Enduring Punishment and Violence

Homelessness for Stupid People

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

I was assaulted last night.

Oh, don't worry. I wasn't hurt. John Moore grabbed me and tried very hard to throw me to the ground in a rage. He didn't succeed, and I didn't raise a hand to him. Had I done so, I wouldn't be blogging right now, I'd be in jail. Fighting John Moore is about the same as fighting Adam Parris. It's just not a fight.

I've known John a while. I'd watch his stuff for hours at a time, along with other people's. He'd sometimes bring food back from Asbury or wherever when I was so trapped. Can't do that anymore since I scored a good job.

I've spoken before regarding how being by yourself is the best way to be? Well... that's the story here. Last Friday, as I reported, there was a sweep around Livermore of the homeless, and those with permanent camps or those who had commendered some of the parks were evicted.

John Moore was one with a permanent camp somewhere along the Arroyo Mocho. They gave him notice, I was told three days, but that's hearsay, to pack up his stuff and get out. Another one was Bob Newton, who had been making something of a mess in the Butterfly Garden at Civic Centrr Park. It was so bad people stopped going there. I had spoken to Bob repeatedly about cleaning up, stowing his stuff and being invisible at least during the day. He blew me off, of course.

And I had spoken to John, repeatedly, telling John that a permanent camp site is a bad idea... he blew me off as well. He was too comfortable with what he had. Of course, someone noticed his camp in the Park and... surprise, surprise, he was swept out by one of the City's Code Enforcement Inspector.

So... where did these two decide to go after they were evicted? They moved in on yours truly...

You know, that wouldn't have been a problem if they'd bothered to ask. John I probably would have accepted. Bob, no way. The guy's a mess. Bob's kinda funny. One of the things he'll tell people is that he's applying for all these jobs, not a few of them is as a professional driver... He's also a recycling fool! It's how he finances his vodka purchases. A notorious alcoholic who I've had to call an ambulance for when he was suffering the effects of low blood-alcohol levels...

Both of them, but John especially, are intimately familiar with this blog and my attitudes and they're well aware that I'll do what's necessary to protect myself. Nothing I've done should have come as any surprise to either of them, especially as they both know I'm trying to hold down a job.

Anyway, I get back from my excursion to the Jungle a week ago Monday, and what do I find?

I find John and Bob camped out where I stay. Now, I've developed a few relationships over the years with the people around where I stay just to gain a level of trust. That, and I thought these guys were friends... well... I wasn't happy. You see, where I stay, every time a colony forms, LPD gets called. So, I'm forced to go to my backup spot on the first night... Tuesday rolls around and they're still not cleared out.

Now, Bob has a mountain of STUFF. He had told people he had “permission” to park it where he had in front of the Cafe at the Library. John seemed to have no problem with Bob's mess there, he certainly wasn't doing anything about it, and that is why I called the Police on them Tuesday evening...

On Thursday, when I found out Bob had lied through his teeth about having “Permission” I informed the Library staff about Bob's stuff being parked there for nearly a week... they made him move... where did he go?

He went right back into the Butterfly Garden at Civic Centre Park. He's still there.

And John is still camping around the same place. Still forcing me to be the one to relocate...

And last night, when I found him, I told him every time I caught him camped out near me, I'd call the police. He hopped out of his sleeping bag, grabbed me bodily and made a valiant effort to throw me to the ground. He's a couple or three years older than I am, but he's not in the kind of shape necessary to hurt anyone easily with bare hands. I was never in danger. I managed to keep my cool, thank goodness, and keep my arms down.

He made it pretty clear, however, that he was perfectly entitled to go where he wants and do what he wants...

Yeah... he can do that... and I can do what I do...

The lesson here is this: when you screw up, don't punish your friends. That tends to make enemies.