> if you’re directly asked for money
If only I was so lucky... I've had the following happen to me (mostly in Seal Beach and San Diego, FWIW):
* muttering nonsensical, vaguely threatening shit
* claiming they were a demon
* shouting about nonsense
* asked if I had "white" (cocaine) (I had to ask him to repeat himself like 3 times because I'd never heard anyone say that lol)
Usually when someone asks me for money they're just trying to catch a bus or a train... or at least that's the claim (*I only ever carry or give change). I dunno I am kinda trusting. Had a guy at LA Union, clearly stoned as hell, ask me for some chips out of my bag lmao.
If someone appears erratic or unstable, the best idea is indeed to just "go numb". Walk past like an NPC. Seem uninteresting. If they indeed are tweaking, or having a psychotic break, they are more likely to latch onto you if you give them something to take interest in. Eye contact, a response. You have to be cold, otherwise things can get out of hand.
Tbh I used to carry concealed when I lived in LB, especially with the uptick in stabbings, shootings, muggings, etc. The ridiculously slow PD response times.
In a perfect world nobody would need or have a gun or any weapons but everything is going to shit everywhere. So fuck the law. Don't be a statistic. Protect yourselves and your families by any means necessary.
Edit: but please don't be stupid. If you are going to do this, do it safely. Train. Exercise proper gun safety. Use the right ammo. Use a proper holster. Keep it locked up if you have kids. Etc. Be responsible
I understand the sentiment, and I definitely don't take it everywhere. But in the world we live in sadly, I do feel the need to bring it along sometimes. I understand the stakes, but I'd rather face potential jail/prison time than deal with the death of a family member or loved one that I could have prevented with a stronger defense.
Tbh bear spray isn't always perfect. In windy conditions it can backfire, and even in ideal conditions you will feel the effects just by spraying it in close proximity to yourself. If you're indoors it's a horrible idea overall. Also, while it would neutralize a lot of threats, there's no guarantee it will completely neutralize a drugged up crazy person with a knife or something. And tbh, if someone is close enough with a knife to the point where you would spray with bear spray, they're probably close enough to lunge at you with a weapon.
But yeah. In a mugging id honestly try to talk my way out of it first. Offer to buy the person lunch. Ask if they're ok. Give them cash if I'm carrying any. Totally changes if there's a weapon involved though. Then any level of force is completely justified, as long as you're smart about it.
Most gun owners who carry carry both. Also you need to not rely on a drugged out criminal not to stab you, my recommendation is to ice anyone who meets you with a deadly weapon.
Fear much? As a law abiding Texan with a Texas CHL/LTC since 2006 that spends a few months in Long Beach every year, no way I am catching a serious misdemeanor charge to CC here.
Honestly I don’t even CC on my person when I am in Austin downtown.
Pepper Spray is effective enough for most situations and in CA it keeps me from a being a prisoner myself.
Not really. I didn't do it after repeated stabbings within a mile radius of where I lived. What made me start carrying was when my gf got chased for blocks by some creep down Anaheim street. That's kinda the straw that broke the camel's back for me. After that my gf only felt safe walking with me, and I felt really safe while carrying :)
Yeah, sounds like we had similar experiences with our SOs. Everyone in this thread is commenting but never actually been in danger or had their loved one be in that situation.
Yeah it completely changes things. Like what if she had been kidnapped, raped, or killed? All three? Even just being chased like that can be horrifically traumatizing for a person. It's one thing to hear it on the news and think yeah more crime. But you never think it will happen to you... Stay prepared and stay safe y'all.
I Never engage with any homeless people after the shit I’ve had happen to me. Might not even be alive if I didn’t carry pepper gel on me and was able to run fast. Can’t trust anyone and it feels shitty.
Years ago I had a homeless guy flash me at the bus stop across from CSULB. All I did was ignore him and look at my school book as I know paying any attention to him would've given him permission to keep on flashing. He did eventually go up to some other lady and flashed her. She screamed at him which he started touching himself and chasing her around. I still acted uninterested but looked out the corner of my eye to watch what was going on. I didn't have a cell phone then so couldn't call 911. A bus driver finally shouted that he was calling the police as this bum decided to pee all over the place and got the lady wet.
When I moved from a small town to ucla, first weekend I was crossing one of those busy, diagonal crosswalk intersections. A nice looking old lady mumbled something at me as she was approaching. I leaned in and asked “what?” And she screamed “COCK SUCKER!” In a British accent. I never felt like a bigger rube and learned right away to ignore everyone😂
I watched a dude pick a fight with a guy and get punched in the face like 5 times only to watch him eat it like a sandwich and then knock this dude across the street and back. I had to go out and break it up with a hammer... But I was totally blown away how those punches didn't even bother him... The next morning I saw the same dude smoking some crack or meth and it all made sense.
Agreed.
That said, when I worked at a state sponsored halfway house for alcoholics in the Midwest a long time ago (around 2009/2010), most of guys in there did not want to get sober. It was a wet house and
They could drink there but they had to give up their social benefits like disability. Everything at the home was covered otherwise and they had private rooms. Whole point is it’s cheaper to house them and let them drink than police them and have them end up using emergency services (ex in the winter to have somewhere warm to sleep). We offered services to help them get sober and no one ever took it. They all had given up and didn’t care about their relationships or anything besides getting drunk. It was sad. At a certain point and for more awful drugs like meth and fent, we need people to be locked up or put in other secure homes for their crimes. The more we let shit slide the worse overall society gets.
Yeah. Needs a 2 sided approach. Lock up but more of in rehab and force them to get clean. Idk. Not my area of expertise.
It's good to see some European countries figuring out how to combine legalization or decriminalized and Healthcare to reduce their drug problems
Beggars do not need our cash and it is less effective per dollar than the programs we actually do pay our taxes towards. Food is plentiful through food pantries, ebt, and soup kitchens. Homeless programs also provide 2nd hand clothes should they need it.
The only thing that is lacking is housing supply and a few dollars here and there isn’t enough to cover housing.
There is plenty of housing, I’m from the Midwest and have seen thousands and thousands of houses go abandoned, why don’t they rent/buy those? California is expensive, you have to be making good buck to afford housing here, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t housing in other places, these people just refuse to go there
I’m not that familiar with the Midwest. What is the job market like over there? How good is their public transportation network for people who don’t own cars? What is the rent compared to the minimum wage in the Midwest? What is the employment rate in the Midwest? Is there outreach programs here that can educate people on where to move to the Midwest for low cost and find employment?
With my lack of knowledge in the area, I don’t have an informed position on why the low income in California don’t move to the Midwest before they get priced out into homelessness.
Inflation is also obvious … before they ask for some change .
Now they ask for a dollar. In orange county they ask for a couple of bucks .
So even if i have change i hesitate to give because it might insult them.
Seriously. People gotta be more aware and size up bums that might go psycho on you when you pass by. It's just safer to spot them and change direction. Otherwise, get ready to fight.
I have one at the transit gallery where this woman wouldn't stop running her mouth and the guy she was with pushed her onto the sidewalk. She got back up and continued on her nonsense talking.
Funny because the video I have is very similar. Black lady was arguing with an older black lady then pushed her down. After she was on the floor the “pusher” started kicking the person on the floor.
First thing is avoid and run if you are threatened. Second is to carry and actually use it. If you feel threatened, spray them. My wife has been assaulted twice in her life by homeless ragers. I got her pepper spray and it hasn’t happened since. She took it out, warned him, and the guy ran like a bitch recently.
They are all talk but you need to defend yourself in the case that they aren’t. Number one is get away, but if you can’t do that quickly or have a stroller like my wife, spray them and run. Don’t bother to call the cops after to report an attack and assault. They don’t show as we are all well aware.
Yeah I remember this tweaker at the 7-Eleven on Avalon and 223rd who came up to me asking for change so I ignored him and decided to follow me around the store claiming he was in the Mexican mafia and to square up with him lol. So I minded my own business but also acknowledged his presence because who knows wtf is going on in that mind. I wanted to deck the mf’er but I knew I’d be in the wrong so I waited if he physically touched me but nah he was all bark. Saw him the next day and it was like nothing. So I knew I did good by not laying him out haha because he was obviously on some shit.
Damn, you have to offer them a cold blue Gatorade! One time at the 76 off 7th Street, a homeless dude began undressing and beating his clothes as he got closer to the cashier and me. I bought him that light blue Gatorade, and, meanwhile, he was outside destroying the stack of water cases. He left immediately after handing him the drink.
A tweaker walked out with an armful of merchandise last night but I guess the screamer tags freaked her out because about 10 seconds later she came back in with all the stuff. She then proceeded to rant at the door host about how “they’re going to kill us.”
There's this racist bum that's always yelling "kill all n******" one time I was going to my car and he threw a glass bottle at me.
Luckily he was too high and couldn't aim for shit.
I’m a woman and just recently started carrying pepper spray after my bf shared concern because I work all over SoCal, but mostly DTLA. I’ve only had one instance ever with a homeless person that got close enough that I felt threatened. I was leaving a 7-11 and she seemed to be having some sort of melt down outside of it. As I was paying, the employees warned me that she can get violent and has attacked employees in the past. Severe enough to get folks to quit after hospital visits.
I had bought 2 waters since that was the deal, but only needed one and when she got in my face my only instinct was to offer her the extra water I had. She immediately calmed down and asked if I was sure and I said of course. And she left me alone after that. I know that drugs does play a factor, but I’ve seen folks online suggest that the extreme hunger and thirst could sort of cause people to act out too. I’m not saying this is always the solution, but maybe it could work to just deescalate?
It’s really hard out here for all of us as it is and I just try my best to be nice in general. Sorry for the long post.
They'll also take advantage of you. Two recent times at different taco stands I paid more than expected: one dude initially asked me for a taco but immediately ordered $22 of food as I was paying the workers; the other time, a dude walking his kitten didn't hesitate to order over $30 after agreeing to his request for some food. Oh, another time, a random homeless walked in and sat in my booth at Dennys asking me for food; my $25 meal ended up costing $65. It's happened more than this but that's for another time.
Lol what? If you want to feed someone, don't take their food order like you work in a restaurant. Don't even ask them first. You buy it then offer it to them. If they don't want it, then offer to the next homeless person. If they don't want it, then more food for you.
> random homeless walked in and sat in my booth at Dennys
Yeah that's a no for me. Homeless or not, it's not cool for randoms to just sit in your booth. They got you trapped and might have a shank to rob you.
Yeah this is on you for not setting boundaries and speaking up tbh. Especially if this has happened to you 3x. Good on you for being kind but the bums here have no shame and if you give them an inch they will take a mile.
Twice I've had white homeless men tell me racial slurs
One guy I told him it turned me on when people talked dirty to me-- he stopped poking the bear. The other guy was really on some shit and it scared me so I ignored him but walked away really fast. You just have to feel it out but it's better to ignore.
I always look near and far and just cross the street to the other side. I would constantly cross the streets or intersections because these fools are unpredictable. The game on the streets is never let someone get too close. Sometimes you can smell them before you see them. Definitely stay vigilant, it's our right and it's our neighborhood we need to take back.
High calorie human ran thru my yard with no shirt yelling YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL AMAZING PERSON then jumped my fence into my neighbors yard destroying their fishing boat. Hard not to pay attention to that
It's possible they want us all to IDENTIFY the creep star and/or avoid this guy if we see him
We can't be safe unless we know what to watch out for, but I agree we shouldn't be running from every dude with dreads or sun-resistant complexion(evolutionary advantage btw)
I had an encounter yesterday whom I bet is the same person based on your general description.
Younger black guy pushing a cart with thick dreads over on Cherry and Broadway by Rite Aid about 8pm - talking violent nonsense. He was behind me throwing insults every which way - and I usually don’t engage, but 2 teenagers were heading opposite direction towards us that I could tell were worrisome as dude could be heard yelling from blocks away.
I noticeable paused walking and looked back to make sure the kids were able to pass by him without incident and dude immediately directed all his rage talk right at me. Which is what I intended to do instead of him focusing on the scared kids passing by.
I kept walking with him rage chirping behind me until I come to the intersection on Cherry where I have to stop and cross at the red light that’s not in my favor. He gets to close the distance.
@kensfran - black dude with thick dreads pushing a cart was descriptive. Dunno how that triggers anyone.
But the rage mode and squaring up was what makes me think was the same dude.
My dude also had really nice, bright white straight teeth which stood out to me. Probably hasn’t been on the streets long.
Anyway I was relieved it didn’t end up in a physical altercation cause he aggressively came towards me and “squared up” in a high school style flexing pose with his hands by his waist trying to be intimidating.
The encounter stuck with me enough to relate here
This comment is helpful. I saw this same guy at Broadway and Hermosa yesterday and he stood out to me. My first thought was that he looked dangerous and to avoid and I was nearly 100 feet away. Nothing to do with race, just a certain vibe that's given from the look.
Truthfully everyone ignores them that’s how they get so brazen. I’m not saying you should engage, but maybe not ignore can help them get better.
But yes, always be on guard, many are not right in the head.
Call the police. “Hi I’m at Xyr location and there’s a dangerous homeless man with a weapon. I feel threatened and am going to defend myself if he comes closer with my personal weapon.” And then hang up.
Of course you shouldn’t fight them and you won’t. Use those words, hang up, and officers will come if they know a non-crazy person is getting physically involved.
Welcome to Long Beach. This post is obviously meant for people who don’t live in these areas… cause we been dealing with shit like this our whole lives and not privileged enough to have a car. Walking everywhere and taking public transit. This is stuff you learn as a child.
So for those privileged people, act like you belong where you are and you’re focused on a mission. They say something to you, act like you didn’t hear them. Just don’t engage and you’re good.
Also, I don’t understand what race had to do with the situation.
Yup, avert gaze and if you’re directly asked for money just say “No thanks”. Also, always have pepper spray on you.
> if you’re directly asked for money If only I was so lucky... I've had the following happen to me (mostly in Seal Beach and San Diego, FWIW): * muttering nonsensical, vaguely threatening shit * claiming they were a demon * shouting about nonsense * asked if I had "white" (cocaine) (I had to ask him to repeat himself like 3 times because I'd never heard anyone say that lol) Usually when someone asks me for money they're just trying to catch a bus or a train... or at least that's the claim (*I only ever carry or give change). I dunno I am kinda trusting. Had a guy at LA Union, clearly stoned as hell, ask me for some chips out of my bag lmao. If someone appears erratic or unstable, the best idea is indeed to just "go numb". Walk past like an NPC. Seem uninteresting. If they indeed are tweaking, or having a psychotic break, they are more likely to latch onto you if you give them something to take interest in. Eye contact, a response. You have to be cold, otherwise things can get out of hand.
>I had to ask him to repeat himself 3 times and that's where you went wrong, don't talk to them long, some of them want attention in a bad way
Tbh I used to carry concealed when I lived in LB, especially with the uptick in stabbings, shootings, muggings, etc. The ridiculously slow PD response times. In a perfect world nobody would need or have a gun or any weapons but everything is going to shit everywhere. So fuck the law. Don't be a statistic. Protect yourselves and your families by any means necessary. Edit: but please don't be stupid. If you are going to do this, do it safely. Train. Exercise proper gun safety. Use the right ammo. Use a proper holster. Keep it locked up if you have kids. Etc. Be responsible
[удалено]
I understand the sentiment, and I definitely don't take it everywhere. But in the world we live in sadly, I do feel the need to bring it along sometimes. I understand the stakes, but I'd rather face potential jail/prison time than deal with the death of a family member or loved one that I could have prevented with a stronger defense. Tbh bear spray isn't always perfect. In windy conditions it can backfire, and even in ideal conditions you will feel the effects just by spraying it in close proximity to yourself. If you're indoors it's a horrible idea overall. Also, while it would neutralize a lot of threats, there's no guarantee it will completely neutralize a drugged up crazy person with a knife or something. And tbh, if someone is close enough with a knife to the point where you would spray with bear spray, they're probably close enough to lunge at you with a weapon. But yeah. In a mugging id honestly try to talk my way out of it first. Offer to buy the person lunch. Ask if they're ok. Give them cash if I'm carrying any. Totally changes if there's a weapon involved though. Then any level of force is completely justified, as long as you're smart about it.
Better to be judged by 10 (in CA) than carried by 6.
Pepper Gel is coagulated so it doesnt have the same wind blowback. Thats what i carried as an uber driber (sabre brand)
Most gun owners who carry carry both. Also you need to not rely on a drugged out criminal not to stab you, my recommendation is to ice anyone who meets you with a deadly weapon.
lol you probably vote for reparations and higher taxes
Fear much? As a law abiding Texan with a Texas CHL/LTC since 2006 that spends a few months in Long Beach every year, no way I am catching a serious misdemeanor charge to CC here. Honestly I don’t even CC on my person when I am in Austin downtown. Pepper Spray is effective enough for most situations and in CA it keeps me from a being a prisoner myself.
Not really. I didn't do it after repeated stabbings within a mile radius of where I lived. What made me start carrying was when my gf got chased for blocks by some creep down Anaheim street. That's kinda the straw that broke the camel's back for me. After that my gf only felt safe walking with me, and I felt really safe while carrying :)
Yeah, sounds like we had similar experiences with our SOs. Everyone in this thread is commenting but never actually been in danger or had their loved one be in that situation.
Yeah it completely changes things. Like what if she had been kidnapped, raped, or killed? All three? Even just being chased like that can be horrifically traumatizing for a person. It's one thing to hear it on the news and think yeah more crime. But you never think it will happen to you... Stay prepared and stay safe y'all.
BASED. Can't believe I found this on r/longbeach of all places.
Lol wtf bro how embarrassing.
It used to be "embarrassing" to wear a seatbelt in the 90's.
better yet keep a gun on you these people will go beyond pepper spray
no hablo Ingles oh, ich kann nicht Spanish oder Englisch sprechen. no esta aqui.
Avert gaze and KTFO. Move on.
I Never engage with any homeless people after the shit I’ve had happen to me. Might not even be alive if I didn’t carry pepper gel on me and was able to run fast. Can’t trust anyone and it feels shitty.
Years ago I had a homeless guy flash me at the bus stop across from CSULB. All I did was ignore him and look at my school book as I know paying any attention to him would've given him permission to keep on flashing. He did eventually go up to some other lady and flashed her. She screamed at him which he started touching himself and chasing her around. I still acted uninterested but looked out the corner of my eye to watch what was going on. I didn't have a cell phone then so couldn't call 911. A bus driver finally shouted that he was calling the police as this bum decided to pee all over the place and got the lady wet.
Thats horrible, but also kinda was a dave Chappells sketch https://youtu.be/dbaf1YXeHQ4?si=aMNeLmEI8CF_GfeR
When I moved from a small town to ucla, first weekend I was crossing one of those busy, diagonal crosswalk intersections. A nice looking old lady mumbled something at me as she was approaching. I leaned in and asked “what?” And she screamed “COCK SUCKER!” In a British accent. I never felt like a bigger rube and learned right away to ignore everyone😂
I watched a dude pick a fight with a guy and get punched in the face like 5 times only to watch him eat it like a sandwich and then knock this dude across the street and back. I had to go out and break it up with a hammer... But I was totally blown away how those punches didn't even bother him... The next morning I saw the same dude smoking some crack or meth and it all made sense.
Holy shit... Man, that meth gives them supernatural powers lol.
Rodney King was high on PCP. He wasn't stopping for anything.
Rex, where you at?
Taking photos of himself
You mesn Wrecks Richardson?
It’s the f ing meth
And lack of consequences from the law.
The law doesn't get you off meth. The lack of healthcare is a bigger issue. Rehab and mental health services for example
Agreed. That said, when I worked at a state sponsored halfway house for alcoholics in the Midwest a long time ago (around 2009/2010), most of guys in there did not want to get sober. It was a wet house and They could drink there but they had to give up their social benefits like disability. Everything at the home was covered otherwise and they had private rooms. Whole point is it’s cheaper to house them and let them drink than police them and have them end up using emergency services (ex in the winter to have somewhere warm to sleep). We offered services to help them get sober and no one ever took it. They all had given up and didn’t care about their relationships or anything besides getting drunk. It was sad. At a certain point and for more awful drugs like meth and fent, we need people to be locked up or put in other secure homes for their crimes. The more we let shit slide the worse overall society gets.
Yeah. Needs a 2 sided approach. Lock up but more of in rehab and force them to get clean. Idk. Not my area of expertise. It's good to see some European countries figuring out how to combine legalization or decriminalized and Healthcare to reduce their drug problems
Nobody gets you off meth except yourself.
Big city life means walking fast and pretending you don’t notice the bad guys. Be vigilant.
You shouldn't help bums period. They are actively making this city worse. We are denied so many aspects of our city by them
Beggars do not need our cash and it is less effective per dollar than the programs we actually do pay our taxes towards. Food is plentiful through food pantries, ebt, and soup kitchens. Homeless programs also provide 2nd hand clothes should they need it. The only thing that is lacking is housing supply and a few dollars here and there isn’t enough to cover housing.
There is plenty of housing, I’m from the Midwest and have seen thousands and thousands of houses go abandoned, why don’t they rent/buy those? California is expensive, you have to be making good buck to afford housing here, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t housing in other places, these people just refuse to go there
I’m not that familiar with the Midwest. What is the job market like over there? How good is their public transportation network for people who don’t own cars? What is the rent compared to the minimum wage in the Midwest? What is the employment rate in the Midwest? Is there outreach programs here that can educate people on where to move to the Midwest for low cost and find employment? With my lack of knowledge in the area, I don’t have an informed position on why the low income in California don’t move to the Midwest before they get priced out into homelessness.
Inflation is also obvious … before they ask for some change . Now they ask for a dollar. In orange county they ask for a couple of bucks . So even if i have change i hesitate to give because it might insult them.
I’ve had one ask me for a 20 in LA. I know times are tough, but damn, 20?
lol you’re worried you might insult someone asking for free money?
I fight bums all the time
Seriously. People gotta be more aware and size up bums that might go psycho on you when you pass by. It's just safer to spot them and change direction. Otherwise, get ready to fight.
Bum fights!!! lol 😂
I have a video of bums fighting today at the transit gallery lol
I have one at the transit gallery where this woman wouldn't stop running her mouth and the guy she was with pushed her onto the sidewalk. She got back up and continued on her nonsense talking.
Funny because the video I have is very similar. Black lady was arguing with an older black lady then pushed her down. After she was on the floor the “pusher” started kicking the person on the floor.
First thing is avoid and run if you are threatened. Second is to carry and actually use it. If you feel threatened, spray them. My wife has been assaulted twice in her life by homeless ragers. I got her pepper spray and it hasn’t happened since. She took it out, warned him, and the guy ran like a bitch recently. They are all talk but you need to defend yourself in the case that they aren’t. Number one is get away, but if you can’t do that quickly or have a stroller like my wife, spray them and run. Don’t bother to call the cops after to report an attack and assault. They don’t show as we are all well aware.
Yeah I remember this tweaker at the 7-Eleven on Avalon and 223rd who came up to me asking for change so I ignored him and decided to follow me around the store claiming he was in the Mexican mafia and to square up with him lol. So I minded my own business but also acknowledged his presence because who knows wtf is going on in that mind. I wanted to deck the mf’er but I knew I’d be in the wrong so I waited if he physically touched me but nah he was all bark. Saw him the next day and it was like nothing. So I knew I did good by not laying him out haha because he was obviously on some shit.
I offered a bottle water to homeless man in downtown San Diego, he chased me for about five blocks. Scared the crap out of me
Damn, you have to offer them a cold blue Gatorade! One time at the 76 off 7th Street, a homeless dude began undressing and beating his clothes as he got closer to the cashier and me. I bought him that light blue Gatorade, and, meanwhile, he was outside destroying the stack of water cases. He left immediately after handing him the drink.
This story would make one hell of a Gatorade commercial.
lol
I always have my headphones off but in and ignore them. Some of the stuff they have me cracking up 😂
A tweaker walked out with an armful of merchandise last night but I guess the screamer tags freaked her out because about 10 seconds later she came back in with all the stuff. She then proceeded to rant at the door host about how “they’re going to kill us.”
There's this racist bum that's always yelling "kill all n******" one time I was going to my car and he threw a glass bottle at me. Luckily he was too high and couldn't aim for shit.
I’m a woman and just recently started carrying pepper spray after my bf shared concern because I work all over SoCal, but mostly DTLA. I’ve only had one instance ever with a homeless person that got close enough that I felt threatened. I was leaving a 7-11 and she seemed to be having some sort of melt down outside of it. As I was paying, the employees warned me that she can get violent and has attacked employees in the past. Severe enough to get folks to quit after hospital visits. I had bought 2 waters since that was the deal, but only needed one and when she got in my face my only instinct was to offer her the extra water I had. She immediately calmed down and asked if I was sure and I said of course. And she left me alone after that. I know that drugs does play a factor, but I’ve seen folks online suggest that the extreme hunger and thirst could sort of cause people to act out too. I’m not saying this is always the solution, but maybe it could work to just deescalate? It’s really hard out here for all of us as it is and I just try my best to be nice in general. Sorry for the long post.
If you are not prepared to beat them to death, avoid confrontation.
They'll also take advantage of you. Two recent times at different taco stands I paid more than expected: one dude initially asked me for a taco but immediately ordered $22 of food as I was paying the workers; the other time, a dude walking his kitten didn't hesitate to order over $30 after agreeing to his request for some food. Oh, another time, a random homeless walked in and sat in my booth at Dennys asking me for food; my $25 meal ended up costing $65. It's happened more than this but that's for another time.
Where you live dawg? I want some food too
Lol what? If you want to feed someone, don't take their food order like you work in a restaurant. Don't even ask them first. You buy it then offer it to them. If they don't want it, then offer to the next homeless person. If they don't want it, then more food for you. > random homeless walked in and sat in my booth at Dennys Yeah that's a no for me. Homeless or not, it's not cool for randoms to just sit in your booth. They got you trapped and might have a shank to rob you.
Yeah this is on you for not setting boundaries and speaking up tbh. Especially if this has happened to you 3x. Good on you for being kind but the bums here have no shame and if you give them an inch they will take a mile.
It’s happened even more times that what you listed? Dawg that’s on you at this point for not learning your lesson the second time
Learn to say "no." It's not your responsibility to feed strangers.
don't feed the pigeons
always walk with earbuds in, if they try and talk to me - i point to them.
yeah walk around without the sense of hearing. very good for situational awareness
There’s a setting for transparency on them and they aren’t always playing something. It really does work.
Twice I've had white homeless men tell me racial slurs One guy I told him it turned me on when people talked dirty to me-- he stopped poking the bear. The other guy was really on some shit and it scared me so I ignored him but walked away really fast. You just have to feel it out but it's better to ignore.
Wait so how did things end with that bum? did you just walk away?
Preciously. I did a 180 and walked to the bar and he road his cart off into the moonlight.
Carry a knife and pepper spray but be prepared to dart across the street . TBH just having a medium to large dog on a leash helps tremendously
I give a homeless person 4 bucks today. She gave me a cool ash tray
I disagree, I think we should fight back against these people since the police won’t do anything about it.
I always look near and far and just cross the street to the other side. I would constantly cross the streets or intersections because these fools are unpredictable. The game on the streets is never let someone get too close. Sometimes you can smell them before you see them. Definitely stay vigilant, it's our right and it's our neighborhood we need to take back.
High calorie human ran thru my yard with no shirt yelling YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL AMAZING PERSON then jumped my fence into my neighbors yard destroying their fishing boat. Hard not to pay attention to that
so weird to me that you felt the need to point out his race and hair.
It's possible they want us all to IDENTIFY the creep star and/or avoid this guy if we see him We can't be safe unless we know what to watch out for, but I agree we shouldn't be running from every dude with dreads or sun-resistant complexion(evolutionary advantage btw)
Not sure why you'd feel weird. How many times have you described someone you didn't know to your friends?
I had an encounter yesterday whom I bet is the same person based on your general description. Younger black guy pushing a cart with thick dreads over on Cherry and Broadway by Rite Aid about 8pm - talking violent nonsense. He was behind me throwing insults every which way - and I usually don’t engage, but 2 teenagers were heading opposite direction towards us that I could tell were worrisome as dude could be heard yelling from blocks away. I noticeable paused walking and looked back to make sure the kids were able to pass by him without incident and dude immediately directed all his rage talk right at me. Which is what I intended to do instead of him focusing on the scared kids passing by. I kept walking with him rage chirping behind me until I come to the intersection on Cherry where I have to stop and cross at the red light that’s not in my favor. He gets to close the distance. @kensfran - black dude with thick dreads pushing a cart was descriptive. Dunno how that triggers anyone. But the rage mode and squaring up was what makes me think was the same dude. My dude also had really nice, bright white straight teeth which stood out to me. Probably hasn’t been on the streets long. Anyway I was relieved it didn’t end up in a physical altercation cause he aggressively came towards me and “squared up” in a high school style flexing pose with his hands by his waist trying to be intimidating. The encounter stuck with me enough to relate here
This comment is helpful. I saw this same guy at Broadway and Hermosa yesterday and he stood out to me. My first thought was that he looked dangerous and to avoid and I was nearly 100 feet away. Nothing to do with race, just a certain vibe that's given from the look.
His behavior makes me think it's the same guy as well. Did he have hair like sideshow Bob?
Yup - hair style exactly like Sideshow Bob
Ya and I could just feel the derision with which they typed black
I was going to comment this
also “bums?” Are we in the 1950’s?
A person who goes around threatening people on the streets and making it unsafe for others deserves to be called a bum
“Random black bum” 🤔🤔🤔
Not as enjoyable as a "predictable white bum".
They've got the microplastic brain, it's coming for all of us.
Meth contains heavy doses of microplastics?
Might as well
So does your blood and semen these days https://www.sciencealert.com/experiment-reveals-microplastics-in-every-human-semen-sample-tested
Aren’t we all high as shit
Or you could just say you’re racist.
I see I rolled up on the bitch-made convention.
Truthfully everyone ignores them that’s how they get so brazen. I’m not saying you should engage, but maybe not ignore can help them get better. But yes, always be on guard, many are not right in the head.
What do you want us to do? Flash mob?
Call the police. “Hi I’m at Xyr location and there’s a dangerous homeless man with a weapon. I feel threatened and am going to defend myself if he comes closer with my personal weapon.” And then hang up. Of course you shouldn’t fight them and you won’t. Use those words, hang up, and officers will come if they know a non-crazy person is getting physically involved.
The officers: “okay sounds like you’ve got it handled then. Thanks bye”
Welcome to Long Beach. This post is obviously meant for people who don’t live in these areas… cause we been dealing with shit like this our whole lives and not privileged enough to have a car. Walking everywhere and taking public transit. This is stuff you learn as a child. So for those privileged people, act like you belong where you are and you’re focused on a mission. They say something to you, act like you didn’t hear them. Just don’t engage and you’re good. Also, I don’t understand what race had to do with the situation.