Dumpster Deaths

Discussion in 'In the News' started by Cody Fousnaugh, Jan 9, 2018.

  1. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    This is happening more and more. Homeless people finding a dumpster and climbing inside to eat whatever they can find. Sounds disgusting, but many people say that companies are tossing good, not outdated yet, food away in these dumpsters.

    Last year, there was a dumpster death by an Amazon warehouse. The two lids on the dumpster were down, so the man got up on the side of it and pulled one lid up. It was staying up until he jumped in and it came down. He began eating whatever he could feel, but couldn't stand up to get the lid open to get out. The man was found the next morning "stiff as a board" in the dumpster by an Amazon employee.

    Another homeless man got into a dumpster, fell asleep and was awoke when the dumpster truck was lifting up the dumpster. He yelled, but those trucks can be mighty noisy. Obviously, unknowing that there was a person in the back of his truck, in the trash, he started the compactor. This happened three different times, in route to the drivers next pickup. On the third time of compacting, both of the legs of the man were crushed. The driver finally heard a noise in the back, checked it out and found the man, almost dead. The man was taken to the hospital, where they were able to save one leg, but had to amputate the other at the knee.

    The reported that done the article on Dumpster Deaths did acknowledge that the homeless people he talked to admitted having a drug (meth/weed) habit and drinking problems that got them homeless.

    These homeless people had been offered help and declined all of it.

    What do you think?
     
    #1
    Frank Sanoica likes this.
  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    Messages:
    19,089
    Likes Received:
    18,917
    Well I think it's sad that it's happening but I doubt it will stop so maybe dumpsters can be made so there isn't a problem opening them from the inside.

    I think they decline the help for two reasons, they can't drink or do drugs in the shelters and sometimes the shelters are scary places to be....lots of crazy people there who may attack you while you sleep or steal the few things you have.

    Don't know this personally but have seen documentaries about it.
     
    #2
    Patsy Faye and Sheldon Scott like this.
  3. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    What gets me is, the food that some folks think is still good, thrown away. Last year, there were different times that local news reported on the lack-shortness of food at Food Banks and Shelters.
    Obviously the homeless problem is going away.
     
    #3
  4. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    I've been homeless before, but it was years ago, before I met my wife. I didn't handle my finances right, and wound up sleeping in my little truck in a church parking lot. I knew the Pastor and he allowed a number of folks, with vehicles, to stay in the church parking lot. On Sundays, we had to move our vehicles to the street for a few hours during two Services, then back to the parking lot. I was actually interviewed live, by a local news station reporter who asked me how I got there. I simply told her, "not controlling my finances good enough". She was quite surprised to hear me say that, since most of the other homeless folks told her alcohol and/or drug problems..........of which, neither was obviously allowed on the parking lot.

    I was able to get my UI re-instated after having it suspended due to accepting a check I shouldn't have. On my first UI check, I was able to get a Pager and P.O. Box. A friend of mine let me use her address and I used the Pager number as a phone number on my resume. I worked on my resume both at her home and at a local library. On Sunday's, I get the local newspaper, which back then, had a lot of employment ads in it, have a good/cheap breakfast at a restaurant and circle ads. When I finally got a job, I used almost an entire UI check to get a weekly motel room. Was able to buy some food for lunches and buy gas, but other than that, for a week, it was just the UI check.

    BTW, I couldn't stay at my friends home, due to space, but what she did help me with was great to me.
     
    #4
  5. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    Messages:
    19,089
    Likes Received:
    18,917
    What is UI? I'm guessing Umemployment something...

    Thankfully Ive never been homeless and I doubt I ever will be but ya never know....

    I probably wouldn't do well either to be honest.
     
    #5
  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    I think we only hear about homelessness during Republican administrations.

    Other than that, while supermarkets and restaurants used to donate unused foods that were still good, the hoops that they have to go through in order to do that now are more than they want to deal with. Food that is given away to homeless people has to meet the same standards as that which is being served to paying customers, so a lot of food that would be perfectly good for keeping someone from starving is being disposed of instead. Some cities have even enacted ordinances prohibiting the feeding of homeless people. I think the idea is to get everyone on documentable public assistance.
     
    #6
    Chrissy Cross likes this.
  7. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    UI, Unemployment Insurance. With you having family there, somewhat close, they would never let that happen to you. I was kept pretty busy looking for a job, but got along with everyone who was on the parking lot and church staff. When I left the church for an interview or go to that restaurant for my Sunday morning job search, nobody had any kind of clue that I was homeless. Clean shaven, clean clothes (laundry mat or friends place) and definitely a good attitude. If I was to reveal to someone that I was "homeless" they'd look at me and say "no way".
     
    #7
    Chrissy Cross likes this.
  8. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    True, Ken. Unfortunately thing is that many homeless folks want to stay homeless. Without a doubt, some have mental problems, but some definitely don't. There was a guy in Long Beach, California, when I stayed at the old (now gone) Long Beach YMCA Hotel, that was homeless. He wore an old overcoat and had some dirt caked to his face and hands. One Long Beach P.D. Officer told me that the entire Department know him and he doesn't cause any trouble for them. This officer also told me, the sad thing is, he was a University Professor before his wife died. After she died, he lost his mind and became homeless.
     
    #8
    Ken Anderson likes this.
  9. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    Yeah, I think particularly in California and other warm-weather states, there are quite a few people who choose to be homeless. Probably not so much in cold-weather areas, although I'm sure there are some. Bangor has, I think, one homeless shelter, and someone can stay there for no more than three nights in a row, and I think it's first come, first served, so that doesn't make it easy for someone to get back on their feet, having to hang around the shelter in order to be sure to get a spot.
     
    #9
    Chrissy Cross likes this.
  10. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    May 9, 2016
    Messages:
    1,302
    Likes Received:
    1,221
    The amount of food wasted in the United States is atrocious.

    Working in nursing homes I've certainly dealt with some homeless as patients. Some have been very nice people, some have been nightmares. I had a pleasant start to my day a couple of weeks ago when I was called a mother ef-er by our best inappropriately placed psych patient almost the minute I walked in the door.

    One thing I believe is we don't give help to those who could really use it. Some homeless have mental issues. They may be comply psychotic or could have personality disorders and could never function in a work environment. In other words, they could never put up with the crap many of us have over our work years.

    When I worked at a state hospital for a year in the acute admission ward (oh the fun) I was told that admissions would increase when the weather was very cold or hot. And we'd get the ran into traffic admissions as a way to get a bed and food. I saw several revolving doors just in that year. I also saw some people with true schizophrenia and they really are heartbreaking.
     
    #10
    Chrissy Cross likes this.
  11. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2016
    Messages:
    9,297
    Likes Received:
    10,619
    @Cody Fousnaugh
    I think this is horrible. It's as if the homeless, drug-addicted folks living day-to-day, maybe even hour-to-hour, have settled upon a "waiting to die" mentality.

    Wouldn't you, given same circumstances?

    Frank
     
    #11
  12. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2015
    Messages:
    12,751
    Likes Received:
    8,743
    There is help out there for these folks, but many-to-all don't want it. Society knows this and aren't very passionate towards these folks due to that.
     
    #12

Share This Page