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Old 01-17-2018, 11:31 AM   #76
Igottago
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Join Date: Oct 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver View Post
Well, they are dirtier (objectively) since they can't bathe or wash their clothes as often as somebody that lives steps away from a shower, running water with soap and a washing machine. It's unlikely they brush their teeth on the regular, clean their nails, etc. That's not saying they're less than human, but coupled with them begging for money and you'd have to be pretty naive to not understand why that would be off-putting to 99% of the population.
This is totally valid. I live not too far away from the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, and I can only begin to tell you how off-putting some of what you see is. I enjoy the neighbourhood I'm in, but its not like seeing the homeless and drug problem in your face all the time is exactly a nice experience. I've literally seen needles on the sidewalks. There are parks nearby that you couldn't pay me to walk through, because they look disgusting. I never feel unsafe where I am, but I'm not frequenting a lot of the businesses that are closer to the heart of the DTES either. Its not a lack of compassion or care for the issues -- driving through those streets and seeing the degree of the problem is pretty sad. Its also very frustrating that nothing practical seems to ever be done about it, at least here. The problem has been festering for decades.
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