Sunday, June 3, 2007

Homeless getting more aggressive on Lower Greenville

By Avi Adelman of Barking Dogs

LOWER GREENVILLE — For the past few weeks, the homeless problem has escalated on Lower Greenville, to a point many consider threatening.

It's bad enough to be sitting on the patio at a bar or restaurant when you get approached by the regulars; some of the newest ones are extremely aggressive no matter how many times you say NO.

But when they start sunbathing naked near your house, you know things are getting out of hand.

BD's been getting calls and emails from neighbors about encounters with homeless people sleeping inside the post office facility on Belmont, along with a smell that could only be described as acidic. Calls to the USPS Postal Police have put a dent in that problem.

BD was approached by one panhandler at the post office, seeking funds for a beer. When he ignored BD's demands to step away from the car, BD finally had to present a wooden version of canned whupass to convince him to leave the area.

Gas is expensive enough, but we don't need panhandlers at the pump waiting for us. The Shell Station owners have ignored countless requests to stop this behavior.

If the Shell folks enjoy the company of these guys staying on their property and doing odd-jobs, that's fine. But when they walk a feet south and harass the patrons at Sevan Cafe and K-Tokyo, you need to step back and say, Maybe we should stop buying gas from Shell until the panhandlers are off the property?

BD note - There are panhandlers hang around 7-Eleven, but their manager has no problem filing NO TRESPASS notices against them.

They stay in well-hidden areas near vacant parking lots or empty houses. There are a few bars that have no problem letting them do errands early in the morning, like hosing the front patios.

The couple in this video (not for the squeamish) have been hanging around the neighborhood for about two weeks, slipping into local businesses for food and panhandling at the Blockbuster / Whole Foods parking lot.

DPD was called out by the property owner but they managed to evade a ride to Lew Sterrett. There is an outstanding police report for trespassing, so if you see them in the area (and trust BD, you will) then send us an email with their location.

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• Poverty > Homeless

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