Beggars, homeless & junkies, Vancouver

It is hard to not feel disgusted when you see all those proceedings on Vancouver's Dontown-East side.
Now you can, as mostly here you guys did, claim that the bastards got what they wanted to.
I can tell you those are very brave people just for keeping up with their life. Humiliated, hungry, heavily addicted, yet still fighting for the next day. For them every "Next day" of their lifes can be the last as well. They are fully aware of that fact.
At the eend just allow me to say that our city is much safer than 99 % of all the cities worldwide.

jordanar says,
I have only been to vancouver once when I was like 7 and and i'm 12 now but I go completely insane when I see someone homeless! I completely agree with blacbraun, you are right! I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!! My parents aways play a trick on me in the car when were stopped and theres a homeless person they always open the window saying that"i meant to open mine" while laughing historically as i hit them with my shoe. I think every city has its danger but I would suggest never moving to close to the heart of downtown any where.

PS: If everyone is so scared about this area where all the bars and clubs are, maybe its because there are so many bars that these drunkies are there in the first place.
Written Apr 28, 2012

i saw this post when i was searching for information when writing a speech for my grade 10 english class, it made me cringe. i know that this is not what this website is for.. i think anyway, I've never used it. but i have to say, while reading this, i cringed. i don't live in the heart of vancouver, and i don't want to, but i am in the vancouver area, and go there often enough to know that homeless are not scary, and ae not to be hated. i also volunteer once a week at a homeless shelter in Walley, i know enough to n=know that not all homeless are scary, and mean and gross, and bad people. I've built a few strong relationships with these people, so it hurts me to know that people are bashing them when they really know nothing about whats going on. homeless are just any other person, your brother, neighbour, sister, father, mother, they are just like you and me, PEOPLE! they're luck just wasn't the same. yes, many are addicts and are not always in their right mind, but that doesn't stand for all of them. many do try, they work and try to make themselves better many don't get the opportunities they need to get jobs, and get back on their feet. Does not everyone deserve a chance? many of these people never got one. so before you go around saying you hate homeless people, open your eyes, and shut your mouth.. they are still human beings.

I have only been to vancouver once when I was like 7 and and i'm 12 now but I go completely insane when I see someone homeless! I completely agree with blacbraun, you are right! I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!! My parents aways play a trick on me in the car when were stopped and theres a homeless person they always open the window saying that"i meant to open mine" while laughing historically as i hit them with my shoe. I think every city has its danger but I would suggest never moving to close to the heart of downtown any where.

PS: If everyone is so scared about this area where all the bars and clubs are, maybe its because there are so many bars that these drunkies are there in the first place.

Vancouver is one of the most dangerous places in the world. Many of the people here in Vancouver male and female have HIV or AIDs. The drugs and healthcare are free here so people around the world come here to survive. You will notice many people here are on disability. Do your research ! Many people died here in the 90’s. No one wants to talk about it. The main drugs for HIV were created here and many people died here. My friends have HIV and AIDs. I know what I am writing here is true.

Pozing up is part of the gay (& straight ) underworld. Men who have HIV routinely give uninfected males HIV. They do this on purpose. I was horrified to learn this and that it is so openly discussed. If you do not believe me take a look and any gay male dating site. Many men write about not being able to wait until they have been “pozed up”. Then they can be real “Pigs”. That is actually a term they use to describe themselves and their activities. People here in Vancouver do not care about your life or you. They are so all about themselves that they talk about being so low cell count that they are undetectable. What the “Undetectables” are saying to you in code is this:

I am dying. I am lonely and I hate that I made choices which are now killing me. You are beautiful and healthy. I want you to feel the despair I do. I am going to pass this undetectable virus to you and you will die. But at least I got to use you and pretend I am healthy again. No one will believe you if you tell because I will slander you around the community.

This is what the scum are doing every 24 hours in Vancouver. Who do you think is there in the dark at the bathhouse trying to sneak some unprotected sex? It is your boyfriend or husband. Don’t be stupid and discard what I am saying. Many people are bisexual. They go to the bathouses here and have sex unprotected then come back home to you. My Gay friends and I speak about this disgusting pozing up practice very openly. We discuss how HIV and AIDs carriers routinely poke holes in condoms so that you will get sick also. You have to put the condom in a bowl of water to see if air bubbles float out. It is not the beggars and homeless you need to be careful of. It is the pretty men and women smiling and asking you for a one night stand. They will kill you and think nothing of it.

Not everyone with HIV or AIDs does this pozing up but let me tell you this. Vancouver is filled with desperate, hate filled people. They will rob you, scam you or infect you to kill you and they are dressed in designer clothing.

Hi folks. I live in this area. I'm not a bum or a drug addict but rent prices are very high and even though I work full time at a decent paying job it's still hard so I am in this area for the time being. To all those who say it's not as bad as it seems it's not...It's WORSE! It's a cesspool. a junkie is screaming outside my window right now as I write this. He should be....yes killed.. he is worthless. Dont' tell me he is not to blame..he put this *** into his veins and made himself the monster he is.....*** him..I'm sick of bleeding hearts who coddle filth...kill them all and keep rents low for decent working class people who contribute to society (yes me!) and the world will be a better place.

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.