# Craigslist, Homeless Shelters and below freezing temps



## Windwalker (Feb 6, 2020)

Not long ago, on Dec. 30th 2019 I decided to bail out of the current living conditions I was under in south central ohio with no plan whatsoever except the experience of the past encoded in my bones. 

With all my trash packed tight in one bag, I hitched a ride from the sticks to a Microtel about 8 miles away. I put down my debit card with very little money on it and asked for a room for seven nights. I needed time to clear my head and think. 

Something happened on the 6th night and I had to leave but about a mile down the way I decide to stop at another hotel. There was still a peculiar amount of cash on my balance, so I decided to take in another week at this new locale, but my card would only squeeze out enough for four more. Probably because I withdrew what extra cash I thought I had. 

Well, I lost my debit card that Friday and reported it to the bank not thinking that Microtel somehow had not charged me. 

So with about $400 and four nights I was still in the middle of nowhere, the only reason there bring these motels because of the local fracking boom. Quickly I remembered that county, Carroll county has transit vehicles. If I could make it to Akron that would be nice. So I called the transit company in this dinky little town and asked if they went to the Akron/Canton Airport? "We sure do!" they said. It would be only (eight) usd$8.00. Wow! So I cut my stay short until that Monday because that was the soonest they could take me. Now, this is about a 60 mile trip, for only $8? Just, wow!

I still wasnt exactly sure what I was going to do once I reached the airport, but I knew it had good public transportation south into Canton or North into Akron and from there even into Cleveland or a number of greyhound routes. 

I began to scour Craigslist but came up dry. I needed to hold on to my money so I stopped in at the the Haven of Rest, knowing I could stay there a max of five nights without a job. They make you go on work contract after that and if you dint find anything I'm not sure what happens. 

The Haven was filled to capacity but they had a good Filet Mignon dinner that first night. Incredible. A little fire and brimstone preaching and a good meal and hot shower with 150 homeless cats was how I spent that night. 

I had just recovered from bronchitis though and was starting to feel sick. Everyone was coughing and hacking and I decide after two more nights to check into a spot I knew about near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I hopped a city bus the route #33 out if Akron and ride it to the end if the line. 

But before that I had set my pack down for a minute at the transit station in a bench outside and walked 50 yards away to have a smoke. That fast everything was gone. I was sick, tired and cold so I guess I let my guard down but you just dont think in broad daylight with all the cameras someone would risk doing that. But they did, and actually walked right by the police depot with it with them watching. I ran after the guy but he was gone. 

So I had to act fast. There was pertinent info in there regarding my account and a sheet of blank checks. Lol. Plus clothing food, etc. 

Now I'm at the end of the line of bus route #33 and still have a mile to walk to the cheap motel, and it's dark, and cold. But thankfully I have cash. $180 for 7 nights and I'm cozy now. The next day I handle my business with the bank, just to make sure, and have a new debit card mailed to the branch. While I'm on the bus I locate a labor gig in a rental property, on craigslist, in Kent. The infamous home of the Kent State Massacre. 

I start talking to the guy and he sounds very unstable. But claims he has a lot of work and asks me to meet him the next day at a nearby mcdonalds in Cuyahoga Falls, but he doesn't show. Ir return my call. So the next day I go to Kent by a network of buses and try to contact him again. I get off the bus in front of a BP gas station grab a coffee and give him a call. He answers! I tell him I'm here in Kent but theres a bus coming the other way going back to Akrin in 10 min. He asks where am I and I tell him the BP on Rt. 43. He says "stay right there" and 5 min later this guy pull up in a electric car packed with junk. Hes a hoarder. 

We pull stuff out of the way and I squeeze into the front seat and sit in something wet. Fuck! This 8s crazy. Well I slide a plastic bag I had from the BP under my ass, and he pulls into a driveway! We were literally 500 yards away from the BP, and I see these people working on these two houses. They are his. 

The people working were vinyl siders. Its 30 degrees out and they are siding a house with vinyl? Ok. Well he puts me to work picking up rotting garbage from a former tenant. He pays the siders for the day and they leave but he offers me to stay in one of the houses. Theres no heat and no water, but theres a bed. I explain to him that I have a place already, but could we talk? So my week ends at the hotel, and I return to Kent. Now hes put an electric heater in the place. But the siders took his money and never came back, and he has $3000 brake sitting there and wants to know of I will stay there and watch the place and work for free. I say no. I wont be of employ 24/7 for free, I need food to eat. He opens this big nasty bag of pasta he took from a Cekebrate Recovery meeting. Hes a gambling addict he says. I tell him that fine but im not eating that pasta. It had been somewhere in his car all might before and I just didnt trust it. So, he says what if I give you the key to the house and you stay here tonight and paint and in the morning I'll stop by and pay you, so I say, ok. 

The next morning I walk to the bp grab a coffee and Danish and be says he is going to be late. Might not be there at all today. Could I stick around and watch the place? I tell him "No, theres a bus coming for Akron in 10 min." He says ok just leave they key there by the bus stop under a rock or something, and I tell him, "No, if you want key you'll have to meet me at the transit station in Akron. I'll be there in app. 45 min."

He doesnt know what to say. If he doesn't pay me he will have to change the locks, is what I'm thinking and he doesn't want to do that, so I'm getting closer to Akron now and theres no reply from him. 

Suddenly as we are pulling into depot I see his beat up work van.


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## Deleted member 24782 (Feb 7, 2020)

Windwalker said:


> Not long ago, on Dec. 30th 2019 I decided to bail out of the current living conditions I was under in south central ohio with no plan whatsoever except the experience of the past encoded in my bones.
> 
> With all my trash packed tight in one bag, I hitched a ride from the sticks to a Microtel about 8 miles away. I put down my debit card with very little money on it and asked for a room for seven nights. I needed time to clear my head and think.
> 
> ...



Interesting story for sure. Reminds me of some of John Waters travels in his book "Carsick".


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## Windwalker (Feb 7, 2020)

Brodiesel710 said:


> Interesting story for sure. Reminds me of some of John Waters travels in his book "Carsick".


I'll have to check that out. Thanks.


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## Deleted member 24782 (Feb 7, 2020)

Windwalker said:


> I'll have to check that out. Thanks.



You may enjoy it, the first half of the book is fiction, the second half is a real account of him hitchhiking from his hometown of Baltimore, all the way to San Francisco. Waters an eccentric gay film maker, so his entire approach to hitchhiking is completely different than most, he's pretty honest about it, not romantic at all, at one point he even litters! HAHA.


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## Deleted member 13433 (Feb 7, 2020)

...is there more to this ??
It was just starting to get real interesting.


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## Windwalker (Feb 7, 2020)

OTTERWOLF said:


> ...is there more to this ??
> It was just starting to get real interesting.


Yes


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## Deleted member 13433 (Feb 7, 2020)

Good.
Look forwards to reading more soon.


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## Windwalker (Feb 7, 2020)

Brodiesel710 said:


> You may enjoy it, the first half of the book is fiction, the second half is a real account of him hitchhiking from his hometown of Baltimore, all the way to San Francisco. Waters an eccentric gay film maker, so his entire approach to hitchhiking is completely different than most, he's pretty honest about it, not romantic at all, at one point he even litters! HAHA.


Will you write a book?


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## Windwalker (Feb 7, 2020)

OTTERWOLF said:


> Good.
> Look forwards to reading more soon.



Thanks for the positive feedback.

Been fighting a flu bug and need to rest for awhile atm Hopefully all the Mexican food I just ate will help, and a good night's sleep. Found a decent place for 7 nights, but going to need to find a work gig soon. Hopefully will feel fit enough this week to tackle some projects. 

Maybe even call that guy back? Ironically he sent me a text asking if I found a place to stay, and said I was still welcome to stay there. 

Seems fishy.

What I wouldn't give to hop a freight out of Akron headed west.

But in this weather? I've never done it.


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## Deleted member 24782 (Feb 7, 2020)

Windwalker said:


> Will you write a book?



Yes well, um, I'm workin' on that. !!!!!


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