I just went on a vacation to San Diego with my adorable family. I can barely recall the last time we went on a vacation together. I was so young. Now that my brother and I are old enough to pitch in, we decided that we could afford a road trip to California. And it was a LOT of much-needed fun. Sunshine and humidity and ocean n' beaches n' cruiser bicycles galore!
A couple of things that immediately stuck out to me:
Aside from everything mentioned above: people experiencing homelessness were everywhere, in clear sight; sleeping along sidewalks or in established camps. To my surprise, police didn't seem to punish or bother them - and no one else seemed to be harassing them, either. And they weren't hidden or pushed out or shipped off.
In Utah, this isn't the case. Everything and anything is done to keep people experiencing homelessness out of sight. For example, at the shelter right next door to apartments I used to live in the city literally built a fenced-in area - a cage, essentially - in an area that was popular for people experiencing homelessness to setup camp when there wasn't enough room in the shelter. But once consumer foot traffic increased from the outdoor mall that popped up across the street, the area was suddenly fenced off from everyone else and then a "closing time of 6pm" was enacted. Where do they go after 6pm? Out of sight, out of mind. Police constantly stroll the area with their megaphones and strobe lights.
It's just rampant and constant how people experiencing homelessness are treated here, even in one-on-one situations. For instance, not too long ago while walking along a street in downtown Salt Lake City I witnessed a bicycle cop approach a guy experiencing homelessness. The guy wasn't doing anything, but the cop snatched his drink away, opened it, smelled it, then handed it back to the guy and left. That wasn't okay.
So yes, not seeing that kind of crap going on in San Diego was refreshing. Another thing I immediately noticed: more unisex bathrooms! Even at the museums in Balboa Park there was always at least one section with two unisex bathrooms side-by-side. So neat.
On a side note, I have to give a late kudos to President Obama for signing into law the very first protections for transgender people in US history: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Thank you, Obama, and everyone who's worked so hard to finally make this phenomenal precedent happen!
p.s. Our family pup, Ganymede, just graduated from the Canine Good Citizen Program.
A couple of things that immediately stuck out to me:
Aside from everything mentioned above: people experiencing homelessness were everywhere, in clear sight; sleeping along sidewalks or in established camps. To my surprise, police didn't seem to punish or bother them - and no one else seemed to be harassing them, either. And they weren't hidden or pushed out or shipped off.
In Utah, this isn't the case. Everything and anything is done to keep people experiencing homelessness out of sight. For example, at the shelter right next door to apartments I used to live in the city literally built a fenced-in area - a cage, essentially - in an area that was popular for people experiencing homelessness to setup camp when there wasn't enough room in the shelter. But once consumer foot traffic increased from the outdoor mall that popped up across the street, the area was suddenly fenced off from everyone else and then a "closing time of 6pm" was enacted. Where do they go after 6pm? Out of sight, out of mind. Police constantly stroll the area with their megaphones and strobe lights.
It's just rampant and constant how people experiencing homelessness are treated here, even in one-on-one situations. For instance, not too long ago while walking along a street in downtown Salt Lake City I witnessed a bicycle cop approach a guy experiencing homelessness. The guy wasn't doing anything, but the cop snatched his drink away, opened it, smelled it, then handed it back to the guy and left. That wasn't okay.
So yes, not seeing that kind of crap going on in San Diego was refreshing. Another thing I immediately noticed: more unisex bathrooms! Even at the museums in Balboa Park there was always at least one section with two unisex bathrooms side-by-side. So neat.
On a side note, I have to give a late kudos to President Obama for signing into law the very first protections for transgender people in US history: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Thank you, Obama, and everyone who's worked so hard to finally make this phenomenal precedent happen!
p.s. Our family pup, Ganymede, just graduated from the Canine Good Citizen Program.
I sensed you were going to post today. I browsed your blog and when it wasn't updated, I started refreshing. Totally random and I almost shut it down, but then your update came. Odd.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good trip.
Will: Ha! It's our psychic link acting up again! Our souls, intertwined! It's the only plausible explanation!
ReplyDelete