<p>I'm someone who would pick LA over Berkeley because of the large amounts of homeless people. I very recently lived (and still go to HS) in Santa Cruz, and the amount of homeless people and extremely high visibility is definitely off putting. I highly disagree that homelessness is a problem everywhere. I used to live in a suburb of Kansas City where I literally have never seen an obviously homeless person(and in Kansas City, only in the single digits, generally being unobtrusive and offering services for money). While I'm sure there are some people who don't have a house to live in; they don't congregate and loiter on the streets doing nothing to try and help themselves, instead bothering passerbys. I do think that homeless people exist in many cities and towns, but they aren't "problems" in the majority of them. You can call me spoiled or prissy, but that's just my opinion.</p>
<p>i havent found homless people in berkeley to be a problem. yes, there are some out in the streets, but I have yet to encounter any homeless on campus. even those hobos out on the street do not tend to bother students.</p>
<p>I think it's ridiculous how some people seem to be afraid of the homeless population. Especially when a group of friends and I go out to eat in the city, and some homeless dude approaches and starts talking, everyone just looks down and tries to ignore em. Come on! I'll just strike up a conversation with them, they're human. They leave in about 5 minutes, whether you talk to em or not. </p>
<p>Don't let a homeless situation change your mind on whether to come to a school or not.</p>
<p>Well, students generally go to Berkeley to learn, take classes, make friends, etc., not talk to the homeless. Sure talking to one for 5 minutes may not seem like much, but when you run into several per day well...you start to not bother. Besides, we all know they don't really want to talk to you. They just want your money. So if you don't want to talk to them and they don't want to talk to you, there seems to be only one obvious thing to do here...</p>
<p>yah, but remember Smalls you're pretty intimidating, i know you, you're like 8 foot tall 250+, nobody's gonna mess wit you! If i were homeless, i'd avoid you like the plague.:)</p>
<p>"homeless infestation"?</p>
<p>Yo OP, my main dawg. Do us all a favor and don't come here. You'll feel more at home in the safe bubble of a private. </p>
<p>This urban environment is what keeps the people here humble, grounded, and realistic. We don't need any snobby nancies unless you wanna make an argument for diversity. </p>
<p>"Hobos jumping out from bushes"? Thanks for making my day.</p>
<p>haha, in SF, there's an awesome dood who makes a living by tips, he has a big plastic bush, and sits on the warf and scares the $.H.!.T. outta tourists, it's pretty awesome.</p>
<p>Hahaha,
i've seen that guy...it's pretty funny that you mentioned him</p>
<p>I gotta agree with TropicalTriceps. If you think of "hobos" and "the homeless infestation," Berkeley is probably not a good fit for you. It might be good for you, but you would have to be okay with feeling outside your comfort zone for a while. Have you considered Carleton? Kenyon? Dartmouth?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I just hope that the homeless do not affect the learning and fun ambiance of Berkeley.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>the fact that you even dreampt that up as a concern makes me think that it's very clear that you stand to gain a lot by attending berkeley and seeing the homeless on a daily basis. seriously, homeless people aren't going to maul you or eat your homework. they're real people, harmless and often times mentally ill and clearly neglected by the state. seeing them every day (i live in sf where the homeless problem is 100x worse) is a stark and valuable reminder of the realities and failings of our society in it's current form.</p>
<p>i moved to sf when i was 17 and it was a bit of a shock at the time. but in retrospect, being exposed to the failings of our system early in life has made me a much better person.</p>
<p>personally, i would take the slightly depressing but raw reality of life over a sugarcoated outdoor mall with a cleansing staff (westwood) anyday.</p>
<p>I know you weren't talking to me, but, anyways. No offense, but I see plenty of homeless people on a daily basis, but it doesn't make me feel "grateful" and all that ****. I'm well aware I live a better life than many people but also that many people live a better life than me. I disagree that "often" the people are mentally ill or unable to work in some way. Of the many homeless people I see each day at least 50% are young and physically fit for working, and yet, they're sitting on the corner looking for handouts, but I however do acknowledge that a considerable amount of homeless people truly have no other option. </p>
<p>It's annoying for people to say that just because I don't like the idea of going someplace where there are a lot of homeless people (which means either they're lazy or the live somewhere where there seriously are economic troubles, both of which would make me want to avoid the area) as living me in a "bubble" or me being self-centered. But also I see a large amount of homeless people as a "concern" quite frankly because they're a nuisance and a bother, and visually unappealing (which some people may object to me saying, but yet would not object if I said the appearance surrounding the campus is unappealing).</p>
<p>That being said, it isn't enough for me to turn down Berkeley for something like Riverside, but it is enough to sway my decision in favor of UCLA (but also because of a many other reasons)</p>
<p>So, you're saying people can be so lazy that they just won't even work for basic necessities? ...i find that really hard to believe.</p>
<p>I honestly doubt there is any more than a very minute minority of homeless people who are homeless for "being lazy." Maybe because they have nothing (nowhere to go, nowhere to eat, nowhere to call their own space), the image of someone sitting on the corner comes off as lazy. But i could almost assure you 100% that if you were to offer any homeless person off the street shelter for the night, or food, in exchange for work, they would jump at the idea.</p>
<p>I don't know how you could judge how lazy someone is after passing by them, probably not giving them a second glance, on the street.</p>
<p>The people I've seen don't in anyway seem to be lacking food or any basic necessities other than a shower, so I would hardly say that's they're starving and absolutely so lazy that they are unwilling to work for food. I'm saying that they aren't that relatively bad off compared to people starving on the streets and perfectly happy to stay homeless and continue panhandling as long as they have enough to eat and a bit left over, which is IMO, lazy.</p>
<p>I've seen people trying to get hired for a temporary hard labor job that pays minimum wage and standing on a street corner in the touristy section of town chatting with your friends and occasionally asking a passerby "can you spare some change" is not my idea of trying their hardest to find a job and that's what I see many of them doing. Secondly, these people are in a touristy, rather expensive town, so that's saying to me, that their goal isn't to find a job that pays enough to cover rent, but trying to live off tourists. But like you said, there's no way for me to say that they're are trying their hardest but at the same time there's really no way for you to say the opposite.</p>
<p>I'll just say it: the homeless people here suck and annoy me to no end. I live on the south side, so I see a ton of homeless people (hobos) every day, and I think I hate all but 2 or 3 of them. Just today some black guy asked me for money and when "sorry, I don't have any" he followed me for about a half a block asking me "is it because I'm black, you racist?" Then, when I got home and started working on an essay, I couldn't concentrate because some lunatic was screaming at the top of his lungs outside my apartment. The homeless people stink and get in the way, and I wish they'd all leave. That said, I wouldn't base my college decision on them.</p>
<p>Fact. It's so crappy on the southside it's not even funny. When I first got here I used to feel bad, they'll gladly take your money, but if you try to give them food they won't take it. ***?!! There's this one tall redheaded bum that always hangs out in front of Moffit bumming cigs from people. I was listening to my ipod, smokin, and he asks me for a cig. I ignore him and proceed to walk to my bike. The dude follows me to my bike and confronts me, and goes off on me telling me that I need to "grow up." That freaked me out.</p>
<p>I have a theory about that tall redheaded guy. When I first saw him about 3 years ago I thought he was some scruffy professor or grad student. He was wearing a brown tweed jacket and carrying a briefcase. Then, later, I realized that he was a bum, but I still saw him at the Ihouse at night sometimes. He'd be reading from a giant stack of loose leaf paper, talking to himself and have little arguments/conversations with the paper. Anyway, my theory is that he was a phd candidate in the engineering department and he snapped and became homeless, but he can't quite stay away from his scholarly research.</p>
<p>LOL pukedudeus is SO right.</p>
<p>BHS students are trouble. the homeless are ok though. seriously that is some naive/ignorant ****t right there, to care about how many homeless people surround a campus.</p>
<p>dont be a snob. you can maybe even learn a thing or two in a conversation with them, one day.</p>
<p>^^Look at captain save a bum here. I have every right to ignore the guy, he's coming up to me and imposing himself on me. Funny thing is, he still comes up to me 'til this day. Just for you, next time I'll tell him to GTFO.</p>
<p>What exactly have you learned from bums? I've learned that they stink, get in the way while I'm walking home, demand money and cigarettes, and scream gibberish at all hours of the night.</p>
<p>that guy @ dwinelle taught me about a good life. Dood sits there every day, smoking a joint, playing the guitar, what a great life that would be. I wouldn't want it, but it's still pretty cool.</p>