Beggars, homeless & junkies, Vancouver

This is not a very safe city, I think it is worse than people say. Yes Robson street is safe, and yes areas like the west end are safe. However, we saw violence, drunks and other dangers all over the city and not just in the east end!! Lots of wannabe gang members who are still as dangerous as real gangsters and a lot of dangerous mentally ill homeless people. Beware and think of carrying mace.

On our way to Chinatown, at the crossing of Hastings Street and Main Street we dropped off the bus, this wasn't the best idea... At the crossing you find Carnegie Centre. A centre for drug and alcohol addicts not the best place to be the tourist.

First off, I've worked in this field for a long time, at a YWCA downtown housing centre. Not much is shocking to me, and I can tell right away when someone is in trouble and when someones yanking my chain. I was in Vancouver for the first time back in May (I ran the Vancouver Marathon; LOVED IT, stayed at the 'Y' of course, loved that too...). Anyway the day after the marathon I decided to walk around a little. I've known about DTES (downtown eastside) for years; I absolutely loathe the idea that tourists go to these areas to 'look at these people' as if it's the circus. I did notice, while sitting inside a McDonald's type of place...I got two ice cream cones upside down in cups. I sat and ate one, and looked out the window for a while, thinking how I'd love to leave the frigid northern Minnesota winters for a more temperate Vancouver when a man, who looked about 15 years older than his real age, sat down across from me. Exhausted, scared, hungry; I admit I was caught off guard. He asked if I was going to eat the other ice cream cone. I said no, you have it, do you want a sandwich...he just wanted something cold to eat. He had sat on the bus for three days from Ottawa to Vancouver. I really wished I had read up on local services because I knew this guy needed some sleep, some clean clothes and food; a shower and just the comfort in knowing someone cares. I later found out there are two service centers downtown (I'm not sure of the address but) they are Opportunity Place, and the Yukon Homeless Shelter. I believe Vancouver's YWCA does have a shelter specifically for homeless women with kids. Of course, I'm aware the larger problem has to do with drugs/alcohol, many shelters won't tolerate people coming in high or drunk, which results in the increase of street people.

Ya know, a lot of people go on about the homeless. It really isn't that bad. Yes there are some who walk around having a conversation with an imaginary friend. I try to keep an open mind and would like to think that for every one of the mentally unstable or down right rude people there is one who has been a skilled professional or knowledgeable person who is just unfortunate. Keep in mind I never visited this Eastside everyone goes on about. But I suppose every city does have that type of area.

Some of the things I've seen are even worse like the yuppie spawn in their 20's who think they can do whatever they want. I was more disgusted by these people when I visited than the homeless. Rude, abrasive, constantly swearing and talking about the fight they started the night before or tearing down the street obviously drunk. Funny thing is I've seen more of them randomly shout at people than that crazy guy sitting on the corner. Even the women. The police seem to do nothing about this or could care less. I saw them pick on some guy rapping at English bay who was pretty darn good and not hurting anyone. Five or six cops were there harassing him when god knows would else could have been happening around the area at the time that they could be checking out. Police here seem to be a bullies only club and that's saying a lot considering I'm from Toronto.

Drivers. Wow. This has to be the worst city I've ever been to for this. If you visit use transit as much as possible. I didn't feel safe even walking around.

It seems to me that there are some major issues in Vancouver that are covered up with a shiny exterior.

Otherwise it was relatively fun. Very clean compared to just about everywhere I've visited. Lots of things to see and do. Loved the aquarium and science center and walking along Granville with all its interesting people about. It's very expensive though so make sure you save up.

I've been living in Vancouver since 1991 and I have to say that I feel very safe in this city (at night or daytime). I've traveled to US and European cities, and compared to most of those, it is safe. I feel safe walking home at 3AM on Saturday morning from a bar, for example.

Yes, Downtown Eastside (DTES) is an eyesore, an embarrassment, and a ghetto. But that's what it is, a ghetto, meaning that the junkies, dealers, and prostitutes are all congregated into several blocks on East Hastings, east of say Abbott street. If you don't wanna witness this, then just don't go there, but even if you did go there, nothing really bad would happened, except maybe being asked for money. I wont go into detail here why this place exists or why the cops don't do anything, but it's basically an eyesore, but not very unsafe.

Regarding beggars, yes they exists maybe more than other Canadian cities, but you just have to be firm with them and say No and walk away and they leave you alone. Don't get into conversations with them, cause the all have a "believable" story to tell you.

So to recap, Vancouver is a safe city, but is does have a beggar population, and an eyesore junkie ghetto that is the Downtown Eastside, which you can visit (better drive through) or not.

I have travelled many places in the world including North Africa, and have felt more safe and less bothered there than in the city of Vancouver. Supposedly, peaceful Vancouver Canada has a huge drug problem, and one of the worst ghettos in North America. In fact, it is the only city in the world where I know addicts deal drugs, and inject drugs right on the same block as the police station Main and Hastings. Ironically you are likely to get a arrested if you peacefully drink a beer on the beach, so hypocritical. Vancouver is so full of aggressive beggars and panhandlers that block your path and harass you that many residents avoid going downtown. More importantly the worse area is right in betwen the tourist areas of Chinatown and Gastown. However, the problem exists through out the city. In addition, Vancouver has one of the highest property crime rates and car theft rates in North America, so if you plan to drive in Vancouver, your car may not be there when you get back, or it will have its window broken, and valuables including pop cans stolen.

For those who are willing to put up with the annoying social issues of Vancouver, it is a beautiful place to visit in the summer!

I live in Vancouver.. have for 44 years. It's my "home". All you bashers have no damn idea. This is the MOST expensive city in Canada, if not North America, and we get the LEAST minimum wage, and LEAST amount for social services, such as disabilty.. it hasn't risen in 10 YEARS! Do you have any idea what it's like to get $900 a month for disability, yet rents START at $600 to $700? Rents rose by 50% over the course of the Olympics. People lost there places to make room for tourists, who paid much more than the original tenants paid. And after the Olympics, the rents stayed just as high. I'm lucky that it's just me.. it would be worse if I was a single mother.

Then there's the psychiatric hospitals and old folks homes, closed down to make way for condos. Where do you think they wound up?

And for the people that unfortunately wound up on the streets because of this, the city built shelters.. to clean the streets before the "party" started. But 1 month after the Olympics ended, the city decides it can't "afford" to keep the shelters open.. everybody's back on the streets. Welfare only covers you for 3 months, or at least that used to be the rule, and they only get $525.. $375 for rent.. anything above, and it comes out of your support. .. Kraft Dinner's $2 a box! The very little they give you doesn't go very far.

As for the beggers/aggressive panhandlers.. every big city has it, we're not alone. Ever been to Hawaii? Same thing. So's New York, Toronto, Seattle, "your city".

As for the crack heads smoking in plain site.. yes it's sad, but it's society. In Amsterdam they're not doing anything illegal, not even if crack, yet here in Canada.. they're criminals, scum. Heck.. the biggest dealer's hangout is kitty-corner to the Vancouver Police Station.. in plain site. Yes, police do their rounds, but it doesn't stop.

People need to step back and think for a moment.. "why" are these people in this situation in the first place? And "why" doesn't their government care?? .. It's criminal.

I slept in alleys, didn't shower, started with $0 dollars, and roamed the streets for a full week during Christmas time. From Dec 23-30 I ventured out main and hastings late at night trying to find a spot to sleep. I took a notebook with me and wrote about 120 pages of my entire experience. I am blogging about this whole thing now at www.godspeasant.wordpress.com. All I can say is that it is not what people think it is. There are a lot of misunderstood, great, educated, intelligent, sincere, and warm people that are either homeless, or are just living in an extremely impoverished state. To those people that have never sat down and talked to anybody that is homeless, I would encourage you do to so with an open mind and an open heart. That way we can all progress in our society and move towards a better future for us all, whether one is rich or poor.