NevBlog

So tonight was a pretty interesting and very easy day. Earlier in the day I registered for the ARCH homeless shelter sleep lottery. This means you show up in behind the facility in the alley at 6:00pm and stand in line for a lotto ticket. You pick a number out of a bucket, and they call a group of numbers at random (so people can’t sell the tickets).

I was #4 and the first group the called was 1-25! Almost everyone there was familiar with the system, I was the only new one in my group. First they sent me through the X-rays again. I checked in my pocket knife, but they found a small bottle of alcohol in my bag. It was a 375ML bottle of Kentucky Whiskey or some cheap thing like that. The girl checking the x-ray immediately told the head guy, and all the people waiting in line let out a collecive “Uhhh ooohhh” expression.

The head guy told me there is an uber-strict ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL policy on premises PERIOD. Anyone of the other guys would’ve been thrown out on the spot, no exceptions. He felt leniency towards me because it was my first time, so he allowed me to (first pour out) then discard the bottle. It was completely unopened and I noticed a couple of the guys cringe as I was forced to pour out a perfectly good bottle of alcohol! A bottle like that is a hot commodity in a place like that.

Anyhow, filled out some quick paper work with the guy, lied on all the questions about how long I’ve been homeless and proceeded to check in. First order of business was to take a shower. Everyone sleeping there has to take a mandatory shower (good thing or else it’d smell like sin in here). I went through the whole shower routine like I described earlier, still had no towel and dried off under the hand blower.

They sent me to my bunk which from what I understand is in the best part. I am bunk E3, and the E section is an open hall which is the nicest. The whole third floor is dubbed “The Penthouse” because it’s so nice (well…in relation to the other floors). There is a very large outdoor patio with a TV, fans bunch of benches. You could over hear guys saying, “Man, it’s been almost a week since I’ve got The Penthouse!”

I was then given a meal ticket (one of the lucky ones who got a place to stay PLUS a meal). I was served a great meal, and once again all the volunteers were exceedingly nice to deal with. Get this: I got salmon, salad, lasagna and macaroni & cheese plus a Three Musketeers bars and ice tea to drink. I was for the third time today STUFFED! This is not really what I expected when I was planning the Homeless Experiment!

After dinner most people are just sitting around smoking cigarettes out on the third floor patio. It’s very nice out there (sans the cigarette smoke which I stayed upwind from). I watched the sunset from a third floor primo location in Downtown Austin. There was a January 2009 issue of Texas Monthly on my bunk, so I proceeded to slowly read that for 2 hours since I had nothing else to do.

Funny note: There are two guys openly playing on their laptops here and one guy with a portable DVD player watching a movie. Many people have cell phones and MP3 players. I’m sitting in my top bunk typing this while most people are still outside. I now realize it’s not dangerous to have a laptop here, but I’d still rather not raise my value as a target.

When outside you can start to catch glimpses of party goers starting to hit 6th Street. I’m usually one of those people who tries to avoid this area to stay away from people at the homeless shelter. Talk about flipping the script.

It’s funny because this place reminds me of something….a COLLEGE DORM! It’s a bunch of guys living together, sharing a bathroom, hanging out, chilling, eating together. Except everyone here is circa 45 years old. Everyone is very friendly, there are no “bullies” or anything like that here.

I’m not sure what time they’ll kick us out of here. Lights off is at 9:30pm….I have no idea how I’ll be able to sleep that early. I’m guessing they’ll wake everyone up sometime around 6 or 7am.

Well, I’m safe, clean, well fed, well stocked with food/water and have a comfortable bunk to sleep in. I see why so many chronically homeless people choose to live like this. IT AIN’T THAT BAD.

Written at 9:05pm on Friday June 5th, 2009. Bunk E3 of the ARCH Homeless Shelter while eating a Three Musketeers candy bar.

Well the first attempt was a bust. I asked a guy waiting for a bus
where the day labor center was.

He had boots around his neck so I figures he was going there. I hopped
a bus with him and arrived 2 miles away in East Austin, they had no
jobs left. His was repeat work so he had a job for the day.

Waiting for a bus back, will try another place clear across town,
although from what people told me it's a little too late in the day
(6:45am). Not like I have anything else to do!

Sent from my iPhone

They woke us up at 5:30am, most people still lounging around that
area. I'm in search of a day labor job right now.

Sleeping here at the ARCH, it's great, comfortable, air conditioned
etc….but EVERYONE around me is snoring…LOUDLY.

At any given nano second I can hear at least 4 different snores, each
inhaling and exhaling at different times, and one guy who just sounds
like he's choking.

The guy adjacent to me snores louder, Louder, LOuder, LOUDER until he
lets out a snore SO loud he actually wakes himself up! It's kind of
funny actually :-). However not very conduscive to sleep.

I suppose I could get used to the rhythmic snoring of one person, but
this is just snoring insanity.

There's also random bouts of coughing and the occassional loud
flatulence.

Like a freaking human orchestra over here.

Sent from my iPhone

Wrote a post on the netbook, but no wireless. Have pretty good digs up
here, will post what I wrote tomorrow. Lights out at 9:30pm sharp.

Goodnight world!

Apparently my shelter lotto ticket paid off. I got the swankiest digs
available at the arch PLUS a dinner! Check it:

He wants to see what I look like right now:

Well here I sit in the public library, a very common thing, except this time the tables are turned and I am one of the homeless guys I so often resent having at the library.

*One note, I’m just checking the posts I made via email from my iPhone and much of the text is missing from them. Just figured out the problem.

I’d like to share how my 2nd day pretending to be homeless went (keep in mind I generally have no idea what time it is. I’m basing these off rough sun position or from the few times I pulled out my phone to post):

Around 6-7am:
Was awoken by a beautiful sunrise under the bridge. The first time in a LONG time I have seen a sunrise. The night was a bit warm, but it cooled off nicely late at night. I could hear college kids partying in a nearby apartment. Me and Mike spoke for an hour or so before trying to sleep.

It took me several hours to sleep as I’m not used to sleeping before 2am. I woke up around 6 or 7, but was still tired so dozed off till 10-something.

Roughly 10:45am:
Started making the trek over to the Downtown area. Mike was wondering why I would want to stay down there when it was so nice over here. He had a point. Still, part of this journey involves experiencing Downtown homelessness, so I took off.

I still had plenty of leftover food from the other day’s successful panhandling attempt.

Stopped several times, picked up a free newspaper at a bus stop, leisurely read it. Filled up my water reserves at a spigot on the side of a gas station. Took a poop in the woods.

12:10pm:
Arrived around in the Downtown area. Ironically passing up the massive loft I used to live in (which is now appropriately remodeled into a nightclub) to get a free meal at a shelter.

12:15pm:
Asked around and found out the Caritas organization provides free meals from 12:00 till 12:30pm. Went to check it out. I walked in past the security guard, and they immediately hand you a school-type lunch and glass which you can fill up with water, orange juice or milk. The place could probably hold between 50 and 80 people at a time…I’d say at any given time I was there about 50 people were eating.

It’s bizarre because all sorts of people you WOULD NOT EXPECT to be in there were. I thought maybe a lot of people were just freeloading a lunch (ahem…..like me….) and going back to work, but I later confirmed many were in fact homeless because I saw them at the homeless shelter later.

As for 80% of the people, they looked homeless, but not the stereotypical-pushing-a-shopping-cart kind of homeless. Just homeless.

I was by far the youngest person there…except for a little kid who came in with his mom. Everyone was very courteous, I didn’t feel threatened one single bit and the food was actually pretty good. Every meal came with a pasta, banana, slice of cake and bologna sandwich. You were also welcome to take as many sandwiches with you and as much bread. Many people were loading up for the rest of the day.

Almost all the people serving the food were probably between 21 and 25, all looked like college students volunteering. They had two older people working, one was a chef, the other the supervisor I suppose. Everyone was extremely nice, the food was good and the environment pleasant.

If you remember, Caritas is actually heavily funded by Michael and Susan Dell. I crashed a Caritas fundraiser a while ago….so I’ve now got to see the rich and poor side of the foundation.

1:00pm:
I’d like to try sleeping in a homeless shelter at least one night, so I went across the street to the ARCH and walked in. They x-rayed my bags and confiscated my pocket knife, but gave it back when I left. I told the lady at the front I needed to stay for one night, so she gave me a number. Apparently it’s a lottery system, so at 6:00pm I’m supposed to line up behind the ARCH in the alley and they call numbers. If you’re called, you sleep inside…if not, tough luck.

So Linda, your concern might actually come true: If I get selected to sleep inside, I will displace an actual homeless person. I’m going to use the “I’m a taxpayer” excuse on this one.

Anyhow, another word on the ARCH…..the lady handed me my number and said, “The showers are upstairs and the laundry room in downstairs.” HUH!?! I didn’t expect to take a shower! I went upstairs and they have a volunteer handing you small tubs of bath gel, shaving cream, toothpaste and other things you might need. The women could also ask for complimentary feminine products if needed.

The showers were decent. There was no strong stench like I expected, and they were relatively clean. Each had it’s own chair inside the small shower room and curtain so you had privacy. Pretty swanky for a free shower! As I stepped in the shower it dawned on my that I had no towel, and they don’t provide one for you, so air drying was going to be the only option. I took my shower using the bath gel they provided and felt pretty good. I knew I was starting to smell and I could just feel it coming off.

Afterwards I basically stood naked in the shower for 10 minutes trying to dry off but it was very humid in the room with all those other showers going and I could only get to a certain level of dryness. Luckily the shorts I brought are these nylon board shorts that are essentially water resistant, so I put those on (no boxers since I only have one pair) and walked out (my slippers were on the whole time of course).

I ended up drying off under the hand dryer.

So I was nice, clean and dry…but one problem, I had to put the same stinky clothes back on! By this time I confirmed my shirt does in fact smell a little. It was only later that I realized I should’ve washed my clothes first then showered. However I’m doing an experiment here and I DON’T want to look or smell too tidy.

So after eating and showering I had nothing in particular to do, and flying a sign is quite probibited (and enforced) around Downtown, so I figured I’d kill some time at the library.

I will say something:
So far from the cross-section of people I’ve seen, A VAST MAJORITY are not dangerous thieves looking to jump me like many might think. The feeling of security is still quite high over here. I’ve got my guard up of course, but it almost seems unnecessary. I have a feeling at night the freaks (aka CRACKHEADS) will start showing up.

I will say something else:
If you give money to a homeless person you see on the streets all the time, I almost guarantee you a large portion of that money is going towards alcohol or other drugs. That isn’t a myth. More on that later…it’s kind of interesting.

Another thing:
For all of you that said, “You can’t bring a laptop, that won’t be realistic…” There’s another homeless guy I saw at the shelter a few minutes ago right behind me. He just whipped out his laptop and plugged into the same outlet as me. BOOYAH.

Some pictures off my camera:
I can post pictures from the street off my iPhone, but must upload to the computer for camera pics:

Sleeping under the “Million Dollar Roof.” Quite safe, quite comfortable. Really not what I expected.

Snapped a quick picture in the shelter bathroom. It looked like a modest bathroom you might find in a gym or airport. P.S. Checkout those abs ;-)

Homeless Mike’s setup. The guy has a queen sized mattress under the bridge that he got near a dumpster during moving time at one of the nearby college apartments.

So Caritas gives free lunches and the ARCH across the street gives you
a place to stay and free showers/bathrooms.

I'm about to take a shower:

I used to live on the entire top floor of that building. 4,000 sq ft.
of prime downtown real estate, now I'm scrounging for a meal two
blocks away at a homeless shelter :-)