Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyB
I make a point of going through and around the downtown east side from time to time to take a look, and it's awful. The tents, the little market on the street, the people hanging around, it all reminds me of stuff I've seen in places like India or other developing/emerging markets, except that in Vancouver it's not an emerging market and the people aren't there because they've come out of rural poverty to seek a better life in the city so much as they're in brutal downward spirals resulting from conditions in the city even as they are in a rich developed nation. Any trip through the dtes, you can pretty much count on seeing at least one ambulance with paramedics attempting to revive someone dying on the street or in an alley. It's really sad.
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It's a different world. Obviously I feel bad for the people of the CTES but you also have to feel for the business owners and people living in apartments and condos around there. The problem just keeps pushing further and further out. I mentioned it previously, maybe even in this thread but the problem is pushing into the main parts of downtown like Robson and Granville street. Something needs to be done but I haven't the foggiest idea what.
My neighbor works for the city in sanitation and has worked the DTES for nearly 20 years. He always said he was treated with a great deal of respect as he was nice and acknowledge the people as people. But he has said it has completely changed and more and more people are becoming more aggressive and confrontational. He is going through workers about every two months. The situation is really starting to get to him I also understand why Canada Post wanted to suspend services in the area. I don't think people should have to put up with that while just trying to earn a living.