again, a relief…….

Esmeralda came hustling in from the back. She was the self-appointed darling of a gaggle of mongrels that frequented this fine establishment.
A bit chubby in the middle, like most thirty some year old señoritas.
Did have a good smile.
Thought about one day yielding to her come on, or even Marguerite, but I heard Marguerite would cut ya if things turned sour. Loud John talked about how she was such a tiger. I didn’t feel up to tiger standard.
And Mel, as I called the smiling enchantress, would require major expense in the antibiotic department.
And there’s all that paraphernalia of a possible relationship..


People that had actually worked today started filling the joint, so I settled up with Mel and sashayed out into the sun.

A couple doors down was the Sally, or Salvation Army mission. There were rules there.
Had to be in at a certain time.
Had to check yer bag behind the counter.
Had to sit through a sermon to eat.
Had to go to bed at lights out.
Couldn’t keep your clothes on in bed, even though it was a good chance someone else would be wearing them in the morning.
Had to be out at a certain time.
But it was a step up from the under the bridge hotel.

Around the corner was the Bayou Theater….fifty cents and you can watch five old run movies…and stay out of the cold or heat when pushed out of the mission. You did have to put up with the clientele however, and a commentary throughout the show, ‘Hey that’s Robert Taylor!’…..’No s***’…..’shut the hell up!’

Then across the square was home sweet home.
The Standard Hotel.
$1.25 a night or $5 a week…a five day week.
It was a converted warehouse of a thousand partitioned ‘rooms’, 6 x 4 rooms. The cots had some sort of linen and thin blanket. Not sure what color anything was, because they all had their very own 20 watt light strung to the middle, hanging from god knows where. It was enough to scatter a few hundred exoskeletal friends. I remember my first night, thought I had a brown comforter.
The end of each hall had a wash tub with sometimes warm water, along with a toilet
..usually flushable…sometimes clogged…but always caressing a brown flaky crust.
But hey, you could stash your belongings.

I pulled my duffel bag from under my cot and tossed myself atop.
Staring at the ghost of a ceiling, I let my mind drift through the past.


----------



## Irwin (Oct 30, 2021)

There are some homeless people living in an SUV down by the park behind the local community center. They even have two dogs living in there with them. I wonder what they do all day (not the dogs, the homeless people).


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Snakes already know this......especially moccasins


I had no problems with snakes but scorpions, tarantulas, guns & bombs, and ****** rapture are another matter.

I woke up one morning in the Arizona desert and as I started to roll up my sleeping bag I found that a scorpion had spent the night under it. Thank God it crawled under the foot end! Another similar incident in Mexico when I awoke to noises in the night to find that a young couple had left their car by the roadside and laid a blanket down not more than 20 metres from me to have a screw! Again in the Bahamas when my sleep was shattered by horrendous gunfire and bombs. I had been sleeping just below the fort where nightly displays of a light & sound show reenact some battle that took place there in their history! Still again in South Africa near the Limpopo border with Rhodesia I had trouble getting to sleep because some animal was moving about in the bushes near me. I figured it was baboons but the next morning when I broke camp and started to hitch-hike further the driver asked me I had been disturbed by the leopards that were active in the area.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Y'know, that reminds me of something I penned a couple decades ago
> I try to get memories into the clarity of black and white before they get fuzzy
> 
> Anyway, I had an experience in a not so good area of Houston;
> ...


It would have been best if you'd have left that west Texas town of Houston out to the badlands of New Mexico ,....


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Irwin said:


> There are some homeless people living in an SUV down by the park behind the local community center. They even have two dogs living in there with them. *I wonder what they do all day* (not the dogs, the homeless people).


Probably smoking a joint, scratching the bellies of their dogs and saying,* "How ya' doin' buddy!"*


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> It would have been best if you'd have left that west Texas town of Houston out to the badlands of New Mexico ,....


Yeah, s'pose so

However

I met my lady in Houston

Best ever event in my entire life


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah, s'pose so
> 
> However
> 
> ...


That there is where if you haven't eaten in about a week,
You get so hungry when you walk that you  squeak


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> It would have been best if you'd have left that west Texas town of Houston out to the badlands of New Mexico ,....


Freight trains seem to have their own direction.
Almost ended up in Genoa Nebraska on a hot shot.
Hot shot trains don't stop anywhere in between.
And they put the peddle to the metal 
Quite bumpy
No sleep


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Freight trains seem to have their own direction.
> Almost ended up in Genoa Nebraska on a hot shot.
> Hot shot trains don't stop anywhere in between.
> And they put the peddle to the metal
> ...


One of the things that worried me about trying to ride the rail was not knowing where the thing was going. Do you just hop in without knowing?


----------



## Alizerine (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Y'know, that reminds me of something I penned a couple decades ago
> I try to get memories into the clarity of black and white before they get fuzzy
> 
> Anyway, I had an experience in a not so good area of Houston;
> ...



Thank you for painting a unique picture of tough times with humor and clarity. You have a real gift. Please keep writing.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Do you just hop in without knowing?


Some yards have some friendly keepers in the shacks.
They can tell you what rail, where and when.
Or, they can run you off.

Most times I didn't care where, as long as it wasn't where I was at the time....


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Alizerine said:


> . Please keep writing.


Oh, I do

Got a few threads here that'll take up a large amount of time, if you have it

Thank you


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> One of the things that worried me about trying to ride the rail was not knowing where the thing was going


Oddest event was walking between rails when one train was going south, and the other north.
Got dizzy
Had to sit down


----------



## Alizerine (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Oh, I do
> 
> Got a few threads here that'll take up a large amount of time, if you have it
> 
> Thank you


I will definitely check them out.


----------



## Alligatorob (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> One of the things that worried me about trying to ride the rail was not knowing where the thing was going. Do you just hop in without knowing?


Years ago I was driving through a very isolated part of the Nevada desert, on one of those roads where you only see another car maybe once an hour.  Saw a hitchhiker at least 20 miles from the nearest intersection, further from any kind of house or town.  I picked him up, turned out he had been riding a train that stopped in the middle of nowhere and he was thrown off.  Not sure if he would have made it had I not picked him up.

That was in my youth, not sure I would be brave enough to pickup such a hitchhiker today... hope I would.


----------



## Aneeda72 (Oct 30, 2021)

HoneyNut said:


> I was homeless for a couple days once, but a series of very kind strangers gave me money, found homes for the rescued puppies I was lugging around in a box, gave me a bed and food, connected me with a man who located someone whose kids I could nominally babysit (one was old enough to babysit the others which had been the family's plan) for a month while the mom was out of the country, and subsequently the man found me a job and arranged for me to get a government subsidized apartment.  And an agency gave me a starter set of bed, space heater, plate, one set of cutlery, etc.
> I had to wash my laundry in a bucket for a while (probably just until I received some money from my parents) but everything worked out.


Hmm, I washed my clothes in the bathtub, didn’t have a bucket, could not afford a bucket.  The salivation army provided breakfast and dinner.  I could never afford lunch.  The Army provided three square meals, .


----------



## Irwin (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Oddest event was walking between rails when one train was going south, and the other west.
> Got dizzy
> Had to sit down


I had that experience once. Turned out, the pot we were smoking was laced with angel dust (PCP).


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Some yards have some friendly keepers in the shacks.
> They can tell you what rail, where and when.
> Or, they can run you off.
> 
> Most times I didn't care where, as long as it wasn't where I was at the time....


Really?


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Oddest event was walking between rails when one train was going south, and the other north.
> Got dizzy
> Had to sit down


I can imagine it. I turn to stone when I'm waiting for a passenger train and an express freighter goes roaring through shaking the ground to the core.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Irwin said:


> I had that experience once. Turned out, the pot we were smoking was laced with angel dust (PCP).


*"Riding that train, high on cocaine ..."*


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Alligatorob said:


> Years ago I was driving through a very isolated part of the Nevada desert, on one of those roads where you only see another car maybe once an hour.  Saw a hitchhiker at least 20 miles from the nearest intersection, further from any kind of house or town.  I picked him up, turned out he had been riding a train that stopped in the middle of nowhere and he was thrown off.  Not sure if he would have made it had I not picked him up.
> 
> That was in my youth, not sure I would be brave enough to pickup such a hitchhiker today... hope I would.


Jesus!


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I can imagine it. I turn to stone when I'm waiting for a passenger train and an express freighter goes roaring through shaking the ground to the core.


Yeah, I get that.

The two trains weren't really going all that fast.
And there was plenty of room between them.
But, it was like I was getting sucked into a tornado.
Made my head spin.
Even had to close my eyes while sitting.
Otherwise that beer wouldn't've stayed down


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah, I get that.
> 
> The two trains weren't really going all that fast.
> And there was plenty of room between them.
> ...


Don't they have "No Drinking" signs along the rails .... sort of like Burma Shave on the tarmac?


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Don't they have "No Drinking" signs along the rails .... sort of like Burma Shave on the tarmac?


Lotsa signs/warnings for Hobos


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Lotsa signs/warnings for Hobos


I haven’t been on many passenger trains worth mentioning:


* Sofia to Istanbul. A segment of the Orient Express.

* Wadi Halfa to Khartoum.

* Dar Es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi. The TanZam.

* Rangoon to Mandalay.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I haven’t been on many passenger trains worth mentioning:


Oh, I bet they were some experiences.
Did you ride on the inside?


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Oh, I bet they were some experiences.
> Did you ride on the inside?


Well, I've seen passengers hanging out of the doors and lying flat as flounders in fear on the roofs (particularly in India and Egypt) but not me!


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Really?



Yeah, trouble seemed to follow me...sometimes it waited for me in the next town


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Alligatorob said:


> Years ago I was driving through a very isolated part of the Nevada desert, on one of those roads where you only see another car maybe once an hour. Saw a hitchhiker at least 20 miles from the nearest intersection, further from any kind of house or town. I picked him up, turned out he had been riding a train that stopped in the middle of nowhere and he was thrown off. Not sure if he would have made it had I not picked him up.
> 
> That was in my youth, not sure I would be brave enough to pickup such a hitchhiker today... hope I would.


Reminds me of a joke;

Picked up a hitchhiker

Seemed like a nice guy

After a few miles, he asked if I wasn't afraid he might be a serial killer

Told him the odds of two serial killers in the same car were highly unlikely


----------



## Ruthanne (Oct 30, 2021)

katlupe said:


> No, I have never been homeless but I now have that same fear living in a subsidized apartment.


Sorry to hear that.  But at least you don't have a dog to worry about.  I know you have a rabbit but I think more landlords will accept them over a dog.  I hope you'll do ok


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah, trouble seemed to follow me...sometimes it waited for me in the next town


You needed to take a faster train.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Reminds me of a joke;
> 
> Picked up a hitchhiker
> 
> ...


A true story:
I was once hitchhiking towards mexico and the guy who gave me a lift was bragging about how much money he made transporting grass from the border into the US. He said all he did was pick the stash in El Paso (where the weed had already been smuggled across the border) and he took it from there to points north. I sat quietly listening just nodding my head. After a while I guess he thought I didn't express enough admiration so he said, *"I suppose you don't believe me, huh?"* I told him that I believed him but in order to prove his claim, he grabbed the instrument panel and pulled it loose. Then he stuck his hand inside and to the right then pulled out a wad of cash and shook it in my face. I'm sure he was trying to entice me to work for him. Anyway, I told him he was crazy to show me all of that not knowing me at all. *"I'm not worried,"*  he repled, then stuck his hand back into the panel to the left and pulled out a loaded revolver.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> *"I'm not worried,"* he repled, then stuck his hand back into the panel to the left and pulled out a loaded revolver.


Yeah, that can get sticky.
Hate being unarmed when somebody is.
Also hate being shot at...or shot.
Rounds whizzing past yer skull is a bit unnerving


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah, that can get sticky.
> Hate being unarmed when somebody is.
> Also hate being shot at...or shot.
> Rounds whizzing past yer skull is a bit unnerving


I don't like guns. I don't want them and I don't want to see them. First of all, I am a war veteran, a soldier for 3 years. In addition to that (as a civilian) I've been under mortar attack, rocket attack, and shot at in Beirut and Rhodesia and have guns pointed at me in Tanzania (by the police), in Cambodia (by the Khmer Rouge), at a traffic light (in the US), and in someone's home (also in the US).  

Guns? Melt the whole ******* lot of them and make something nice instead.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> in Cambodia (by the Khmer Rouge)


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 30, 2021)

Verisure said:


> shot at in Beirut and Rhodesia and have guns pointed at me in Tanzania (by the police)



And I thought Mexican federales were bad


----------



## Verisure (Oct 30, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> View attachment 192124


It was towards the end of hostilities. The “war” was officially over but the Khmer Rouge controlled the western part of Cambodia and they were still in uniform acting as pirates along the road, what was left of it – deep, deep bomb craters that only a sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle could manoeuvrer. The Khmer Rouge stood with their Kalashnikovs at each end of every damned bridge along the road. I was on my way from Thailand to the magnificent Angkor Wat/Angkor Tom near Siem Reap. All vehicles on the road (there weren't very many) were stopped by the Khmer Rouge and they extorted sums of money at gunpoint for use of “their” bridges, occasionally demanding money at the beginning of the bridge and again leaving it at the other end. There were a couple of dicey moments that I’d rather not think about.


----------



## katlupe (Oct 31, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> Sorry to hear that.  But at least you don't have a dog to worry about.  I know you have a rabbit but I think more landlords will accept them over a dog.  I hope you'll do ok


You too.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> ..... Anyway, I had an experience in a not so good area of Houston ...


Speaking of Houston a funny thing happened to me in NYC that I think you will enjoy hearing about:

I picked up a hitch-hiker from New York City once and he spent one night in my house. We exchanged addresses "just in case". So there I was in NYC with no place to stay so I figured I'd look up that guy to see if he could return the favour. The address he gave me was on Houston Street but I didn't know my around the place so I asked someone. *"Houston Street? Never heard of it".* I asked several people and although they were all very friendly and eager to help me out (something I never expected in that city) no one knew the street. Anyway, I was getting frustrated so after asking 3 or 4 people I pulled out a city map and pointed to it on the map ....* "Oh!!! You mean House-ton Street!"* It was my pronunciation that was the problem. It is spelt the same way so how could I know they pronounced it like that?


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Speaking of Houston a funny thing happened to me in NYC that I think you will enjoy hearing about:
> 
> I picked up a hitch-hiker from New York City once and he spent one night in my house. We exchanged addresses "just in case". So there I was in NYC with no place to stay so I figured I'd look up that guy to see if he could return the favour. The address he gave me was on Houston Street but I didn't know my around the place so I asked someone. *"Houston Street? Never heard of it".* I asked several people and although they were all very friendly and eager to help me out (something I never expected in that city) no one knew the street. Anyway, I was getting frustrated so after asking 3 or 4 people I pulled out a city map and pointed to it on the map ....* "Oh!!! You mean House-ton Street!"* It was my pronunciation that was the problem. It is spelt the same way so how could I know they pronounced it like that?


...and did the H/hiker put you up ?


----------



## Irwin (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Speaking of Houston a funny thing happened to me in NYC that I think you will enjoy hearing about:
> 
> I picked up a hitch-hiker from New York City once and he spent one night in my house. We exchanged addresses "just in case". So there I was in NYC with no place to stay so I figured I'd look up that guy to see if he could return the favour. The address he gave me was on Houston Street but I didn't know my around the place so I asked someone. *"Houston Street? Never heard of it".* I asked several people and although they were all very friendly and eager to help me out (something I never expected in that city) no one knew the street. Anyway, I was getting frustrated so after asking 3 or 4 people I pulled out a city map and pointed to it on the map ....* "Oh!!! You mean House-ton Street!"* It was my pronunciation that was the problem. It is spelt the same way so how could I know they pronounced it like that?


That reminds me of when I lived in Houston. A few weeks after I moved there and got somewhat settled in, I went to a pizzeria and ordered a pizza pie, which is what we called pizza in NY. The Asian guy at the counter told me, "We no serve pie." I tried to order it a few more times but never did get my pizza. I was totally baffled.

And why is it that in NY, they have Texas weenies (hotdogs), but in Texas, they have Coney Island hot dogs? The grass is always greener...


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Irwin said:


> *That reminds me of when I lived in Houston. A few weeks after I moved there and got somewhat settled in, I went to a pizzeria and ordered a pizza pie, which is what we called pizza in NY. The Asian guy at the counter told me, "We no serve pie." I tried to order it a few more times but never did get my pizza. I was totally baffled.*
> 
> And why is it that in NY, they have Texas weenies (hotdogs), but in Texas, they have Coney Island hot dogs? The grass is always greener...


Oh My Gosh..finally I learn something which has been baffling me for decades...

In Italy..and all of Europe and for this we include the UK..Pizza is called Pizza... there's no Pie in it at all...so when as a youngster and even since..I listen to Dean Martin Sing.. it used to confuse the heck outta me...  I thought the writer just added 'pie' to make it rhyme...

In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl
Here's what they say
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing, "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasul
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scusa me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore
When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore (that's amore)
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore (that's amore)
Bells will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing, "Vita bella" (vita bella, vita bella)
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella
Lucky fella
When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasul
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scusami, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore (amore)
That's amore


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> ...and did the H/hiker put you up ?


No.  The buggar was homeless! The address was for a carpenter's shop where he did menial jobs and slept on one of the tables.  So, the first night I slept on one of the other tables but it was hard stuff so the next night I got a cheap hotel and invited him to sleep on the sofa. I was only there the two nights because I had a flight to catch to Luxembourg.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Oh My Gosh..finally I learn something which has been baffling me for decades...
> 
> In Italy..and all of Europe and for this we include the UK..Pizza is called Pizza...


Actually .... Europe does call it Pizza but in the UK it is pronounced Pit-za rather than Peet-za. That is partly because the "i" in English is pronounced *aye *whereas on the continent the "i" is pronounced *ee*. Now you're going to ask why then in the US it is pronounced the same as in Europe? Uhhhh .... because they don't really speak English very well in the US?


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Actually .... Europe does call it Pizza but in the UK it is pronounced Pit-za rather than Peet-za. That is partly because the "i" in English is pronounced *aye *whereas on the continent the "i" is pronounced *ee*. Now you're going to ask why then in the US it is pronounced the same as in Europe? Uhhhh .... because they don't really speak English very well in the US?


yes I said we call it Pizza... what we don't call it  is Pizza PIE


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Actually .... Europe does call it Pizza but in the UK it is pronounced Pit-za rather than Peet-za. That is partly because the "i" in English is pronounced *aye *whereas on the continent the "i" is pronounced *ee*. Now you're going to ask why then in the US it is pronounced the same as in Europe? Uhhhh .... because they don't really speak English very well in the US?


...and actually in the UK we do  call it Peet-za it's never been pronounced Pitza ... it's Pita bread that we call Pit-a


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Irwin said:


> That reminds me of when I lived in Houston. A few weeks after I moved there and got somewhat settled in, I went to a pizzeria and ordered a pizza pie, which is what we called pizza in NY. The Asian guy at the counter told me, "We no serve pie." I tried to order it a few more times but never did get my pizza. I was totally baffled.
> 
> And why is it that in NY, they have Texas weenies (hotdogs), but in Texas, they have Coney Island hot dogs? The grass is always greener...


Good thing you didn't ask him where the nearest beach was.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> ...and actually in the UK wedo  call it Peet-za it's never been pronounced Pitza ... it's Pita bread that we call Pit-a


I hope you're not going to tell me that you've never heard an Englishman pronounce it "Pit-za".

EDIT: Maybe the ones who call it pit-za are the same ones who say "beefburger" rather than hamburger.


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> I hope you're not going to tell me that you've never heard an Englishman pronounce it "Pit-za".
> 
> EDIT: Maybe the ones who call it pit-za are the same ones who say "beefburger" rather than hamburger.


Never in my life have I hear a Brit call it Pit-ZA... never... ...and we call it a Beefburger because it's made from beef..not Ham....


----------



## Shero (Oct 31, 2021)

No I have never been homeless or anywhere close to it and I feel very sad reading some of these stories. It is uplifting to see how those people have come out at the end of that dark tunnel.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Never in my life have I hear a Brit call it Pit-ZA... never... ...and we call it a Beefburger because it's made from beef..not Ham....


Well, I've heard Brits say "pit-za" so there it is ... ... and ham has nothing to do with it. The "Hamburger" originated in Germany, in the city of  ... you can imagine ... Hamburg. The word "Hamburg*er*" itself means someone or something from Hamburg, in the same way, one might say "London*er*" in English. So, calling it a beefburger is a misconception from the very outset.


----------



## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Well, I've heard Brits say "pit-za" so there it is ... ... and ham has nothing to do with it. The "Hamburger" originated in Germany, in the city of  ... you can imagine ... Hamburg. The word "Hamburg*er*" itself means someone or something from Hamburg, in the same way, one might say "London*er*" in English. So, calling it a beefburger is a misconception from the very outset.


*sigh*


----------



## Alligatorob (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> That's amore


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> *sigh*


----------



## StarSong (Oct 31, 2021)

To answer the OP's question, no, I've never been homeless or even close.  Have always been fortunate enough to have family and friends with safety nets to catch me when I started to slip.  I've paid it back and forward.   

I feel for those we are experiencing housing insecurity.   It must be agonizing, particularly among people in our age group.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Good thing you didn't ask him where the nearest beach was.


Yeah,* sunny beaches* has a different connotation when you get close to the southern border


----------



## Bretrick (Oct 31, 2021)

StarSong said:


> To answer the OP's question, no, I've never been homeless or even close.  Have always been fortunate enough to have family and friends with safety nets to catch me when I started to slip.  I've paid it back and forward.
> 
> I feel for those we are experiencing housing insecurity.   It must be agonizing, particularly among people in our age group.


I suppose the majority of people have security with their living arrangements. As the years roll on, more and more people are starting to be placed into a precarious situation. Not knowing if their rental accommodation will be sold leading to higher rents or eviction.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah,* sunny beaches* has a different connotation when you get close to the southern border


Yep, it's down to pronunciation again where they don't speak English too pretty good.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> I suppose the majority of people have security with their living arrangements. As the years roll on, more and more people are starting to be placed into a precarious situation. Not knowing if their rental accommodation will be sold leading to higher rents or eviction.


I've seen enough documentary films about the US where evictions are as common as blowflies.


----------



## StarSong (Oct 31, 2021)

Blowflies are extremely rare in the US.

As for evictions being common, as Marvin Gaye said, believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.   Many states have very strong laws to protect renters.


----------



## Gary O' (Oct 31, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Yep, it's down to pronunciation again where they don't speak English too pretty good.


In some parts of the south I can hardly understand anyone.
Seems they're trying to talk with a mouth full of marbles.


----------



## Shero (Oct 31, 2021)

Around 40 dialects exist in the UK and the most difficult I found to undertand is the Geordie accent and yes they dosay pit-sa hollydolly. I heard it with my very own ears


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> ..... Seems they're trying to talk with a mouth full of marbles.


I didn't realize there were Danes living there.


----------



## Verisure (Oct 31, 2021)

Shero said:


> Around 40 dialects exist in the UK and the most difficult I found to undertand is the Geordie accent .....


It is really amazing, isn't it! I think it's the Glaswedgies who are the most difficult to understand. 


Shero said:


> ..... and yes they dosay pit-sa hollydolly. I heard it with my very own ears


Yes, it is true.


----------



## Verisure (Nov 28, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Never in my life have I hear a Brit call it Pit-ZA... never...


*Fast-forward to 6:07 >>>>> *


----------



## hollydolly (Nov 29, 2021)

Verisure said:


> *Fast-forward to 6:07 >>>>> *


hahaha...I have no idea why the narrator is saying that...altho' she sounds as tho' she's English there's something else in her accent and I can't quite catch what it is...perhaps she's spent tooo long in the USA


----------



## Verisure (Nov 29, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> hahaha...I have no idea why the narrator is saying that...altho' she sounds as tho' she's English there's something else in her accent and I can't quite catch what it is...perhaps she's spent tooo long in the USA


Do you really live in the UK? Just asking because I've been to Britain 2 or 3 times and I was employed by the RAF in Germany and ... well .... I've heard quite a few of them say pit-sah. Not everyone, no, but often enough to have made an impression on me. I mean, you could say that if only one pronounced it 'pit-sah' then perhaps he had a speech impediment or was chewing on something but no ... I've heard it more than a few times.


----------



## hollydolly (Nov 29, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Do you really live in the UK? Just asking because I've been to Britain 2 or 3 times and I was employed by the RAF in Germany and ... well .... I've heard quite a few of them say pit-sah. Not everyone, no, but often enough to have made an impression on me. I mean, you could say that if only one pronounced it 'pit-sah' then perhaps he had a speech impediment or was chewing on something but no ... I've heard it more than a few times.


LOL.. are you serious ?.. no-one pronounces it Pit-Sah... why would we?... ..you may have heard it said  that way in Germany but you've never heard it said here,  we pronounce it peet-sa... !!


----------



## Verisure (Nov 29, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> LOL.. are you serious ?.. no-one pronounces it Pit-Sah... why would we?... ..you may have hear it said  that way in Germany but you've never heard it said here,  we pronounce it peet-sa... !!


Let's take a closer look, shall we? I say that I've heard a number of Brits pronounce it 'pit-sah' and I've even included a video to prove it and if you've watched the video right through you'll know that it is pronounced 'pit-sah' several times so you cannot suggest it's a fault in the microphone.  Another member of this forum also said that he's heard it pronounced 'pit-sah' in the UK, as a matter of fact. Still, you say *"no-one pronounces it Pit-Sah"*. You do acknowledge me having heard it *"said that way in Germany"* but you feign ignorance of the fact that I wasn't speaking about Germans, but about RAF Brits. I also told you that I've been to the UK where I've heard it pronounced 'pit-sah' yet you tell me that I've* "never heard it said here".* There is something wrong here. Can you guess what it is?


----------



## hollydolly (Nov 29, 2021)

Look for the last time..ONE Narrator on a Youtube Video says Pit-sah...and according to you..a NON Brit. we ALL pronounce it that way !! I am finished with this convo. I have told you we do not pronounce it that way, that's Fact ...if you want to believe otherwise...fill your boots!!


----------



## Verisure (Nov 29, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> Look for the last time..*ONE Narrator on a Youtube Video says Pit-sah...and according to you*..a NON Brit. *we ALL pronounce it that way !!* I am finished with this convo. I have told you we do not pronounce it that way, that's Fact ...if you want to believe otherwise...fill your boots!!


Did you actually read my response before you replied? I don't think so. Do you know what the term "absurd" means? You've just now claimed I've said something I never said and you side-stepped the most important parts of my post.  There are two glaring problems with your post and I've quoted them in bold print. But I am particularly curious about this new statement of yours, *"you .. a NON Brit"*. I'd love to know the significance of that statement. Can you explain that to me, please Miss?


----------



## old medic (Nov 29, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> Have you ever been Homeless ?​
> Yeah
> Rode the rails a few months when young
> Ya find out what yer made of, that's for sure



I spent 2 summers living out of a backpack, traveling on my thumb, working little odd jobs for some cash.
Ate at the Dumpster Diner more times than I care to admit. It was defiantly was a character building experience.


----------



## oldpop (Nov 29, 2021)

old medic said:


> I spent 2 summers living out of a backpack, traveling on my thumb, working little odd jobs for some cash.
> Ate at the Dumpster Diner more times than I care to admit. It was defiantly was a character building experience.


Gives you a whole different idea of what you need and what you don't doesn't it?


----------



## oldpop (Nov 29, 2021)

I considered a tent my home for quite a while. I had to travel light traveling on two wheels.


----------



## StarSong (Nov 29, 2021)

Verisure said:


> Did you actually read my response before you replied? I don't think so. Do you know what the term "absurd" means? You've just now claimed I've said something I never said and you side-stepped the most important parts of my post.  There are two glaring problems with your post and I've quoted them in bold print. But I am particularly curious about this new statement of yours, *"you .. a NON Brit"*. I'd love to know the significance of that statement. Can you explain that to me, please Miss?


Why are you arguing about this with someone who lives in England?  (Is "the arrogant guy" in you showing his stripes?)

Are there a few Brits in the country who might pronounce pizza differently from virtually everyone else? Probably. However, Holly has lived in the UK her entire life. I take the word of a resident over someone who's been there 2-3 times that nearly all Brits say peet-za rather than pit -zah. (Perhaps you were hearing a non-Brit tourist...)


----------



## oldiebutgoody (Nov 30, 2021)

Was told by my parents that we were homeless when I was a very young child. Was very sickly, had frequent fainting spells, and cannot recall any specific incidents of that awful time.


----------



## Ladybj (Nov 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> I was homeless for about 4 months in the late 90's. Had alcohol problems.
> I set up a tent in the hills surrounding Perth.
> Used to visit the Soup Kitchen in Fremantle.
> No home, no job, No money, no hope.
> ...


I love your post - it really hit the nail on the head.  Many would not be able to survive.  After surviving that I pray  you have strength beyond measure.  I agree, a lot of people are a paycheck away from not being able to make their mortgage payment, etc..  I have not been homeless, however I have been in a position that I did not know where my next meal would come from.  Those of us that have faced these challenges are survivors


----------



## Irwin (Nov 30, 2021)

States should set up communes for homeless people. Provide them with basic housing and decent meals, perhaps some training so eventually they can transition back into society. That would cut down on crime committed by homeless people, perhaps drug use, it sure wouldn't hurt their mental state having a bit of stability in their lives. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper than how we handle the homeless now, and far more effective.


----------



## Nathan (Nov 30, 2021)

Bretrick said:


> Have you ever been Homeless ?



For a while, after I returned from Vietnam.   I slept in an abandoned day care building, which was within walking distance to the car dealership where I worked washing cars.  I would buy a daily meal at the jack in the Box next door.   After a few weeks I bought a used car from the dealership, had a bad clutch but I could _baby_ it and drive places.  In the glovebox was a big wad of McDonalds gift cards for free Big Macs, what a godsend!
Eventually I rented a room in a boarding house, $15 a week- with kitchen privileges.  Started community college and applied for G.I. Bill educational benefits.   Got another job at a different car dealership delivering parts, more hours and better pay.


----------



## oldpop (Nov 30, 2021)

Irwin said:


> States should set up communes for homeless people. Provide them with basic housing and decent meals, perhaps some training so eventually they can transition back into society. That would cut down on crime committed by homeless people, perhaps drug use, it sure wouldn't hurt their mental state having a bit of stability in their lives. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper than how we handle the homeless now, and far more effective.


They did that during the Great Depression. They were sometimes referred to as Hoovervilles. Named after President Hoover because many thought he was responsible for the Depression.


----------



## Bretrick (Nov 30, 2021)

Ladybj said:


> I love your post - it really hit the nail on the head.  Many would not be able to survive.  After surviving that I pray  you have strength beyond measure.  I agree, a lot of people are a paycheck away from not being able to make their mortgage payment, etc..  I have not been homeless, however I have been in a position that I did not know where my next meal would come from.  Those of us that have faced these challenges are survivors


Adversity breeds resilience. These days I have a modicum of control, I have fair paying employment, I have affordable rental accommodation.
I have savings and Superannuation.
A lot of this is tenuous but I will look on the bright side of life for now.


----------



## squatting dog (Dec 1, 2021)

When I was fresh out of the Army, and full of demons and confusion, (I didn't know what PTSD was and neither did the govt. at that time), I was lost and living in my Pontiac hearse. Finally landed a crap job at a body shop and was able to sleep in their yard, plus I was able to use their equipment after hours, which allowed me to work on the old girl. Picture of the hearse. (only pic's I have was preparing to put a straight axle under it)   When I met my wife to be, (in a junkyard while hunting parts for the hearse), it turned out to be the best thing ever to happen in my life. 3 weeks later we got married, and the hearse had to go.  I replaced it with a 2 door 55 chevy wagon and we split for New Jersey. A year and a half later, me, a pregnant wife and 5 puppies loaded up the wagon and struck out for Vermont where I knew of an old abandoned homestead property site with water where we could live in the car until I found work. Now, 50 years later, it's all just some interesting memories, and the journey still goes on.


----------



## Irwin (Dec 1, 2021)

I stayed at a YMCA for a few weeks when I went down to Houston back in 1978. You'd get a room for like $10 a day, which was more than what an apartment would cost, but cheaper than a hotel. And you got to use the gym and showers.

I'd set out every morning on the bus, trying to find a job. I think it only took four days. With my first paycheck and what little savings I had left, I rented an apartment. Housing was a lot cheaper back then.


----------



## oldiebutgoody (Dec 1, 2021)

Ladybj said:


> I love your post - it really hit the nail on the head.  Many would not be able to survive.  After surviving that I pray  you have strength beyond measure.  I agree, a lot of people are a paycheck away from not being able to make their mortgage payment, etc..  I have not been homeless, however I have been in a position that I did not know where my next meal would come from.  Those of us that have faced these challenges are survivors





There are many abandoned or decommissioned military bases in the USA.  Each can easily be converted or repurposed as living spaces for the homeless. The government can clean them up, the land sold to churches or other non profit institutions, and each can be incorporated as tax free institutions under  IRC  §  501(c)(3).  This will alleviate much of the problem.  There are also numerous colleges that have been closed and abandoned.  The lands and buildings can be similarly converted.  There simply is no reason for anyone to be homeless in the USA.  None whatsoever.


----------



## Ladybj (Dec 1, 2021)

Irwin said:


> States should set up communes for homeless people. Provide them with basic housing and decent meals, perhaps some training so eventually they can transition back into society. That would cut down on crime committed by homeless people, perhaps drug use, it sure wouldn't hurt their mental state having a bit of stability in their lives. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper than how we handle the homeless now, and far more effective.


Not all homeless people commit crimes or use drugs.


----------



## Verisure (Dec 1, 2021)

Irwin said:


> States should set up communes for homeless people. Provide them with basic housing and decent meals, perhaps some training so eventually they can transition back into society. That would cut down on crime committed by homeless people, perhaps drug use, it sure wouldn't hurt their mental state having a bit of stability in their lives. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper than how we handle the homeless now, and far more effective.


Jobs need to be offered to its citizens rather than farming out employment to India or wherever. The minimum wage ought to be enough to live decently. Medical needs should be free of charge. Insurance ought to be provided to each and every citizen. Wealth should be distributed from the bottom up .... not the other way round. That is to say that unemployment benefits should sustain life without the need to resort to crime. The minimum wage should be above that, and so on up the line. The rich will have to be satisfied with one Rolls Royce rather than a dozen.


----------



## Verisure (Dec 1, 2021)

squatting dog said:


> When I was fresh out of the Army, and full of demons and confusion, (I didn't know what PTSD was and neither did the govt. at that time), I was lost and living in my Pontiac hearse. Finally landed a crap job at a body shop and was able to sleep in their yard, plus I was able to use their equipment after hours, which allowed me to work on the old girl. Picture of the hearse. (only pic's I have was preparing to put a straight axle under it)   When I met my wife to be, (in a junkyard while hunting parts for the hearse), it turned out to be the best thing ever to happen in my life. 3 weeks later we got married, and the hearse had to go.  I replaced it with a 2 door 55 chevy wagon and we split for New Jersey. A year and a half later, me, a pregnant wife and 5 puppies loaded up the wagon and struck out for Vermont where I knew of an old abandoned homestead property site with water where we could live in the car until I found work. Now, 50 years later, it's all just some interesting memories, and the journey still goes on.


I knew two families from Ohio (sister and brother with their respective spouses) who arrived in New Mexico in a beater, pulling a small house-trailer. They purchased a small plot of land in Tijeras Canyon, outside of Albuquerque.  Taking on whatever jobs they could find (auto scrapyard for example) they bought some planks, dismantled the trailer and combined the pieces to make a shack.  Slowly they added to it and turned it into a house, sort of. Two stories. They devoutly read Home-making magazines and incorporated ideas from what they saw. Two of them enrolled in architecture courses at UNM and eventually got their degrees. As I understand it one couple returned to Ohio but the other is still in N.M. and doing very well for themselves.


----------



## Remy (Dec 3, 2021)

No but it's one of my fears. It could be because my mother threatened to throw me out as a child onto the streets. And I'm talking about 10 here, not a rebellious teen which I never was.

I did the American dream thing and bought a house in 2001 as a single female. It was too much for me and I seemed like an anomaly in that neighborhood. I sold the place 7 years later. Now with all the fires prices have gone up in my area. Condos are out of my price range at this point. I think of all the places I looked at but never bought and why didn't I buy them. I only bought that horrible house. I'm still looking for a mobile in a 55+ park.


----------



## Verisure (Dec 3, 2021)

Remy said:


> No but it's one of my fears. It could be because my mother threatened to throw me out as a child onto the streets. And I'm talking about 10 here, not a rebellious teen which I never was. ......


I do have some similar experiences and I have a whole lot of very harsh criticism for such parents but I think I'd better keep my mouth shut.


----------

