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A HERETIC I AM

(24,321 posts)
Fri Jun 2, 2023, 11:11 PM Jun 2023

I was in Dallas yesterday, and wrote this on my FB page;

I’m in Dallas. I did an equipment move for the company and I fly back to Jax Friday afternoon. The company has rooms at a Holiday Inn Express just off I-30, west of downtown. I just went and got a late dinner and as I came up the street I noticed a young woman, clearly homeless, with all her stuff on a bench along the sidewalk a half block from the hotel. Of course, the sprinklers started up a bit ago, soaking all her belongings. I parked the car and walked back to her to give her a twenty and as I approached, I asked;

“Did all your stuff get soaked?”

“Yeah”.

“When was the last time you had a hot shower?”

“It’s been a while”

I handed her the $20 bill.

“I wish I could get you in the hotel and let you get cleaned up, but I’m on the 3rd floor. If I was on the ground floor and near the end, I would let you in and you could use the shower in my room, but I’m afraid the front desk clerk would not allow you in. I’m sorry I can’t do more, but maybe you can get a hot meal with that twenty.”

“Yeah”

She was miserable. I could see it. I would think my suggestion may have caught her off guard, and I have no idea what she thought of me. She didn’t appear to be strung out, she couldn’t have been more than 30, more like 25 and I feel fucking terrible. I made up a completely bullshit excuse for not helping her out more.

I was not trying to hit on her, or take advantage of her in anyway whatsoever. I just wanted her to be able to feel clean again, wash her hair, sit in a cool room for a bit. And I fucking made up a reason not to try harder. As I walked away I was feeling terrible and turned to look at her again. She was staring at her cold, wet belongings on the bench.


The greatest country in the world, and all.


There has to be people like this woman so people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos can exist. That’s what we have convinced ourselves to be a truth. A certain amount of the population has to live horrible lives in order for Bezos to be able to spend five hundred fucking million on a 400 foot sailing yacht and another $70 million on a yacht to support the yacht.

I feel so fucking ashamed of myself for not just walking her in the front door and letting her use my shower.

I gave $30 to an old guy on a bus bench in Orlando the other day. I had been running the same trip for about 8 days straight and he was on the same bus bench every time I went by. I parked the truck in the turn lane and walked over and handed him a twenty and a ten. He clasped them in his hands and looked upward. I told him to try and get some thing hot to eat.

I don’t ever mention this sort of thing. I do it all the time, but I’m not looking for a pat on the back. I regularly give a fiver to the random panhandler at the stoplight, that sort of thing.

I don’t know why I typed this out, except that this young woman really struck me. I know she has a story and she deserves better than having the fucking city sprinklers turned on her at fucking midnight and soaking all her clothes.


Fuck this bullshit. We can do better as humans.


Help who you can, when you can.
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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I was in Dallas yesterday, and wrote this on my FB page; (Original Post) A HERETIC I AM Jun 2023 OP
You are homegirl Jun 2023 #1
.... A HERETIC I AM Jun 2023 #2
Some time ago I was in Reno to supervise the installation of some equipment. lapfog_1 Jun 2023 #3
lapfog_1 🫂 irisblue Jun 2023 #4
A couple days before Xmas, the Mrs & I saw a young couple dropped off at a CVS. progressoid Jun 2023 #5
You're a good egg. A HERETIC I AM Jun 2023 #6
You too! progressoid Jun 2023 #7
Throw in some firearms and BOOM! DALLAS, TEXAS. czarjak Jun 2023 #8

homegirl

(1,419 posts)
1. You are
Fri Jun 2, 2023, 11:40 PM
Jun 2023

not alone. I keep a $5. bill in the console in my car. When I leave the supermarket there is usually someone who is needy at the stop light, the least I can do,

lapfog_1

(29,166 posts)
3. Some time ago I was in Reno to supervise the installation of some equipment.
Sat Jun 3, 2023, 12:04 AM
Jun 2023

I decided to check into one of the larger and nicer hotel casinos.

I went down to the Starbucks to grab a coffee in the morning and a woman was there with 3 hotel security people trying to get her to leave. She was crying and telling them a story about getting a ride from someone to meet her father in Reno and being dropped at the casino and she only had like $2 and her dad couldn't come get her until the next day and she didn't have any way to get more money...

It was, in all probability, a story.

Anyway, I went over and offered to call her dad... no answer on the call. I then talked to security about leaving her alone if I paid for coffee and meal for her... no dice. By that time someone from the hotel mgmt was there... so I had a quick chat with them... ended up renting the young lady a room and gave her like $30. She could buy some food and sleep there that night and see if her dad arrived the next day. She didn't seem to be on drugs or anything.

So I'm out like $150 for this... and the next day the hotel lady sees me in the same starbucks and comes over and tells me that, indeed, the father showed up and the two went off that morning about an hour before I came down and that the room was fine (nothing stolen that I would have been on the hook for). And what a nice man I am for doing that.

I could have easily spent that money gambling in the casino so I figured this was a better use of my money.

Oh... this was mid December in Reno and there was a little bit of snow on the ground.

progressoid

(49,827 posts)
5. A couple days before Xmas, the Mrs & I saw a young couple dropped off at a CVS.
Sat Jun 3, 2023, 12:24 AM
Jun 2023

It was single digit weather. It looked like they had every thing in a few garbage bags. I overheard them arguing about what had happened and that they would just have to deal with it. Whatever "it" was.

The guy went into the CVS and bought a couple things to eat. He seemed upbeat. I asked the woman sitting outside in the cold if they were alright. And she said they were waiting for someone. I could tell it was a lie.

So I got on the phone to shelters. They were all full. Also, no shelters around here take couples. And they had a dog. I also talked to a friend who is a city councilman - he told me that a lot of small towns around the area will drive their homeless to our area and dump them here because they don't have the resources to deal with it.

Anywho...after we got what we needed from CVS, they were still there shivering in the cold. They didn't seem to want our help but it was so fucking cold. Eventually they picked up their bags and headed toward a parking garage for shelter. So my wife and I raced home and got a sleeping bag and some other supplies for them. We came back and drove around for an hour but couldn't locate them. I hope they found shelter somewhere.

USA. Best country in the world.

A HERETIC I AM

(24,321 posts)
6. You're a good egg.
Sat Jun 3, 2023, 12:35 AM
Jun 2023

I really didn't mean to put up this OP so I could beat my chest and say "I'm a really good person, see?" But the fact is, most of us progressive types regularly do a good and decent thing.

As an Atheist, I say we must. Unless we have no compassion at all.

My older brother travels a lot as well, and he always carries several packages of socks to give away.


Pass it on. Good deeds manifest themselves.

progressoid

(49,827 posts)
7. You too!
Sat Jun 3, 2023, 12:55 AM
Jun 2023

I can get kind of cranky at life sometimes. But my wife is always ready to roll down the window for someone with a cardboard sign. Even if it's just a couple bucks.

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