Tolerance is a Bad Word

Homelessness for Stupid People

The foibles of the most pampered homeless population in the Bay Area...

Pat and Judy are on the street again. They'll have to move out of the RV they've been staying in and into their vehicle. That's where they're going to be living for the foreseeable future.

They came to see me at Tommie's today, nearly caused me to spit my coffee out when they both tapped me on the shoulder at once. I look up to see Judy the flaming redhead and Pat, with his salt and pepper hair and moustache standing over me grinning at the little joke they just pulled.

“You still boggin'?” Pat askes... yes, I am... just not today. There's nothing really to tell that would help fix anything.

We started a pleasant conversation and Pat told me how his old, blue pick-up truck was officially dead. They've managed to get a new vehicle (I won't say what it is, simply because it's nobody's business). The old blue truck is to be parted out and the remainder scrapped. It has a broken window from the time a vandal decided to take revenge on Pat for being friends with someone who rescued an abused dog. The abuser did the deed, everyone is pretty sure, with rage and malice. That does happen out here. It's one of the reasons you watch your back, and a big part of the reason I take serious issue with any tolerance of bad behaviour.

But Judy had a bone to pick with me. She was all over me about how, like single men, there's nothing out there that caters to couples. Not locally, anyway.

The two of them come to the library about every two weeks, mostly to get books for Judy, because she just loves reading so much. I think she's into Stephen King... or is it Dean Koontz? I can't remember.

Judy could get a place to stay, she knows that, but she won't leave Pat out on the street. No place that caters to women will allow men in. So while Pat toils doing whatever job comes his way, and Judy deals with several physical issues, including a very bad back injury, the two manage to fly under the radar and keep their noses clean.

Pat and Judy are not problem people. They're simply homeless.

In an earlier blog, I wrote about Roger and Gary and Nick and Kenny. I told all of you that these are four guys I respect. I failed to mention Pat. I actually failed to mention a few people, but I should have mentioned Pat. Pat is another one who was working as a homeless man. He was driving for Livermore Taxi, but some snafu his chauffeur's license was cancelled and he lost that job. Now he does whatever he can to make it.

Like a lot of the non-problem homeless, they'll not be telling you their story till they trust you. Pat especially understands the value of trust, and how it should never be given away freely. Like many of the more responsible homeless, they keep their sleeping arrangements a closely guarded secret. During the day, they're not all that hard to find. But don't go looking for them at night, ever. Pat and Judy have learned their lessons well. When people know where you are, they can find you. The wrong people can find you. And out here, when the wrong people find you, it might not mean your physically in danger, but what you have might be gone.

Some have told me I've painted too rosy a picture of homelessness in Livermore. That I've portrayed it as “the good life.” I've often told people “it's not the death sentence it's made out to be.” While that is true, I don't want people believing that somehow we're basically living a life of luxury and privilege out here. It's similar to the notion that people chose to be homeless. Nobody does. You end up being homeless when there's no other option, or the circumstances you exist with are so horrific, being homeless is the only way out.

But it is dangerous out here. Adam Parris, for one, is still roaming around and there are people like him that are just as dangerous. It's Tolerance of people like him by the community at large that keep it dangerous out here.

There's a story of a drug house that was just shut down in Springtown this last week and another about daytime burglaries happening all over Livermore. I'm sorry, residents of Springtown, but you folks had the power to get it shut down. There is such a thing as still and video cameras. You could have recorded a lot of the happenings there and provided LPD with the evidence. Maybe, just maybe, some of you made the effort and did exactly that. Did all of you tolerate that Drug House? Or were you active and intolerant? Were you a busy body sticking your nose where it doesn't belong? Intolerance is supposed to be a bad thing. Right?

Wrong.

Someone's video camera caught the daytime burglar's on video. It's the first significant (publicly released) evidence there is that may solve the case. Yes, folks, the citizens of the City of Livermore are Intolerant of Crime and Criminals! Let's start a rally for Tolerance.

Tolerance is a nasty world to my ears. When Pat and Judy find out those that have abused them in the past have been tolerated, I'm sure they feel the same way... oh, Pat, by the way, I lied. I am bloggin' today...