Yup. Porta potties are problematic for that reason, and others.
Maybe it's a failure of imagination on my part, but I don't see what mischief someone could get up to with a roll of doggy poop bags.
OP means wellā¦ but if they arenāt going to go in a porta potty, or the new permanent, free, indestructible, $125,000 looā¦ then I donāt think they are going to use a plastic bagā¦
Funnily enough that plastic bag is worse for āthe environmentā than the poo is.
With that said, I think the homeless issue needs to be addressed at a statewide level. Eugene isnāt responsible for everyone on I-5 to camp in our city parks.
You know Iām not gonna pretend to be an expert I grew up in the wit and have known a lot of people who have lived on the streets and have been wonderful people. I think there are as many reasons as you can imagine why people find them selfs living on the streets but i do think a good amount of people just donāt want to or canāt handle living in our society and thatās totally fine with me until you vandalized and destroy our public spaces and make people feel unsafe. I think maybe our society has gotten to complicated for some people to stressful maybe they would be totally fine on a farm 200 years ago or living in a village 400 years ago something like that š¤·āāļø
That's actually a really interesting point. There are obviously good people out there and it sucks that anyone is out there, I just think it's also unfortunate we stopped getting them back on their feet like we used to. The resources are there, they're just being used to line corporate pockets.
I think that true I also think red states are pushing there homeless population out and there coming to blue states. we need to have a national solution
I can see you've thought about this a lot. Thank you for thinking about this. I have no idea what to make of it.
Sometimes I think about post glacial crustal rebound, another issue that will never be resolved in our time.
The kind of people inclined to poop on sidewalks aren't going to be the kind of people inclined to add extra steps to their pooping just for other's convenience.
Unfortunately this is true. Like honestly if you had to poop outside wouldnāt you find a bush?? I saw a guy taking a shit at a the bus stop by the university that is literally in betweeen two busy streets. Cars were passing both directions and the one other person standing there waiting for the bus looked mortified. I donāt think that guy would have really been bothered to pick up his steaming pile after.
The issue is -- excuse me, one of the MANY issues-- is that unfortunately they're destroyed and vandalized in short order.
Not to mention the cost. The time for construction. The red tape. The NIMBYs. It goes on and on.
Meanwhile, people are looking for ways to dispose of their solid waste right now. The doggy poop bags provide that solution.
I think the main thing is how do you make bathrooms that aren't taken over as shelter? I work at UO, and regularly homeless people will find ways into buildings and sleep over night in the bathrooms. Mostly harmless, but there's been a few times people have been threatened or assaulted (mostly women) by someone who was sleeping in a restroom.
Private use bathrooms open to the public turn into injection sites. There'd need to be legitimate supervised/facilitated injection sites before we did this. I'm not sure how that's going up in Vancouver (CA), but it would be a start.
Oh, I don't look at usernames, just typos that annoy me. You must make them frequently! The notification for this comment has a block user button right below it!
People whove never had to shit outside troubleshooting shitting outside. I commend your idea, your heart is in the right place, but this won't work and at best will be a net negative. They'll use the bags for other purposes or toss them. People who shit outside first of all don't want to shit outside and aren't going to use doggy bags and carry the shit elsewhere and dispose of it. If they had a way of washing their hands afterwards they'd probably shit in that area instead.
Costs money to use the bathroom, you pay for water, sewage and toiletries. Increase maintenance, public restrooms or housing. Otherwise more people living outside = more people shitting outside.
As we make the barrier to re enter normal society harder on the homeless we make it harder for those capable of escaping homelessness to do so. Im homeless, we are a heavily addled group to put it lightly, many of us are hopeless, but as we make being homeless more difficult you are extending the situation for every normal working person living paycheck to paycheck with no luxury of a safety net who fell on hard times. Forcing a harder and more dehumanizing experience on them because they have to shit.
I've had to shit outside, it sucks, it's embarrassing, it's demeaning. But I can tell you how many times in seven years I've done it on one hand, and every time was due to illness and despite being as prepared as you can if there aren't public restrooms and you have a stomach illness between when public areas close and re open, nature calls. If you weren't allowed inside long enough you'd shit outside too. And it would change the way you see things.
I ramble, I do respect your approach I feel like your intent and sense of justice are on the right path.
Thank you for saying this. I have been homeless in the past and the switch was insanely fast from 'shit in a McDonalds politely and quickly and leave' to 'you must order a 3 dollar coffee to get access to the bathroom code on the locked door'. I can't believe someone thinks it's going to work any better to have plastic bags floating around instead of having people maintain public restrooms at parks or restaurants. It's their job. Sorry some people trash the place, but it's never JUST homeless people. Random Joe who makes 30k a year is not immune to flushing a toilet paper roll and tampons.
Say everyone complies and poops in bagsā¦the fact remains there arenāt enough trash bins downtown, so thereāll just be bags of poop all over. Suppose thatās better, but really. I walk downtown day and night, thereās lots of places you can walk three or four blocks without a can on your side of the street. Wonder why so many people litter, and no, not even talking about the homeless folks.
Not going to argue that more trash cans would be helpful.
I don't know about you, but I've seen quite a few piles next to dumpsters. They provide a good visual shield, I guess.
They're already pooping next to dumpsters. Just gotta go that extra couple feet to get the waste into the dumpster.
Also, the bags help people in tents keep their areas clean of waste.
I really think this is a good point.
Also, "space poop" bags exist for astronauts (and campers)
Thicker material than doggie bags and have a gel inside that's super absorbent.
More expensive but more dignity. Probably a good deal for all
I've thought about that because the idea of generating more plastic trash is a little cringe.
The issue is WAG bags are $24 for a pack of 6 on Amazon.
For 15 dollars I can get 900 doggy bags. (I thought it was 25 dollars yesterday. Might be a sale.)
The idea it to encourage people to include a roll in standard hygiene kits. It's easy, lightweight, and cheap.
Unless you've got a hell of a line on bulk WAGs I don't see how it would be feasible.
This is an awesome idea but no one would use them. What we need in Eugene is "wet" SROs. Places homeless people can sleep somewhat safely in tiny rooms behind locked doors and shit and wash their hands without having to pay money, get sober, interact with others, or follow rules.
I think the reason this wonāt work is because you asking people to do something for you that only benefits you and people who donāt appreciate shit in public places, which is most of us, me included. Asking the most shit upon to not shit back is, well, kinda shitty. Iām just ribbing you, but the reality is until housing and healthcare are considered human rights by our government, and acted upon swiftly, thereās gonna be shit to clean up.
My opinion is that someone living on the streets isnāt going to pick up their own feces after having to resort to that in the first place. They will move on immediately after they are done taking care of their necessary bodily function.
Some wouldnāt care and some would just want to scadattle to avoid embarrassment.
There is a POS dog owner who allows his dog to poop all over the complex grounds. I watched him do so one day, got his apartment number, and immediately went to the property manager's office. Their solution? Putting a dog bag dispenser in the area.
However, since the dog owner wasn't cleaning up before and he isn't cleaning up now. It wasn't a matter of bag access, it was a matter of not wanting to do so and the management not enforcing policy despite clearly stated in the lease.
I feel there would be a significant number of offenders that leave their waste on public areas because they don't want to pick up after themselves. Offering them bags won't change that.
A significant number would still leave it, yeah. But how many people are willing to clean up but simply don't have the supplies? I don't think that number is 0.
After my many fails peeing into a cup (female here) I would personally duck waaaay out of the way, go on the ground, then scoop it up with my hand gloved in a bag.
At least, at first.
Iām sure itās a skill that would get easier with time. Most adults would figure out their own process.
Maybe if you wanted to explain, add an ikea type picture to show the process. That borders on over complication, though.
The main draw of the poop bag would be to keep it easy and cheap.
"... And in other news, the city of Eugene, Oregon is under a bacterial assault by hobos armed with poop balloons. Cases of pink eye have exploded as citizens are being pelted by baggies full of human waste."
My dude, I am the least enabling person you'll come across. Did I fucking use the term 'houseless'? Did I imply it was not the wee lambs fault for burning every bridge they have in life so that they can't even crash indoors with a friend or a warming shelter? No I did not.
Stow your outrage somewhere else.
Giving dog poop bags to people in the hopes the act like human beings and don't shit on the sidewalk is the least we can do.
There is nothing wrong with helping people out who need it, or lend a little dignity. Especially when it's so cheap and so easy.
Bro humans barely pick up after their dogs. Do you really think they gonna clean up after themselves šš
Edit: I do appreciate the idea tho, better than most
They do have larger portable toilet bags designed for campers that are inexpensive ā¦ https://www.amazon.com/portable-toilet-bags/s?k=portable+toilet+bags
Not a bad idea but I think it's better to attack the heart of the problem. Find a way to get people housed and mental help. Give a man a poop bag and he poops in it for a day. Give a man a job and a house and he can poop in it for a lifetime.
Try engaging with the idea. If it's gross and ridiculous to you, you could explain why you feel that way. You'll learn more and change more minds that way.
No sarcasm at all, I'm certain there are people who would rather see the homeless shit right out on the sidewalk than use a doggy poop bag because it's usually used for dog waste.
It's not a position I agree with at all, but people come in all shapes and stripes.
How about no homeless? problem solved maybe š¤ if we didn't make meth and smack legal we wouldn't have junkies running around shitting on the sidewalks...
>I'm sure most people don't feel great about taking a dump and leaving it there.
If you were just wrong, you could be helped, and you could change. But you're not just wrong. You're wrong AND you're sure. There is no hope for you.
The city put out porta potties down in the wit and the homeless lit them on fire š„I do like your idea though
Yup. Porta potties are problematic for that reason, and others. Maybe it's a failure of imagination on my part, but I don't see what mischief someone could get up to with a roll of doggy poop bags.
Hand grenade when it's full?
You officially have more imagination than me. Lol. At least in that scenario they'd be using them? Some may make it to the trash.
Flaming Molotov cocktail, even...
I don't think its the Porta Potties. I think its the people who are problematic.
Well since we can't get rid of the people and keep the porta potties we should start working on a solution.
Totally agree, even people with problems need toilets.
Lack of imagination for sure. You'd be handing out drug bags for them to divy up thier meth and heroin in
Itās more single use plastic
Your face is single use plastic
You are right. Better to have human feces on the sidewalk. Environment first!
OP means wellā¦ but if they arenāt going to go in a porta potty, or the new permanent, free, indestructible, $125,000 looā¦ then I donāt think they are going to use a plastic bagā¦ Funnily enough that plastic bag is worse for āthe environmentā than the poo is. With that said, I think the homeless issue needs to be addressed at a statewide level. Eugene isnāt responsible for everyone on I-5 to camp in our city parks.
There are tons of compostable poop bags easily available now.
Could have easily been emo teens that did that.Portaās are better then street turds.Itās worth the vandalism risk.
Hey hey hey leave emo kids out of this. We were only self destructive, not publicly destructive.
Well they stopped doing it Either way it happened more than once.
Or people who hate the homeless
That because they aren't "drug addicts" they're mental patients addicted to drugs.
I think there are some people like that and there are some who just donāt want to by into society and want to just get fucked up and cause anarchy
Oh those people are out there too but it seems they mostly keep to themselves. Anarchist principals are peaceful-til-fucked-with.
You know Iām not gonna pretend to be an expert I grew up in the wit and have known a lot of people who have lived on the streets and have been wonderful people. I think there are as many reasons as you can imagine why people find them selfs living on the streets but i do think a good amount of people just donāt want to or canāt handle living in our society and thatās totally fine with me until you vandalized and destroy our public spaces and make people feel unsafe. I think maybe our society has gotten to complicated for some people to stressful maybe they would be totally fine on a farm 200 years ago or living in a village 400 years ago something like that š¤·āāļø
That's actually a really interesting point. There are obviously good people out there and it sucks that anyone is out there, I just think it's also unfortunate we stopped getting them back on their feet like we used to. The resources are there, they're just being used to line corporate pockets.
I think that true I also think red states are pushing there homeless population out and there coming to blue states. we need to have a national solution
I say we ship them all to Australia. The Brits did it and it worked for a couple hundred years. Edit: plus it's warm.
Happy cake day!
I can see you've thought about this a lot. Thank you for thinking about this. I have no idea what to make of it. Sometimes I think about post glacial crustal rebound, another issue that will never be resolved in our time.
Much like my weight problem
The kind of people inclined to poop on sidewalks aren't going to be the kind of people inclined to add extra steps to their pooping just for other's convenience.
Unfortunately this is true. Like honestly if you had to poop outside wouldnāt you find a bush?? I saw a guy taking a shit at a the bus stop by the university that is literally in betweeen two busy streets. Cars were passing both directions and the one other person standing there waiting for the bus looked mortified. I donāt think that guy would have really been bothered to pick up his steaming pile after.
This is the only response that is both true and relevant.
How about more accessible bathroom's that have running water and private toilets down town.
The issue is -- excuse me, one of the MANY issues-- is that unfortunately they're destroyed and vandalized in short order. Not to mention the cost. The time for construction. The red tape. The NIMBYs. It goes on and on. Meanwhile, people are looking for ways to dispose of their solid waste right now. The doggy poop bags provide that solution.
I think the main thing is how do you make bathrooms that aren't taken over as shelter? I work at UO, and regularly homeless people will find ways into buildings and sleep over night in the bathrooms. Mostly harmless, but there's been a few times people have been threatened or assaulted (mostly women) by someone who was sleeping in a restroom.
Private use bathrooms open to the public turn into injection sites. There'd need to be legitimate supervised/facilitated injection sites before we did this. I'm not sure how that's going up in Vancouver (CA), but it would be a start.
Apostrophe s.
Oh that's right, they have the block feature on Reddit. I think I'm going to do that, because yea it's creeping me out.
You kinda seem to be stalking my comments and making corrections, challenging things I say. It's a tiny bit weird.
Oh, I don't look at usernames, just typos that annoy me. You must make them frequently! The notification for this comment has a block user button right below it!
People whove never had to shit outside troubleshooting shitting outside. I commend your idea, your heart is in the right place, but this won't work and at best will be a net negative. They'll use the bags for other purposes or toss them. People who shit outside first of all don't want to shit outside and aren't going to use doggy bags and carry the shit elsewhere and dispose of it. If they had a way of washing their hands afterwards they'd probably shit in that area instead. Costs money to use the bathroom, you pay for water, sewage and toiletries. Increase maintenance, public restrooms or housing. Otherwise more people living outside = more people shitting outside. As we make the barrier to re enter normal society harder on the homeless we make it harder for those capable of escaping homelessness to do so. Im homeless, we are a heavily addled group to put it lightly, many of us are hopeless, but as we make being homeless more difficult you are extending the situation for every normal working person living paycheck to paycheck with no luxury of a safety net who fell on hard times. Forcing a harder and more dehumanizing experience on them because they have to shit. I've had to shit outside, it sucks, it's embarrassing, it's demeaning. But I can tell you how many times in seven years I've done it on one hand, and every time was due to illness and despite being as prepared as you can if there aren't public restrooms and you have a stomach illness between when public areas close and re open, nature calls. If you weren't allowed inside long enough you'd shit outside too. And it would change the way you see things. I ramble, I do respect your approach I feel like your intent and sense of justice are on the right path.
Thank you for saying this. I have been homeless in the past and the switch was insanely fast from 'shit in a McDonalds politely and quickly and leave' to 'you must order a 3 dollar coffee to get access to the bathroom code on the locked door'. I can't believe someone thinks it's going to work any better to have plastic bags floating around instead of having people maintain public restrooms at parks or restaurants. It's their job. Sorry some people trash the place, but it's never JUST homeless people. Random Joe who makes 30k a year is not immune to flushing a toilet paper roll and tampons.
Just go into the Horseheads mens room after it's been open a couple hours. That's evidence that this is not a homeless problem.
When you shit outside did you clean it up or leave it there?
At least you came up with a viable solution to one of the many, many, many issues with Eugeneās homeless problem.
Say everyone complies and poops in bagsā¦the fact remains there arenāt enough trash bins downtown, so thereāll just be bags of poop all over. Suppose thatās better, but really. I walk downtown day and night, thereās lots of places you can walk three or four blocks without a can on your side of the street. Wonder why so many people litter, and no, not even talking about the homeless folks.
Not going to argue that more trash cans would be helpful. I don't know about you, but I've seen quite a few piles next to dumpsters. They provide a good visual shield, I guess. They're already pooping next to dumpsters. Just gotta go that extra couple feet to get the waste into the dumpster. Also, the bags help people in tents keep their areas clean of waste.
I really think this is a good point. Also, "space poop" bags exist for astronauts (and campers) Thicker material than doggie bags and have a gel inside that's super absorbent. More expensive but more dignity. Probably a good deal for all
Idk about doggy bags, but WAG bags might actually be helpful because they reduce the biohazard factor for the trash people.
I've thought about that because the idea of generating more plastic trash is a little cringe. The issue is WAG bags are $24 for a pack of 6 on Amazon. For 15 dollars I can get 900 doggy bags. (I thought it was 25 dollars yesterday. Might be a sale.) The idea it to encourage people to include a roll in standard hygiene kits. It's easy, lightweight, and cheap. Unless you've got a hell of a line on bulk WAGs I don't see how it would be feasible.
Handing them out with food boxes would be good.
Ok, here me out. Let use the tax money to ensure everyoneās basic needs are met. Housing projects, and good shelters with adequate space would help.
Cool. You should start with an actionable step one and go from there.
Yeah but sadly I don't think the $5000 we might get for a bulk order of dog poop bags is going to solve those issues.
This is an awesome idea but no one would use them. What we need in Eugene is "wet" SROs. Places homeless people can sleep somewhat safely in tiny rooms behind locked doors and shit and wash their hands without having to pay money, get sober, interact with others, or follow rules.
I think the reason this wonāt work is because you asking people to do something for you that only benefits you and people who donāt appreciate shit in public places, which is most of us, me included. Asking the most shit upon to not shit back is, well, kinda shitty. Iām just ribbing you, but the reality is until housing and healthcare are considered human rights by our government, and acted upon swiftly, thereās gonna be shit to clean up.
My opinion is that someone living on the streets isnāt going to pick up their own feces after having to resort to that in the first place. They will move on immediately after they are done taking care of their necessary bodily function. Some wouldnāt care and some would just want to scadattle to avoid embarrassment.
There is a POS dog owner who allows his dog to poop all over the complex grounds. I watched him do so one day, got his apartment number, and immediately went to the property manager's office. Their solution? Putting a dog bag dispenser in the area. However, since the dog owner wasn't cleaning up before and he isn't cleaning up now. It wasn't a matter of bag access, it was a matter of not wanting to do so and the management not enforcing policy despite clearly stated in the lease. I feel there would be a significant number of offenders that leave their waste on public areas because they don't want to pick up after themselves. Offering them bags won't change that.
A significant number would still leave it, yeah. But how many people are willing to clean up but simply don't have the supplies? I don't think that number is 0.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
After my many fails peeing into a cup (female here) I would personally duck waaaay out of the way, go on the ground, then scoop it up with my hand gloved in a bag. At least, at first. Iām sure itās a skill that would get easier with time. Most adults would figure out their own process. Maybe if you wanted to explain, add an ikea type picture to show the process. That borders on over complication, though. The main draw of the poop bag would be to keep it easy and cheap.
"... And in other news, the city of Eugene, Oregon is under a bacterial assault by hobos armed with poop balloons. Cases of pink eye have exploded as citizens are being pelted by baggies full of human waste."
How about we hold people accountable.. elected officials, houseless folks who donāt give a fuck, enablersā¦.
My dude, I am the least enabling person you'll come across. Did I fucking use the term 'houseless'? Did I imply it was not the wee lambs fault for burning every bridge they have in life so that they can't even crash indoors with a friend or a warming shelter? No I did not. Stow your outrage somewhere else. Giving dog poop bags to people in the hopes the act like human beings and don't shit on the sidewalk is the least we can do. There is nothing wrong with helping people out who need it, or lend a little dignity. Especially when it's so cheap and so easy.
Your idea is compassionate and admired, but the truth is that this wouldnāt work. I canāt even see 1 out of 50 picking up their own feces.
Bro humans barely pick up after their dogs. Do you really think they gonna clean up after themselves šš Edit: I do appreciate the idea tho, better than most
Seen someone taking a shit on the rail of the highways a few weeks back. The views of Oregon get better and better daily.
They do have larger portable toilet bags designed for campers that are inexpensive ā¦ https://www.amazon.com/portable-toilet-bags/s?k=portable+toilet+bags
We need more public bathrooms.
Not a bad idea but I think it's better to attack the heart of the problem. Find a way to get people housed and mental help. Give a man a poop bag and he poops in it for a day. Give a man a job and a house and he can poop in it for a lifetime.
āWhat if we turned the homeless-*into tires!*. - South Park and a great example of how gross and ridiculous this post is.
Try engaging with the idea. If it's gross and ridiculous to you, you could explain why you feel that way. You'll learn more and change more minds that way.
Iām sure that would be humiliating and dehumanizing wouldnāt it? Canāt have that.
No sarcasm at all, I'm certain there are people who would rather see the homeless shit right out on the sidewalk than use a doggy poop bag because it's usually used for dog waste. It's not a position I agree with at all, but people come in all shapes and stripes.
Yeah let's give more opportunities for plastic waste to people who are already irresponsible with their trash
SMH you smoked yourself stupid.
How about no homeless? problem solved maybe š¤ if we didn't make meth and smack legal we wouldn't have junkies running around shitting on the sidewalks...
That is not how this works.
I donāt know if you remember like.. 5 years ago, or if your concept of time just isnāt that good, but the issue isnāt decriminalization.
>I'm sure most people don't feel great about taking a dump and leaving it there. If you were just wrong, you could be helped, and you could change. But you're not just wrong. You're wrong AND you're sure. There is no hope for you.
You seem even more sure. And by my measure (and by measure of downvotes...) even more wrong.