Liveaboard 14' Canoe In Boston

[SunDevil]

I owe the bank quite a bit of money for 'my' house. I have to be at my job from 9-6... lots of bills too. Property taxes come due twice a year.

One of us is free, and it isn't me.

The only thing wrong is that he didn't plan to travel south during the Fall. And the police and Coast Guard are doing their job, but it doesn't sound right. Hopefully, they are OK with him and are worried more about the real crimes. Until it gets really cold, I hope that he has a plan or the police have made sure he won't freeze to death

[Artif]

I would assume that being as he has already spent a year on board, further North he will be fully conversant with the cold etc.

Good luck to him.

Seems odd that people get condemned for giving up the trappings of modern life, for personal reasons, but do the same for religion and they get praised.

[zboss]

It appears he has a barge as well as the canoe. Maybe he has an engine on the barge. The barge appears to be on a mooring so it's possible that he has some money. Also, he isn't homeless! He has shelter, transportation, clothing, etc... he just looks like a traveller to me.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Danosimp3

Perhaps he figured out something others have not. That simplicty leads to happiness, and the more possessions one has the more complicated life is and further from happiness and peace.

I dont pitty him in the least. He is free.

Absolutely agree! Just wish I could follow his example!

[category4jay]

NOT EVEN

[Kenomac]

I read this story yesterday, and really find it amazing how so many sympathetic people fall for these "homeless" stories every time. This is simply the same old story just like the recent "shoeless" New York bum story that hit the headlines a couple of days ago. These bums have all the government services available to them, but instead they choose their lifestyle, usually looking for a new angle to get some additional cash from the sympathetic.

No I'm not Scrooge... just a guy who's had more than his share of experiences with people just like "canoe man." I showed some sympathy last year to a local bum by giving him a few hours of day labor for some cash... where is he now? In prison for breaking into my place later the same day to steal my snow blower to sell for some crack. I just finished evicting two squatter drug addicts and their pit bulls from my carriage house two weeks ago.... total cost $9,000 in legal and utilities. Now their squatting at some else's place... maybe your's next? The squatters moved in and changed the locks while we were in Spain for the summer; then we were forced by the court system to live 10 feet from these vermin for two months during the eviction process. The system keeps on rewarding these thieves. This past Monday, my wife and I thwarted a home invasion by a local heroin addict.... chased him down for the police who were of no help and recovered some of our tenant's stolen property, and now he's in jail awaiting trial on three felonies. The locals call him "homeless Jimmy" who's on government disability payments for his drug addiction.

I can tell you from first hand experience, you'll change your mind about these "homeless" bums when they come crashing through your front door... while you're home looking to steal anything they can get their hands on. "Homeless Jimmy" is probably the luckiest bum alive.... lucky my loaded shotgun was in the other room at the time. I did't know who he was till after the his bail hearing... to me he was just some crazed heroin addict, twice my size and half my age busting through my front door.

The only organization I respect which has good luck with rehabilitation is the Salvation Army. Good people doing good work to get these dregs off the street... they give them a job and put them to work helping others.

[kthoennes]

Sounds like its time to move to a different neighborhood.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by kthoennes

Sounds like its time to move to a different neighborhood.

Easy for you to say, not so easy for us to do... I was here first, and I don't plan to run and hide. We now live in Spain 6 months/year for a change of scenery.

These problems are beginning to happen much more often everywhere in the USA, there's no getting away from it unless you live in a gated community outside the cities. The criminals no longer fear any consequences to their crimes. I work in the very nice upscale town of Andover, MA... it happens there also, my sister in California had a break in 4 weeks ago.

If you think you are safe anywhere and that police will be there to protect you.... you're only fooling yourself.

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I read this story yesterday, and really find it amazing how so many sympathetic people fall for these "homeless" stories every time. This is simply the same old story just like the recent "shoeless" New York bum story that hit the headlines a couple of days ago. These bums have all the government services available to them, but instead they choose their lifestyle, usually looking for a new angle to get some additional cash from the sympathetic.

No I'm not Scrooge... just a guy who's had more than his share of experiences with people just like "canoe man." I showed some sympathy last year to a local bum by giving him a few hours of day labor for some cash... where is he now? In prison for breaking into my place later the same day to steal my snow blower to sell for some crack. I just finished evicting two squatter drug addicts and their pit bulls from my carriage house two weeks ago.... total cost $9,000 in legal and utilities. Now their squatting at some else's place... maybe your's next? The squatters moved in and changed the locks while we were in Spain for the summer; then we were forced by the court system to live 10 feet from these vermin for two months during the eviction process. The system keeps on rewarding these thieves. This past Monday, my wife and I thwarted a home invasion by a local heroin addict.... chased him down for the police who were of no help and recovered some of our tenant's stolen property, and now he's in jail awaiting trial on three felonies. The locals call him "homeless Jimmy" who's on government disability payments for his drug addiction.

I can tell you from first hand experience, you'll change your mind about these "homeless" bums when they come crashing through your front door... while you're home looking to steal anything they can get their hands on. "Homeless Jimmy" is probably the luckiest bum alive.... lucky my loaded shotgun was in the other room at the time. I did't know who he was till after the his bail hearing... to me he was just some crazed heroin addict, twice my size and half my age busting through my front door.

The only organization I respect which has good luck with rehabilitation is the Salvation Army. Good people doing good work to get these dregs off the street... they give them a job and put them to work helping others.

I wish what you are saying, were not true, but I am afraid it is.

Originally Posted by kthoennes

Sounds like its time to move to a different neighborhood.

Where you going to move to? No neighborhood is immune

[SurferShane]

Bugger, half the reason I moved onto my cosmetically challenged little boat to live the life of a transient yachtie was to get away from my ice freak f%ckwit neighbors! The menopausal bitches and their tool partners who had moved in and started "gentrifying" the little street by the sea where I had lived for two decades were too gutless to pick on the real drug addict scum. The only thing I was addicted to was getting my daily dose of the ocean.

Oh yeah, I also get pissed with the charismatic scamming bums who expect everything for nothing! My old neighborhood had its wannabe derro "legend" whose act seemed to have everyone sucked in. My adventures are aimed to escape this crap and the and the anxiety it creates.

[zboss]

I was up in Boston this week.... I looked around for him but didn't find him.

What was odd was that most of the Bostonians I spoke to about him didn't know what I was talking about although they all felt that it was crazy.

[SunDevil]

Not every homeless person is a bum or criminal. I don't know the background of this guy, but some people don't want to be owned by a bank, forced to go to work, and tied down with a bunch of stuff.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

Not every homeless person is a bum or criminal. I don't know the background of this guy, but some people don't want to be owned by a bank, forced to go to work, and tied down with a bunch of stuff.

I believe this is probably a correct assessment of him based on the interviews I saw.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by zboss

I was up in Boston this week.... I looked around for him but didn't find him.

What was odd was that most of the Bostonians I spoke to about him didn't know what I was talking about although they all felt that it was crazy.

Don't believe everything you read in the Boston Globe.

[SabreKai]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I read this story yesterday, and really find it amazing how so many sympathetic people fall for these "homeless" stories every time. This is simply the same old story just like the recent "shoeless" New York bum story that hit the headlines a couple of days ago. These bums have all the government services available to them, but instead they choose their lifestyle, usually looking for a new angle to get some additional cash from the sympathetic.

No I'm not Scrooge... just a guy who's had more than his share of experiences with people just like "canoe man." I showed some sympathy last year to a local bum by giving him a few hours of day labor for some cash... where is he now? In prison for breaking into my place later the same day to steal my snow blower to sell for some crack. I just finished evicting two squatter drug addicts and their pit bulls from my carriage house two weeks ago.... total cost $9,000 in legal and utilities. Now their squatting at some else's place... maybe your's next? The squatters moved in and changed the locks while we were in Spain for the summer; then we were forced by the court system to live 10 feet from these vermin for two months during the eviction process. The system keeps on rewarding these thieves. This past Monday, my wife and I thwarted a home invasion by a local heroin addict.... chased him down for the police who were of no help and recovered some of our tenant's stolen property, and now he's in jail awaiting trial on three felonies. The locals call him "homeless Jimmy" who's on government disability payments for his drug addiction.

I can tell you from first hand experience, you'll change your mind about these "homeless" bums when they come crashing through your front door... while you're home looking to steal anything they can get their hands on. "Homeless Jimmy" is probably the luckiest bum alive.... lucky my loaded shotgun was in the other room at the time. I did't know who he was till after the his bail hearing... to me he was just some crazed heroin addict, twice my size and half my age busting through my front door.

The only organization I respect which has good luck with rehabilitation is the Salvation Army. Good people doing good work to get these dregs off the street... they give them a job and put them to work helping others.

OK. Tit for tat. I had a homeless girl living in my apartment for 10 months, after I found her huddled under a bush in the local park. I noticed a small wisp of steam coming from the bush as I walked by. She was wrapped in a coat and blanket, slowly slipping into hypothermia. I'd seen her round all summer, typical bag lady, so I took her home, parked her in the shower, laundered her clothes and gave her my couch to sleep. I paid her a few bucks a week to clean my apartment as I was OOS with tendonitis and she showed up every day and cleaned the place. She would wait til i was asleep, come in, shower, hit the couch and be gone again by daybreak, doing odd jobs around my little town. I found out over time she'd been raped and left for dead somewhere out west, and was pretty messed up, but for some reason she trusted me.

Sure I'm a trusting fool, but in 10 months I never got ripped off. I even left money out accidentally a few times and it was never moved. I only wish I knew what happened to her in the end. She left heading for home on the east coast. I hope she made it and found some peace.

I've hired some bums to work for me, they did good work for me. Others refused, and then tried to sell me their filthy parkas for $10 for a bottle.

There are good ones and bad ones. Just like in everything else. Besides, where do you get the idea that this one is standing with his hand out?