Would You Like Some Cheese With Your Whine?

Oh, I've heard it on the gripe-vine:

A construction worker, obvious from his new-looking safety vest and coveralls, stands in line at a Shelter offering free boots. A volunteer sees him walk away with a new pair of safety boots, climb into a new-looking 3/4-ton truck with extended cab in the parking lot, and drive away. Obviously, he could afford to have bought the boots.

Another construction worker brags about how he banks his pay cheque by staying at a shelter, as he waits in line for a lower-cost meal than available elsewhere. He saves $26,000 in 6 months, then takes the rest of the year off from working. The shelters are geographically convenient for migrant trades workers to use.

As the author was walking across a steel bridge, on his way to his favorite restaurant on General Avenue, he sees two policemen stopping everyone as they approach the end of the bridge. He anticipates being questioned, but the officers tell him, "Sir, you can go ahead." Presumably, the officers are attempting to reduce the crime wave in the neighbourhood by redirecting shelter residents and street people away from
that side of the river.

An article in a community newsletter magazine tells of how the residents gathered to assemble a new set of playground equipment for children. It goes on to say that it hopes local improvements like that will discourage "marginalized" members of society from lingering there. Without a consideration that some of those
"marginalized" persons did not choose to be in that state, but that other persons and circumstances chose it for them.

A man in the dining room in a shelter frequently utters phrases, but when you look at him, they are directed to no one in particular. Some of the remarks are demeaning or derogatory, the behaviour is disrespectful. People nearby are stressed, as this person drums his fingertips on the table every few minutes. He finally stands up to leave, and declares "I am not on drugs." Perhaps he should be?

The posters of the mission statements of shelters and others telling of how they help and respect those who seek help from them bear little resemblance to the over rule-bound and lack of respect displayed by the staff to clients. An example is their "revolving-door" eviction policy. Someone sneezes, a quick check is made of their record in the computer by a sometimes-alert staff member. Has the sneezer had an H1N1 flu shot? No! He is evicted. Oh, sure, he can come back in after waiting the prescribed time. Where can he stay in the meantime? That's the person's problem, not the shelter's. They have hundreds of people waiting to get in, so they use the slightest excuse to clear a bed for another one of them. Instead of being helpful, supportive, and assisting, they rule the establishment by fear and fault-finding. Exactly the atmosphere that ensures that some persons will be forever trapped and dehumanized in the system, rather than lent a helping hand to climb back out into the rest of society that shuns the "marginalized" portion of the city residents, even though large numbers of them are one paycheque away from falling into the same plight.

_____

"Trays Bien": As a result of a severe shortage of trays in a shelter's cafeteria, the operator decides that the "no trays to be removed" clause in the posted "Operating Philosophy" is to be enforced by hired security guards. They eagerly accept the job, harassing those who need to put away a meal for later, because of a meeting that they need to attend. Arguments that the tray will be returned a few minutes later are not accepted. Because of the "Philosophy" and shelter's meal rules, meals can only be saved by those residents that opt into a "meal plan". The security guard says that he will look after what is left at his counter while the person makes multiple trips. The person returns to find said "rent-a-cop", not at his post, but standing in line for his meal. When confronted, he gives no respect or apology, but some meaningless remark instead. On another occasion, the door to the dining room is closed and locked to outsiders, so the person has to wait for someone to leave by that door, before he can get the rest of his meal.

Other persons, who manage to acquire a white tray, are allowed to use it and leave undisturbed with it. Discriminatory? Yes, but there is probably a clause in the
"Philosophy" that allows the cafeteria to get away with it. After all, it's THEIR rules. The "Operating Philosophy" is really a one-sided manifesto, demanding rather than earning respect of the cafeteria's clients. With no assurance of respect for the clients, in return. They threaten to use the brute force, harassment, and
intimidation from rented armed security guards to obtain that respect if it is not given in response. The person who the dining room was named after would probably roll in her grave if she witnessed what takes place in that food establishment, with that "Philosophy".

____

A construction company, with the odd name of "Stephen the Worker", closes off a street and sidewalks which lead to a bridge that crosses the river. No information is given about alternate routes, instead the foreman threatens to charge the pedestrian with trespassing. The construction company's "over-holding" of access routes is so excessive, that a homeless shelter is almost totally isolated from the rest of the city. Residents and visitors and even volunteers and staff have to figure out where an access path is to the building. And where are the law enforcement people who would normally inspect and verify that there is always an access path available? Why, they are guarding a parking lot, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all year round if necessary. And what is so special about this
parking lot? It is a lot used by patrons of a Police Association building. And why was it necessary to guard the lot? Because the normal security-key access gate was no longer accessible, because of "Stephen the Worker" and other Destruction Company activities in the area. The access streets were tore up (several times, in fact, once for each Futility?), and they had to open a section of fence to allow vehicles to use the lot. Where is this lot? Just a mere stone's throw from the homeless shelter building with the moat dug around it.

Written by Anonymous45