Even the rain couldn't keep ours away yesterday

The panhandling and homeless problem is getting bad here in town. On my way home last night at Market Street Station, a dude asked me where the nearest homeless shelter was. I told him that there is the Samaritan Shelter and the Denver Rescue Mission.

He said that they were full and were instructed to go to Boulder [WTF?]. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of any other shelters downtown. I also told him to check with the Mall security people and see if they knew.

The number of panhanlders downtown on the mall is also getting out of control. What pisses me off is how some of them say 'Oh I am on my way to so and so, but got stranded'. And then you see them again the next day using some other line. There's this one dude in particular who hangs out by Market Street and is always changing his line. It bugs me that he lies and thinks no one notices.

I know the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District has their 'Ambassadors' and they help the homeless and panhandlers. But man, maybe we need more 'Ambassadors'. Or maybe we need a system like in 'Blade 3 - Trinity'. But that would only work if vampires existed.

But look at what Dallas is doing:



Dallas Institutes New Laws on Homeless



'DALLAS (AP) - Panhandling banned. Shopping carts prohibited on city streets. The distribution of food to the homeless restricted to designated areas.



With a series of ordinances governing its growing homeless population, Dallas is gaining a reputation as a city uncharitable toward some of its neediest citizens.




The National Coalition for the Homeless recently ranked Dallas sixth among the Top 10 ``meanest'' cities in the country. No. 1 was Sarasota, Fla.




Dallas officials say they are trying to steer the homeless toward help and make the streets a little safer for them. But advocates for the estimated 9,000 homeless people in Dallas say the city is pursuing a harsh and pitiless policy. '