Men who have battled homelessness share their shocking experiences of living on the streets

People who have experienced homelessness are sharing the things that took them by surprise about living on the streets – from deadly motels to not accepting food from strangers. 

Writing on an eye-opening Quora thread, people across the US told how they were arrested for walking through rich, well off neighborhoods and struck by the fact that ‘no one cares’.

They discussed feeling as if they were ‘scum’ in the eyes of the public, while one claimed that ‘convicted pedophiles are entitled to more help’, and shared their personal heartbreaking guides to staying warm, clean and safe.

One man, Robert Andrews, told how he has lived on the streets of LA on and off since 1986, when his parents left the city for a small town in Arizona, while he decided to stay behind to pursue a career in poetry.

But while his peers went on to become successful in the entertainment industry, Robert found himself between temporary accommodation and jobs. 

Robert Andrews has lived on the streets of LA on and off since 1986, and shared his guide to life on the streets, revealing the best way to stay warm, clean and safe (stock image used)

Robert revealed that he soon learned that the one monthly outgoing worth having is a gym membership ‘for the showers and towels’ – but warned against burning off excessive calories so that you don’t go hungry.

He added that a friend’s fixed address to use is essential when applying for jobs, and that there are ‘two types of homeless people’ – those who are in the situation due to circumstances, and those who have no intention of improving their circumstances.

He also warned against staying in motels that accept county vouchers, branding them ‘dangerous crackhouses’ that ‘should be avoided at all costs’ for safety reasons, because people ‘get raped, killed and assaulted’ there.

He admitted he had a good upbringing and lots of love from his family until a death made his parents hastily and fearfully move from Los Angeles to a small town in Arizona ‘with no future, no culture, no colleges, no work or anything’. 

Robert soon learned that the one monthly outgoing worth having is a gym membership 'for the showers and towels', that a friend's fixed address to use is essential when applying for jobs

Robert soon learned that the one monthly outgoing worth having is a gym membership ‘for the showers and towels’, that a friend’s fixed address to use is essential when applying for jobs

Robert revealed that it is important not to ‘look homeless’ to avoid judgment, attention from the police, and better your chances at getting a job, while you should hide your valuables in a safe location and only carry a small backpack with a change of clothes, toothbrush, deodorant and cologne.

Another man, Navy veteran James Jenkins, now 53, told how he noticed he became a ‘non-person’ when he found himself homeless 20 years ago, and became a target for ‘derision and abuse’.

‘You start thinking like a bear, a wolf, a cat. You learn from street dogs, street cats,’ he explained.

‘You notice where every Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s with exterior trash cans are… You learn the way food taste, like how salty a half-eaten McDonald’s burger is.’

Navy veteran James Jenkins, now 53, told how he noticed he became a 'non-person' when he found himself homeless 20 years ago, and became a target for 'derision and abuse'

Navy veteran James Jenkins, now 53, told how he noticed he became a ‘non-person’ when he found himself homeless 20 years ago, and became a target for ‘derision and abuse’

James pointed out that many homeless people have mental health conditions like bipolar, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder, and ‘do not think clearly or normally’. 

He explained how he received some support from the Veteran’s Association in Pittsburgh, and when he was ‘politely’ arrested a few times, he cooperated and did not resist.

‘I know the lingo and the story… My family men were military and Police. It ends up you get invited to get a ride to the edge of their jurisdiction, and then wished luck, and told to walk in a direction,’ he said.

James explained how he received some support from the Veteran's Association in Pittsburgh, and when he was 'politely' arrested a few times, he cooperated and did not resist, feeding them the right 'lingo' about his military background to get a ride

James explained how he received some support from the Veteran’s Association in Pittsburgh, and when he was ‘politely’ arrested a few times, he cooperated and did not resist, feeding them the right ‘lingo’ about his military background to get a ride

‘I was okay with walking. I have walked 15 miles at a stretch with gear, pacing myself, to not tire out, to not get blisters. No big deal. You just get tired, and you need to cover yourself from the sun.’

Another man, Ian Williams, took to the thread to stress how low homeless people are in the eyes of society.

‘The fact you’ve paid taxes your entire adult life, a portion of which goes towards provision of social housing, doesn’t mean squat,’ he said. ‘You are not entitled to help because of your exact circumstances.

‘Welfare benefits you should be entitled to are not available as you need to provide an address, which you now don’t have.’

Robert says that there are 'two types of homeless people' - those who are in the situation due to circumstances, and those who have no intention of improving their circumstances and 'should be avoided'  (stock image used)

Robert says that there are ‘two types of homeless people’ – those who are in the situation due to circumstances, and those who have no intention of improving their circumstances and ‘should be avoided’  (stock image used)

Another man, Ian Williams, took to the thread to stress how low homeless people are in the eyes of society

Another man, Ian Williams, took to the thread to stress how low homeless people are in the eyes of society

Ian warned that ‘everyone wants to hurt you’ when you’re living on the streets, and warned against accepting food from people unless you were there when it was purchased.

‘Someone will give you a McDonald’s lemonade with urine in it. They will spit in a Big Mac and watch you eat it,’ he said.

Pascal Morimacil, another contributor to the thread, said he realised that people he considered friends ‘didn’t exist anymore’ when he became homeless.

Pascal Morimacil, another contributor to the thread, said he noticed how much people waste, from food to clothes, furniture and money

Pascal Morimacil, another contributor to the thread, said he noticed how much people waste, from food to clothes, furniture and money

‘You learn who your real friends and family are, who the people are that will actually stand by you, even in tough times. Often, there are not that many,’ he said.

He added that another thing he realised was how much people waste, from food to clothes, furniture and money – though people were ‘protective of their garbage’. 

‘When you live on other people’s scraps, you develop an eye for waste. It is amazing how much stuff people throw away, most of it perfectly good,’ he explained.

Speaking about homeless shelters, John Tobio, said they are full of 'drug addicts, alcoholics and lazy people who have been homeless forever' and will 'try to keep you up nights, steal your ID and meager supplies because you're a tourist in their land'

Speaking about homeless shelters, John Tobio, said they are full of ‘drug addicts, alcoholics and lazy people who have been homeless forever’ and will ‘try to keep you up nights, steal your ID and meager supplies because you’re a tourist in their land’

‘It is also super interesting to see how incredibly protective people are of their garbage! They were throwing it out a second ago to be destroyed, but if you take it, that would be the end of the world. I think it might be because when you take it, it induces cognitive dissonance as people see that the stuff they are throwing out is actually useful.’ 

Speaking about homeless shelters, John Tobio, said they are full of ‘drug addicts, alcoholics and lazy people who have been homeless forever’ and will ‘try to keep you up nights, steal your ID and meager supplies because you’re a tourist in their land’. 

He described the beds as being riddled with bed bugs and the staff who treat residents ‘like farm animals they are milking for money’.

John said: ‘If you want to get a job you will meet with constant resistance from residents and staff because homeless shelters are not a place to fix your problems, they are a place for chronic homeless to be imprisoned so they cannot work and staff that make money off not taking care of them.’

Robert advised: 'When the clothes you¿re wearing get ripe from body odor and a couple days of being out and about all day, change into the clothes in your backpack, wash the other pair you previously had on at a coin laundry and store them in your backpack'

Robert advised: ‘When the clothes you’re wearing get ripe from body odor and a couple days of being out and about all day, change into the clothes in your backpack, wash the other pair you previously had on at a coin laundry and store them in your backpack’

He recommended finding a long-term place and got to the library to apply for jobs, taking any one that’s offered.

Admitting that being homeless ‘stays with you forever’ and can make you a lonely person, Robert concluded: ‘To anyone going through homelessness. The best thing I can say is do not let it become you. 

‘Just treat it as a moment in time and a learning experience and let it make you stronger. The more difficult circumstances you defeat, the stronger you become.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk