If you're not up to reading a windy diatribe, skip to the last sentence ... it's really all you need to know!
My ex worked in a medical facility that catered, ... well, not catered ... more like "was relegated" ... to folks without incomes. Many were living on the streets of the Greeley/Ft. Collins, Colorado area. It gets cold there. -20F is not unheard of.
One of her [my ex's] patients had been into the facility several times over the course of her tenure there. Each time he was admitted, it was for frost bite and a resulting amputation. He had lost both feet and one hand based on my last update regarding this particular individual. He was one of the [many] patients that was living on the streets and had no income to speak of. He got frostbite from exposure ... no place warm to escape to.
Each time he was in, there was the cost of [multiple] surgery[ies] (no clue how many $$$ but I'm sure it wasn't cheap) and many months of physical therapy to train him how to live with another missing hand or foot. For the sake of discussion, let's say that the services he received on taxpayer dollars was about $100,000. I don't know, but that sounds like an underestimate to me based on what I used to pay doctors and hospitals. ...???...
How much would it cost to create a simple 100 square foot, heated space with a bed, toilet and fresh water? Convert a prison? Or ... ?
People do whatever they do MOSTLY, not always, because they have no other recourse, or are cognitively challenged, or some other circumstance. I think if folks living in "certain lifestyles" had access to toilets, most of them would use them. I think many of the remainder could be trained/convinced to use them ... the rest would probably look a lot less like "rogue RVers".
The main push back I get from folks when I have discussions on this topic with them is that they just can't stand for someone to get something for nothing. It irks the "H" "E" "Double Toothpicks" out of them. The extreme opponent would rather see a person
die than let them "get away with it!"
Having worked ... well, that implies that I got paid ... volunteered ... in places that helped folks like the above, I have to say that I would not want the vast majority of them to be in the work force ... I don't want them making my Big Macs, I don't want them cutting my hair [assuming I ever cut it again!
], I certainly don't want them in a medical role of any sort ... they don't have the necessary attitude, skills, or some other shortfall that, frankly, would concern me if they were producing something that I consumed, be it services or products.
I confess that maybe I just have too much grace and compassion for living beings, no matter their circumstances ... mostly [there are
some exceptions]. And, I haven't the ability to understand someone who would rather let a living being die when there are better [maybe even cheaper] options ... just because their pride won't let them. Sad.
Was I ranting? I didn't mean to ... but it is something I am passionate about. Sorry.
Short of it is:
"Create adequate and accessible public toilets, then folks wont poop on the street."
