A thread for DUers that are MIA

[Dragonfli]

38. I fear the worst for bobolink. I last reached her by email 2 years ago

At that time she had lost her car, some bullshit about illegal parking, but really about rousting the poor and homeless out of sight and mind IMO, and not being able to afford to bail it out. (for those that don't know she lived in her car).

I have not been able to reach her by email since, and as many know, she feared people here knowing her exact location because a DUer once gave her a hard time under the guise of helping her but wanting to know way to many personal details for bobbie's comfort zone. I will not name names, but suffice it to say, it was one of the types of liberals that drive expensive cars and look down on others. Long timers here will know who/what I mean.

Well, after she stopped posting, I had always been ale to reach Bobbie by email before I abruptly wasn't, I fear she is a nameless victim of poverty no longer with us. . I know her name but will not repeat it here in case (hopefully) I am wrong and she is OK. She would not be fine with my revealing such full detail about her identity.

I understand very few here understand some things that I do, perhaps a few social workers, and less likely a much smaller number like myself that have lived homeless for extended periods of time, I will tell you why she was not dealt with properly, none of us when homeless ever feel very safe, we feel vulnerable (and truly are) extremely vulnerable while homeless. One also dos not enjoy excessively micromanaged pretenses of help, or even real help excessively intrusive and/or micromanaged, it raises suspicions, we are, or I can at least say now say used to, be prey in a very lonely jungle full of scammers, joy bashers (physical bashing) and predators of all stripes, many pretending to be one's friend.

This encounter with a DUer was what drove her away from posting here. we communicated by email from time to time until she lost her car. Now i'd lay odds she's dead.

In future be careful to treat the homeless with respect and not as she was here.

It is more important that the comfortable know. Homeless human beings are vulnerable, often worried (for good reason) people and they prefer to be talked to as they are, equal and fully human fellow travelers.