<p>I have been hearing countless times where students, alumnus, and parents have been complaining about the hobo problem in UCB. Is it really as bad as it sounds? I have even heard of cases where students turn down Berkeley specifically because of the poor conditions (old and dirty) and the homeless problems. Fact or Fiction?</p>
<p>well, being a cal student, i dont think it's a problem at all. they're not out there trying to hurt you or anything.
i cant imagine anyone turning down cal because of the conditions.</p>
<p>i heard that they hide in bushes and jump out at you. Is the campus a closed-type of campus. In other words, is it enclosed from the city outside, or is the campus relatively open for anyone to come in or out? And yes, a friend that I know turned down UCB for UCLA because of the conditions. o_O</p>
<p>oh, well if it's for ucla then maybe it wasnt a bad idea, especially if you're from socal
just fyi i used to live in the grad student housing apartments when i was a kid so i know how nice westwood is
there aren't that many bushes to hide unless you're walking THROUGH people's park, which isn't a good idea because the park's where all the homeless people gather
the campus is very open and i even see some bums sleeping on the benches when i walk through campus at like 2am
there are no gates or anything so a crazy maniac with a chainsaw can enter the campus without restriction
but once you get used to it, it wouldnt bother you at all.</p>
<p>The campus is not closed off from the city, but it is a large, park-like area that is not a haven for the homeless except at a couple of the peripheries (notably at Sproul Plaza, which enters onto Telegraph Avenue, and in the eucalyptus grove area on the path from Shattuck Avenue, which is woodsy.) Telegraph has a lot of homeless young people; there is currently some move to improve the area, for example by monitoring it with mental health workers. The homeless are mostly harmless and not a presence outside those areas. It is not a reason not to go to Cal.</p>
<p>So there haven't been any incidents concerning the safety of students due to the homeless infestation? For example, what if it were 1am and you are leaving a friend's place after a "study session" (or party). Would one likely encounter any problems on their long (dangerous?) journey back to their dorms (or out-of-school housing)? This is just a hypothetical situation. =)</p>
<p>There are escorts at night. It is not the homeless who might be a problem; they are mostly not aggressive, if you leave them alone. But as in any city, you have to be careful when you walk around at night; there have been criminal assaults in the area of Telegraph Avenue at night. The most prevalent crime on campus is probably bicycle theft. Crime statistics are available on the internet.</p>
<p>you would think at such a place like Cal, being homeless would not be a future prospect.</p>
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i heard that they hide in bushes and jump out at you.
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<p>Not very often as far as I've heard.</p>
<p>The homeless, as far as I can tell, are not dirrectly contributing to crimes against students that much. Far worse are the criminals who travel to Berkeley, rob students, and scram. Overall, if you're smart you're completely safe.</p>
<p>true story, there was a homeless living at the garage of my appartment (the one w/o doors) and everytime i pulled my car in, she would yell "turn the damn light off". i was never assaulted by any homeless but they sure are annoying when u walk around the town, especially shattuck and telegraph</p>
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I have been hearing countless times where students, alumnus, and parents have been complaining about the hobo problem in UCB. Is it really as bad as it sounds? I have even heard of cases where students turn down Berkeley specifically because of the poor conditions (old and dirty) and the homeless problems. Fact or Fiction?
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<p>It's probably true that some hobophobics have indeed rejected Berkeley's offer because of the urban environment. I personally the dirty aspect of Berkeley is a good thing in moderation. What DRab says is correct, if you use common sense, nothing bad should happen. Avoid dark areas when alone and at night, try to walk with groups of people, don't carry around too many valuable things, etc.</p>
<p>Homelessness cannot be avoided. Its in every major city and every tiny town. The Berkeley homeless are not threatening at all. Walk with someone if you feel uncomfortable (actually thats always a good idea, anywhere).</p>
<p>My experience with the homeless here has been enlightening, to say the least. Sit down and have a talk with them sometime. I've met one who swears by the healing power of the mind and imagination. I've met one who went through a bad few years and just never recoverd. And I've met one who says its a great way to make a living.</p>
<p>Don't let fear of the homeless stop you from considering Cal. Take it in stride.</p>
<p>Speaking from the perspective of someone who is originally from Westwood (and doesn't like things/people to be 'dirty' :) ):</p>
<p>It's true that every major city has homelessness but I do think that Berkeley has a somewhat higher concentration, if only because the city of Berkeley tends to be more homeless-friendly than other places. There are quite a lot of sketchy-looking people whether it's walking to class or riding on the bus. </p>
<p>That being said, I've never had a negative incident. Yes, you very occasionally get some rude comments when walking around, but for the most part I find that the homeless don't harrass students. I've found that there's no reason to be squeamish or scared; not coming to Cal because of the homelessness problem is a really lame reason.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, at night, Berkeley High kids are much more dangerous than any hobo I've ever seen.</p>
<p>the homeless people are harmless and quirky. berkeley high kids are the ones you gotta watch out for, they don't fool around</p>
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i heard that they hide in bushes and jump out at you. Is the campus a closed-type of campus. In other words, is it enclosed from the city outside, or is the campus relatively open for anyone to come in or out? And yes, a friend that I know turned down UCB for UCLA because of the conditions. o_O
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<p>If you're like 99% of the students you won't encounter some homeless guy hiding in the bushes and jumping out at you. The campus is separated from the city by a street which is generally true of many colleges. You won't see homeless people ON CAMPUS but they're on the city streets and you usually run into some on your way to your dorm or whatnot. They usually leave you alone or ask for some money but that's really it.</p>
<p>CTBear, are you from CT? Until I started travelling to Seattle for work, and later lived in Cal (Monterey area) for 3 years, I'd never seen so many homeless people, and it was a bit disconcerting the first few times we were walking around S.F. I don't know the statistics, but I think there are more homeless people (or at least they are more visible) in warmer climates. It showed me that I'd been living under a rock, and I sought to learn a lot more about the issues of the homeless. That said, I agree w/ the posters above that the homeless around UCB should not be seen as a threat to college students. If they want money for food, we've been in a position several times to offer to buy them a sandwich, etc....</p>
<p>t=Thanks for the replies guys. You have all provided me with some very interesting factors to consider. Anyways, I have my Regents interview this Sunday!! =P</p>
<p>I just reread my post and it doesnt make sense. I was from Chicago, where, obviously it gets REALLY cold. It didn't seem to me that the homeless were as visible there as they are in California, where it is not life-threatening to be outside. California has a lot of things "different" than other parts of the country, which is what adds to its character!</p>
<p>Nah, I am not from CT, astrophysicsmom. I am from LA, CAlifornia. So, ironically, I have been exposed to a lot of the homeless problems that plague the cities around here. I just hope that the homeless do not affect the learning and fun ambiance of Berkeley.</p>