Our new bum
Every summer, we get about five grifters come through our town looking to hunker down for the winter. One or two people will explain the facts to them -- no services for the homeless in the county, no food banks and although we all support a very high level of charity, this charity is directed to our neighbors and friends and not toward a grifter coming into town with a mouth full of gimme, a hand full of much obliged (reference
here).
This year, we got a couple that moved on after a talking to and then we got Bill. Bill showed up two months ago, hung out for a few days and then one of our people gave him a lift to a town near the Canadian border (15 miles away).
He came back two weeks later. This time, he was looking for an address about six miles north of town -- I know most of those people and there are #1) - no bum camps there and #2) - no household likely to take Bill in for the winter. The location in question is very close to the Canadian border so I was thinking he might be trying to sneak across.
Rotsa Ruck if that is the case -- this is a major smuggling corridor and the border is very well monitored and patrolled. A couple years ago, they nabbed a guy on a kayak six miles offshore, at night with no moon, trying to bring a load in -- their night-vision cameras must be incredible.
A couple weeks went by and he's back. This time, we trespassed him from my store and called the Sheriff -- turns out that Bill is very well known to them with misdemeanor run-ins in many of the communities surrounding Bellingham and they will be more than happy to haul him off if he shows up here again. He has been getting more and more belligerent as he gets kicked out of more and more places.
This weekend the long Indian Summer broke -- it is 50�F out and raining (0.7 inch in the last 24) with heavy wind and rain expected for the next few days.
I do feel sorry for the man -- this is gorgeous country and I love it out here. That being said, to come out and expect all of the urban services is just plain stupid.
No, the world does not owe you a living and charity is given to the truly needy in our community, not to grifters from outside...
Posted by DaveH at October 13, 2012 9:03 PM