Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Close Encounter

I had planned to write about something else, but a close encounter of the unpleasant kind changed things.

Last night I was walking home from Horton Plaza. My mind drifted and I walked straight across E St. I had previously vowed to avoid E and go to F. I forgot. When I crossed 8th, the sidewalks were teeming with people getting set up for the night. I was approached by 3 young people (2 male, 1 female) and a dog. They basically surrounded me and the dog was barking a lot. I said it sounded like the same dog I had been hearing in the mornings. The girl got sassy and said, "what of it?? You gonna do something about it?" I was surprised by her anger and tried to move on past them. One guy, quite tall & lanky, asked why I had a cane & I explained I sometimes have difficulty walking. The other guy said I looked fine to him & they should turn my ass in for fraud. I was trying my damdest to remain calm but, inside I was terrified. Somebody on 8th started hollering & they decided to go. The tall guy stepped out of my way, but leaned in close and asked where I lived. I pointed east and said just down that way. I was convinced they continued to watch, so I went past my place and turned right on 10th.

There must be something the City can do. I do not intend to sit in my apartment all the time just to avoid some homeless "punks". The recent onslaught of homeless to this area has had an impact on my life. Since they live on the street, all the arguments, fights, etc are now public. I realize there is a Court Case that allows the homeless to sleep on the sidewalks. I happen to think that is bad case law as it does not address the adverse effects on the people who live and work in the area. One of the arguments in the Court case was that "sleep isn't a choice, it's a necessity". Again applicable to the homeless and not addressing the fact that the homeless on the street have a direct impact on those of us trying to sleep in an apartment. Somehow, the homeless in San Diego have rights that actually impinge on my rights. Talk about quality of life!!!!!!!!!!

Where are all these agencies who are supposedly working to help these people? There is a very definite health issue that someone needs to address.

WAKE UP Mayor Sanders, City Council, homeless advocacy groups. This area of town is a tent city and the residents deserve much better. DO NOT start accusing me of being heartless, I do feel bad for these people. I have often provided food, blankets water. That was when there were 20 or so sleeping at the post office or library. Now they are on both sides of 8th & 9th, from Broadway to G.

PLEASE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. I know the winter shelter is closed but can't that be used in case of a calamitous fiscal event that most likely led to the loss of jobs & homes?? Every one in City Hall should wander down to the post office around 9 PM. Maybe if you take the time to see what is going on, you can manage to come up with a reasonable solution. I realize there is a 10 year plan, but this needs fixing NOW.

So long

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Tuétano and Mujer Divina: two storefronts, one famous birria

Burritos and coffee or tacos and tortas, marrow or not

I had planned to write about something else, but a close encounter of the unpleasant kind changed things.

Last night I was walking home from Horton Plaza. My mind drifted and I walked straight across E St. I had previously vowed to avoid E and go to F. I forgot. When I crossed 8th, the sidewalks were teeming with people getting set up for the night. I was approached by 3 young people (2 male, 1 female) and a dog. They basically surrounded me and the dog was barking a lot. I said it sounded like the same dog I had been hearing in the mornings. The girl got sassy and said, "what of it?? You gonna do something about it?" I was surprised by her anger and tried to move on past them. One guy, quite tall & lanky, asked why I had a cane & I explained I sometimes have difficulty walking. The other guy said I looked fine to him & they should turn my ass in for fraud. I was trying my damdest to remain calm but, inside I was terrified. Somebody on 8th started hollering & they decided to go. The tall guy stepped out of my way, but leaned in close and asked where I lived. I pointed east and said just down that way. I was convinced they continued to watch, so I went past my place and turned right on 10th.

There must be something the City can do. I do not intend to sit in my apartment all the time just to avoid some homeless "punks". The recent onslaught of homeless to this area has had an impact on my life. Since they live on the street, all the arguments, fights, etc are now public. I realize there is a Court Case that allows the homeless to sleep on the sidewalks. I happen to think that is bad case law as it does not address the adverse effects on the people who live and work in the area. One of the arguments in the Court case was that "sleep isn't a choice, it's a necessity". Again applicable to the homeless and not addressing the fact that the homeless on the street have a direct impact on those of us trying to sleep in an apartment. Somehow, the homeless in San Diego have rights that actually impinge on my rights. Talk about quality of life!!!!!!!!!!

Where are all these agencies who are supposedly working to help these people? There is a very definite health issue that someone needs to address.

WAKE UP Mayor Sanders, City Council, homeless advocacy groups. This area of town is a tent city and the residents deserve much better. DO NOT start accusing me of being heartless, I do feel bad for these people. I have often provided food, blankets water. That was when there were 20 or so sleeping at the post office or library. Now they are on both sides of 8th & 9th, from Broadway to G.

PLEASE MAKE THIS A PRIORITY. I know the winter shelter is closed but can't that be used in case of a calamitous fiscal event that most likely led to the loss of jobs & homes?? Every one in City Hall should wander down to the post office around 9 PM. Maybe if you take the time to see what is going on, you can manage to come up with a reasonable solution. I realize there is a 10 year plan, but this needs fixing NOW.

So long

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Homeless in my neighborhood

Next Article

Our City Has Problems

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader