[Astronaut]

Here in the Northwest, the problem of homeless scum taking over the streets has reached absurd proportions. Try to walk downtown in Seattle or Vancouver BC, and you'll be accosted over and over again by the "homeless". Most are young and appear able bodied. No reason they couldn't be working. The older ones are usually severe addicts and/or mentally ill and need to be in a psychiatric hospital. Government handouts of cash don't help either group. All it does is fuel their addiction or their chronic laziness. I stopped giving money years ago to the homeless, and I urge friends not to be taken in by the scam.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

There IS a plethora of homeless here. I live in the 'burbs and periodically see a stationwagon with 5 or 6 people in it dropping one of these folks off at certain interections.

They're always dressed in clean - not raggedy - clothes and they seem to travel together and make the rounds. For instance, if there is one at the end of the freeway exit ramp there will be one down the street 6 blocks at the exit from a particular mall. Then you won't see them for a month....then you'll see them back at those same locations.