The deliberations concerning the homeless decision continue to plague the ol' lavahead. Although, contingencies are being planned for the end of the month. Incidentally, I had shared the motorhomelessness plan with Maka the other day at the gym. He is currently looking to purchase a minivan for $1,000 or so. I guess that he liked the idea. Well, there may be two of us camping in the A'ala Park parking lot soon.
Well, the new cheap "smartphone" is finally operational. The bogus charge on the credit card was credited. So, I stopped in the electronics store in Hawai'i Kai and paid for a month of service there. I won't be using the Web site for payments anymore. Sheesh! Sadly, the new cheap "smartphone" is a "piece of shit." But, I digress.
I have continued to peruse the rental housing listings. I have discovered that many of the listings have been relisted continuously for the last three months, especially the rooms renting for $1,000+ per month. To really appreciate the frustration of potential renters, a quick reading of the full description of each listing is required. The sheer number of crackpots who are renting out rooms to hapless tenants is amazing. Of course, the fact that the listings are perpetual seems to indicate that few people are interested in being "ripped off" or dealing with psychotic individuals.
So, where are all the potential renters residing? My guess is that they have sought more creative solutions. They may be renting a sofa at a friend's place. Or, they may be staying with family or other relatives. Or, they may be homeless. Mind you, there are a few reasonable (i.e., less than $800 per month) room rental listings. However, all of them are much further away from town than Waimanalo. Certainly not very comforting.
Even though the final homeless decision has not been made, I am still proceeding with more divestitures of useless junk and the depletion of consumables. I have also been maintaining a high level of vigilance concerning the homeless situation. Overall, I already know that maintaining a covert and low profile is essential for success (term used loosely). Realistically, I can only share my homeless contingency plan with others who share the same plight.
In the meantime, day-to-day operations remain the same. I follow the usual agenda and itinerary. There have been increasing logistical problems, totally out of my control. Details are not necessary. Although, I will mention that my patience is being tried at every turn. The situation appears to only be worsening, which is indicative of a downward spiral. Ambient stupidity also seems to be on the rise. Very worrisome indeed.
With that said, I have transferred $11,500 from my fledgling investment accounts to my local bank in preparation for the upcoming homeless decision. I should have enough to purchase a homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan) in cash.
I just noticed today a couple of things that you, being somewhat closer to homelessness than the rest of us may have already seen. There seems to be more of what I might call the Genteel Homeless these days, not always all that old, but usually elderly and sometimes even frail-looking. They are well dressed and apparently clean and not toting a shitload of homeless accessories in the obligatory Safeway or Long’s shopping cart. Many (esp. males) have backpacks like the retired condo crawlers like to take on their little “day trips” around the Island in Uncle Frank’s Limo (aka Thebus). Except for one thing - they’re packed full of stuff, not just the usual bottle of water and candy bar or wotever, but almost tipping the old geezers over sometimes, they’re so full. In fact, they’re packing way too much gear for a little day trip to The Dole Plantation or overcrowded, formerly lovely Haleiwa. So a closer and more careful look often discloses some small shabbiness, or rough edges, or slightly untrimmed hair, or something, and then you know. The thing that often nails it as you watch them walking down the street (and this happens a lot) are the quick and furtive glances they make as they pass all the trash receptacles, sometimes even slowing down a bit for a better look. If they should stop and quickly rummage a bit and then move on, you finally get it. They’re hanging on to their final dignity with both hands and losing a little more of it every day. Some day, they'll crash and it’s going to be shitty for them, and I bet it’s happening all the time, and they're just one small segment of the total homeless mob here in Da Islands. Now that I’ve noticed that particular group, I seem to be seeing them all up and down the street, like when you buy a certain new car, and suddenly you see them on the road all the time, like everyone else has one, too. Years ago in a former life working in a public employment office, I might have interviewed a recently laid off or terminated white collar troll from the big insurance company in town, or some other corporate shithole nearby, and always noticed their disbelief that this had happened to them. And, for a long time (often for many months and longer!) they would put on their business suits and a clean shirt and pack their briefcases and spend the rest of the day pretending to “go to work”, sometimes even lying to the family, if you can believe it, then heading to the library or the park and simple doing nothing all day. (It used to scare me because my own governmental agency was taking hits after Pres. Ronnie Ray guns started his infamous cutbacks of gov’t spending and it could be me any time, so I never got too smug.) Denial is a powerful thing. The true horror is that it never occured to most of them that they had bought into a system that could someday cornhole them like some cheap-ass two dollar whore, Bang!, right up the ole’ Hersey Highway. We are seeing more and more of it in the homeless community and it ain’t over yet.
ReplyDeletePS- I wonder the The Airport is a good idea?
Most people would be surprised at how bad the homeless situation is here in "paradise." Aside from locals (including a large percentage of indigenous Hawai'ians), there is a huge influx of mainland empire homeless migrants. At the airport, the majority of the homeless campers are from the mainland empire, most of them elderly.
DeleteA lot of Micronesians are homeless (see A'ala Park, River Street, and West Chinatown at midnight. The Micronesians are not officially counted in the under-reported homeless statistic because they can come and go anywhere in empire without suspicion due to the Compact of Free Association. Micronesians also have priority for openings in the "projects" and Section 8 units.
Anyway, I also mentioned many other homeless facts in the "blog." The one fact that really gets to me is the rising number of homeless camping in the hills. I am seeing them out in Waimanalo. One can only imagine the mental state of those individuals. Trouble is probably right around the corner.
Homelessness is not just for derelict. Anyone can become homeless, as many people are finding out here. In "paradise." Denial remains strong until the money runs out. If I elect to go the homeless route, I will do so ahead of bankruptcy and in protest of the moneygrubbers who are extorting money from the helpless renters.
Unrelated to previous two comments: The repeated postings of the same overpriced rental units is the same as here on the mainland. Cause for some small optimism, however, is that just like here, there are "good deal" units that come on the market. You don't see them because they get snapped up immediately.
ReplyDeleteWell, who has more time than the Lavahead to jump on new listings as soon as they are posted? That could be you who gets, well, gets a place like you're in now, but in a better location. Never been a rental hunter myself, but my wife did it for me. And my sister has done it repeatedly in just this fashion. Be prepared for dry spells. Be prepared to get beaten out. Be prepared to lose to someone else. But continued effort and vigilance will eventually produce something for you.
Don't say this does not exist in Hawaii. All it takes is someone who's out of touch with current reality (an old codger) to decide to rent a room or a back house on his/her property to make $500 a month. It's just like the old grandma's car with 9000 miles on it. They do exist. I bought two of those cars in a row.